Chris Tucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Tucker
Tucker in 2019
Birth name	Christopher Tucker
Born	(1971-08-31) August 31, 1971 (age 53) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up film television
Years active	1992–present
Genres	Observational comedy sarcasm black comedy insult comedy
Subject(s)	African-American culture current events pop culture race relations racism
Spouse	Azja Pryor ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2003)​
Children	1

Christopher Tucker (born August 31, 1971) is a famous American stand-up comedian and actor. He first started performing stand-up comedy in 1992 on the HBO show Def Comedy Jam. He became well-known for his funny appearances on this show throughout the 1990s. Chris Tucker made his first movie appearance in House Party 3 in 1994. He gained even more attention the next year in the movie Friday. In 1997, he starred in The Fifth Element and Money Talks. He also had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown. Tucker became famous worldwide for playing Detective James Carter in the action-comedy film Rush Hour (1998). He played this role again in two more sequels.

Chris Tucker's Early Life and Comedy Journey

Christopher Tucker was born on August 31, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the youngest of six children. Chris quickly learned that being funny helped him get attention at school and at home. His dad owned a cleaning business. Chris grew up in a Christian family.

He spent his childhood in Decatur, Georgia. After finishing Columbia High School, he moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to become a comedian. Chris was inspired by comedians like Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy. His teachers and friends knew him for making people laugh. He often did funny impressions of Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson.

Chris Tucker's Acting and Comedy Career

Chris Tucker in 2000

Chris Tucker started performing his comedy in clubs around Atlanta. In 1990, he moved to Los Angeles to focus on his stand-up career. By 1992, he was a regular on the HBO comedy show Def Comedy Jam. His first movie role was in House Party 3 in 1994. He became even more recognized in movies when he starred with rapper Ice Cube in Friday in 1995. In 1997, he co-starred in The Fifth Element and Money Talks. He also had a role in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.

Chris Tucker gained huge fame starring alongside Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. They played police detectives in the action-comedy film series Rush Hour. The first Rush Hour movie was a big hit. Because of its success, he earned a lot of money for the sequels. He was paid $20 million for Rush Hour 2 and $25 million for Rush Hour 3.

Chris Tucker decided not to play his character Smokey again in the Friday sequels. He made this choice for religious reasons. He also appeared in Michael Jackson's music video "You Rock My World". He had a small role in Tupac Shakur's video "California Love". In 2009, Chris Tucker played in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Celebrity Game.

In 2011, Chris Tucker started doing stand-up comedy again. The next year, he returned to movies in Silver Linings Playbook. He starred with actors like Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Critics and audiences really liked his performance in the film. The movie itself won many awards. He also hosted the 2013 BET Awards. In 2016, he appeared in Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. More recently, in 2023, he played Howard White in the movie Air.

Chris Tucker's Philanthropy and Views

Chris Tucker supported Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential elections.

In 2021, Chris Tucker became an official ambassador for the Heal Los Angeles Foundation. This foundation was started by Michael Jackson’s son, Prince Jackson.

In 2022, during the Halloween Thriller Night event by the Heal Los Angeles Foundation, Chris Tucker received a special award. He and Steve Harvey were given the first "Man in The Mirror" Award. This award honors important people who use their fame to do good things. Prince Jackson presented the award to Chris Tucker.

Chris Tucker's Personal Life

Chris Tucker has a son named Destin with his ex-wife Azja Pryor. He spends his time living in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.

He is very good friends with his Rush Hour co-star Jackie Chan. Chris was also close friends with singer Michael Jackson. He introduced and danced with Michael Jackson at his 30th Anniversary Celebration. He also appeared in Jackson's music video "You Rock My World" in 2001. Chris Tucker's career was also influenced by Jackson. He is seen dancing and singing to Jackson's song "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" in Rush Hour 2. He also copied Jackson's dance moves in the movie Friday.

In 2006, Chris Tucker took part in a PBS documentary called African American Lives. This show looked at the family history of African Americans. Chris Tucker's DNA test results showed he has ancestors from Africa and Europe. His family tree was traced back to the 1830s. Chris Tucker visited Angola, where some of his ancestors came from.

Chris Tucker's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Chris Tucker para niños