Chris Tucker Actor Date of Birth: 31.08.1972 Country: USA

Biography of Chris Tucker

Chris Tucker, an American comedian and impersonator, gained fame for his role in the film "Rush Hour," one of the first movies he starred in. He shared the lead role with Jackie Chan, and together they formed a colorful alliance. "We were born to work together. We are like brothers, only I'm black and he's Chinese," says Chris Tucker.

Early Life and Career
Chris Tucker was born on August 31, 1972, in Decatur, Georgia, USA. He was the sixth and youngest child in his family. His mother worked as a janitor. "When I realized I could entertain people," recalls the actor, "I decided to make a living out of it. Besides, I always loved movies. I knew I wanted to act in funny films. Teachers tried to discourage me, but they couldn't make me deviate from the path I had chosen." His path proved to be the right one. At the age of twenty, Chris left home and pursued his acting career wholeheartedly.

Breakthrough Role and Success
Chris Tucker's first major success came after he played one of the main roles in the crime comedy "Friday" (1995). However, his most memorable character was the arrogant radio host in Luc Besson's sci-fi action film "The Fifth Element" (1997). Tucker's character overshadowed the over-positive heroes and their incredibly aggressive enemies in Besson's film. In 1998, Brett Ratner's film "Rush Hour" was released, and it became evident that Tucker's success in "The Fifth Element" was not a coincidence. "Rush Hour," a comedy-action film, told the story of an investigation into the kidnapping of the Chinese ambassador's daughter in the United States. The ambassador brings the chief inspector of the Hong Kong police, a martial arts master named Lee, to America to participate in the girl's rescue. American intelligence agencies were not thrilled with this turn of events and assigned their most inept employee, James Carter, to show the Chinese inspector around town and, most importantly, prevent him from interfering in their affairs. Naturally, after numerous arguments and attempts to assert dominance, the two characters join forces and make serious efforts to rescue the hostage.

The Success of "Rush Hour" and its Sequel
The brilliant performances of Tucker and Chan did not go unnoticed, and they received awards for "Best On-Screen Duo" at the MTV Movie Awards and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. The success of "Rush Hour" was unexpected for everyone, including the creators of the film. It became the highest-grossing film not only for Chris Tucker, who was just starting his career in the film industry, but also for Jackie Chan, who had been working in movies for over twenty years. It was no surprise that a sequel, "Rush Hour 2," was soon released, especially since Tucker was offered 20 million dollars to participate in it. However, the highly anticipated sequel was released three years later. Everyone believed that the second part should be an exact copy of the first film, but the actor did not want to be part of a film that was too similar. To expedite the release of the film, a script was created in which the action takes place in Hong Kong. Eventually, the script, audience demands, the persistence of the studio bosses, and Jackie Chan himself (and, of course, the promised 20 million dollars for Tucker) convinced him that it was worth continuing to work on the sequel to the film that made him famous.

"Rush Hour 2" starred not only Chan and Tucker but also talented actors John Lone, who gained fame after playing the lead role in Bernardo Bertolucci's historical film "The Last Emperor" (1987), and the young Zhang Ziyi, who became famous after Ang Lee's film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000). In the new film, James Carter, a simple Los Angeles police officer, crosses paths with the characters played by Lone and Ziyi, and it is highly likely that he would have a hard time if Inspector Lee from Hong Kong did not come to his aid. However, their relationship is still far from complete trust and understanding. "In my opinion, 'Rush Hour 2' was even better than the first part," notes Chris Tucker. "The second installment was funnier, with more action and beautiful natural scenery. We filmed some scenes in Hong Kong. You won't believe it, but no American film had ever been shot in Hong Kong before 'Rush Hour 2'! The Chinese love their own films and consider American films to be silly. By the way, I was one of the few black people in Hong Kong. They were constantly pointing at me!"

Friendship and Collaboration with Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan gave Chris Tucker a tour of Hong Kong. They went to bars, karaoke (Tucker loves to sing), and Jackie's favorite seafood restaurants. "I fell in love with Hong Kong," exclaims Tucker. "The waiters there are so attentive, unlike in Los Angeles. I plan to visit this amazing city again to explore it in more detail." Chris Tucker claims that he started learning martial arts even before Jackie Chan, in a past life. "I watched a stuntman perform tricks for me," says the actor, "and I loved it! My stunt double is well-trained, fearlessly faces anything, and looks just like me. Now I go to the gym and have hired a kung fu trainer. So it's better not to mess with me!"

Future Plans and Continuing Success
"We helped each other a lot with Chris," said Jackie Chan. "I showed him how to fight, and he helped me with the dialogue." English proved to be the most challenging "stunt" for Jackie Chan. "When they brought me the script and I flipped through that thick book, I felt sick," he recalls. "But I'm not used to backing down or giving up. When I couldn't pronounce a phrase, Chris helped me. And when it came to fight scenes, I helped Chris. You know, compared to the first film, he has grown a lot and now he can really hit hard if he gets angry. Before, he mostly made scary faces."

"Rush Hour 2" earned numerous awards. It is no wonder that a third installment, "Rush Hour 3," will be released soon. Tucker has signed a $45 million contract with New Line Cinema, which obligates him to participate in sequels and subsequent "Rush Hour" films.

When asked about his future plans, Chris Tucker slyly replies, "I think my career in the film industry is truly beginning right now. And I'm ready for it."

One of the most colorful characters portrayed by Chris Tucker on screen was the unmarried African-American president in the comedy film "Mister President." "It's a very unusual film," the actor says. "I prepared very carefully for this new role: I met with Bill Clinton, who was the President of the United States at the time, spoke with prominent African-American politicians Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson, and visited the White House. I want the audience to see me from a different perspective and understand that I can play not only in action and comedy films. I'm really counting on that."