Chris Tucker is an American actor and comedian, best known for his roles in the movie “Rush Hour” and its sequels “Rush Hour 2” and “Rush Hour 3”. He was born on August 31, 1971 to Mary Louise and Norris Tucker in Atlanta, Georgia. Tucker spent his childhood in Decatur, Georgia attending Columbia High School where his father operated a business running a janitorial service. He then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in comedy and acting. In the early 1990s, Tucker was a frequent performer on the HBO television series “Def Comedy Jam” which ran from 1992 to 1997.
In 1994, he made his film debut with “House Party 3” also starring the American hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play, acclaimed comedy actor Bernie Mac and R&B girl group TLC. He then starred in the 1995 film “Friday” alongside rapper Ice Cube and comedian Bernie Mac. In the film Tucker plays Ice Cube’s best friend and the two play the role of drug addicts who are involved in a drug deal gone wrong. The film grossed $28 million at the box office and received positive reviews from critics. The film had two sequels “Next Friday” released in 2000 and “Friday After Next” released in 2002 but Tucker did not appear in either, citing religious reasons.
In 1997, he co-starred with Charlie Sheen in the movie “Money Talks”, an action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner. Next, he appeared in the film “The Fifth Element” starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich and directed by Luc Besson. It was a science fiction film based in the 23rd century. The film garnered $263 million at the box office and received generally positive reviews. He next moved on to partner with Brett Ratner again for the series of “Rush Hour” movies between 1998 and 2007. He starred alongside martial arts star Jackie Chan for the series. The film was a martial arts comedy in which Tucker played the role of Detective James Carter. The films were very well received at the box office, and after the phenomenal success of the first film, Tucker held out for a $20 million salary
