Chris Tucker nearly fumbled the bag, huge time. Earlier than his breakout as Smokey in Friday, his first shot on the position was something however clean. Actually, casting director Kim Hardin didn’t sugarcoat it. “The primary time he auditioned for me, he was horrible,” she recalled. Tucker was recent off a comedy tour, unprepared, and hadn’t even learn the script.
He didn’t know comedians might improvise throughout auditions, which caught him off guard. Most casting administrators would’ve handed. As Hardin put it (by way of Complicated), “Some other casting director might have been like, ‘You had been horrible. Subsequent!’” However she gave him one other shot. And that second attempt? Pure fireplace.
Friday wasn’t simply one other comedy. It was Ice Dice and DJ Pooh’s response to motion pictures like Boyz n the Hood. They wished to flip the narrative and present the laid-back, humorous facet of the identical streets that folks thought had been all violent and dramatic. Ice Dice wanted a co-lead with chemistry and comedy chops. Initially, DJ Pooh was set to play Smokey, however New Line Cinema wasn’t down with an inexperienced actor in such a serious position.
That’s when Chris Tucker’s identify got here up. He had performed a small half in Home Celebration 3 and made waves on Def Comedy Jam. Dice and Pooh pushed to get him within the room. However when he confirmed up, he bombed. Exhausting. It seems that Tucker wasn’t even taking it severely at first. His Friday co-star Faizon Love, who performed Large Worm, revealed he was annoyed after shedding roles to different comics.
This one didn’t appear well worth the hustle. However that modified quick. After Hardin gave him time to prep, he returned and lit up the audition. Identical to that, Smokey was born. Tucker’s efficiency on Friday turned heads throughout Hollywood. Despite the fact that he didn’t return for the sequels, the affect caught. He scored supporting roles in Lifeless Presidents, The Fifth Ingredient, and Jackie Brown.
Then got here 1998’s Rush Hour with Jackie Chan. A $33 million price range became a $245 million world hit. By the point Rush Hour 2 dropped, Chris Tucker was one of many highest-paid actors within the recreation. Nonetheless, he didn’t flood the display screen with movies. Simply three motion pictures adopted over twenty years: Rush Hour 3, Silver Linings Playbook, and Billy Lynn’s Lengthy Halftime Stroll. Followers nonetheless hoped for a Final Friday reunion with Ice Dice, however it by no means occurred.
It began with a disastrous audition and a casting director who noticed potential beneath the mess. The Chris Tucker story is from “You had been horrible” to Hollywood heavyweight.
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