Kevin Hart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kevin Hart
Hart in 2018
Birth name	Kevin Darnell Hart
Born	(1979-07-06) July 6, 1979 (age 46) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up film television
Education	Community College of Philadelphia
Years active	2001–present
Genres	Observational black surreal insult racial sarcasm satire
Subject(s)	African-American culture everyday life marriage parenting pop culture race relations racism self-deprecation
Spouse	Torrei Skipper ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2011)​ Eniko Parrish ​ (m. 2016)​
Children	4

Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is a famous American comedian and actor. He has been nominated for several awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards, for his work.

Kevin Hart first became known after winning many stand-up comedy contests. He got his first big break when director Judd Apatow cast him in the TV show Undeclared in 2001. His comedy career grew even more with his first stand-up album, I'm a Grown Little Man (2009). He has since released four more popular comedy albums: Seriously Funny (2010), Laugh at My Pain (2011), Let Me Explain (2013), and What Now? (2016).

He has also starred in many movies. Some of his well-known films include Scary Movie 3 (2003), Soul Plane (2004), Little Fockers (2010), Think Like a Man (2012), Ride Along (2014), Central Intelligence (2016), and the Jumanji film series (2017–present). He also created and starred in Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013–2016), where he played a funny, made-up version of himself. In 2015, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2017, he started the Laugh Out Loud Network, a streaming service for comedy videos.

Early Life and Beginnings

Kevin Darnell Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1979. His mother, Nancy, raised him and his older brother, Robert, in a single-parent household. His mother worked as a systems analyst at the University of Pennsylvania. Kevin often talks about his mom in his comedy shows, describing her as a loving but strict woman.

After finishing George Washington High School, Kevin briefly went to the Community College of Philadelphia. He then left college and moved to New York City. Later, he moved to Brockton, Massachusetts, where he worked as a shoe salesman.

Kevin Hart's Comedy Career

Stand-up Comedy Journey

Kevin Hart's first stand-up show was at The Laff House in Philadelphia. He performed under the name "Lil Kev," but it didn't go well. His early career was tough, and audiences sometimes booed him. Once, someone even threw a piece of chicken at him!

After these difficult shows, he started entering comedy competitions in Massachusetts. Slowly, audiences began to enjoy his performances more. It took time for Kevin to find his own unique comedy style. Instead of trying to copy other comedians, he started talking about his own life and feelings. He once said that his comedy is like "an open book" because he shares so much about himself.

Kevin's comedy tours became very popular. His first big tour was I'm a Grown Little Man in 2009. This was followed by Seriously Funny in 2010, Laugh at My Pain in 2011, and Let Me Explain in 2013. The last two were also released as movies in theaters. His "Laugh at My Pain" tour earned over $15 million, making it one of the most successful comedy tours that year.

Kevin also has a game app called "Little Jumpman" available on iTunes. His Facebook page, Twitter account, and YouTube channel are all linked to this app. Many of his fans outside the U.S. first discovered him on YouTube.

On April 9, 2015, Kevin started his "What Now? Tour" in San Antonio. This world tour ended on August 7, 2016. Universal Pictures later announced that a stand-up comedy film, Kevin Hart: What Now?, would be released in theaters. The film showed a performance from his "What Now? Tour." The show was filmed live on August 30, 2015, in front of 53,000 people at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.

Film and Television Roles

Hart and Charles M. Robinson in October 2009

Kevin Hart made a guest appearance in the TV show Undeclared in 2002. He then made his movie debut in Paper Soldiers that same year. He went on to appear in films like the Scary Movie series, Soul Plane, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Death at a Funeral, and Little Fockers.

In 2012, he played Doug in The Five-Year Engagement and was in Think Like a Man, which was a big success at the box office. He also appeared in the sequel, Think Like a Man Too. In 2013, Kevin played a boxing promoter in Grudge Match and had roles in Exit Strategy and 35 and Ticking. He also had a small role as himself in This Is the End.

In 2014, Kevin starred as Ben in Ride Along with Ice Cube. Even though critics didn't love the movie, it was a huge hit at the box office. Kevin returned for the sequel, Ride Along 2, which came out in 2016.

In 2013, Kevin Hart helped create Real Husbands of Hollywood with Chris Spencer. The show features Kevin and other married celebrities playing funny, made-up versions of themselves. The show is filmed like a reality TV series. Kevin's character often tries to become more famous in Hollywood, but his plans usually go wrong in funny ways.

Hart in 2014

In 2015, Kevin starred in Get Hard with Will Ferrell and The Wedding Ringer. In 2016, he appeared in Central Intelligence with Dwayne Johnson and voiced a character in the animated movie The Secret Life of Pets. In 2017, he voiced a character in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Dwayne Johnson again. In 2017, he earned about $32.5 million.

In 2018, he produced his first movie, Night School, through his company, HartBeat Productions. In October 2018, his production company announced a deal with Nickelodeon. This means Hart and HartBeat Productions will create and produce live-action shows for kids on the network. Kevin also has a movie deal with Universal Studios.

In 2019, Kevin's movie The Upside was released. This was his first main role in a drama film, and it also starred Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman. He also returned to voice Snowball in The Secret Life of Pets 2 and played Franklin Finbar in Jumanji: The Next Level.

In 2021, Kevin starred in Fatherhood, a drama about a man who has to raise his daughter alone after his wife passes away. This movie premiered on Netflix on June 18, 2021.

In July 2020, his series Die Hart started on Quibi. In March 2023, Roku and Kevin's comedy company, Laugh Out Loud, released the second season of the series. Kevin not only starred in but also helped produce the second season.

Kevin signed a deal with Netflix in January 2021 to create more projects. In 2022, he starred with Mark Wahlberg in the comedy movie Me Time. The movie is about a dad who has a wild adventure with his friend during a rare free weekend.

In January 2024, Kevin starred as a master thief in the Netflix comedy heist film Lift. A month later, he appeared on The Masked Singer as "Book." He purposely unmasked himself as a prank on the host, Nick Cannon.

Future Projects

In 2019, Kevin Hart agreed to star in and produce a movie based on the game Monopoly. As of June 2023, the Monopoly movie is still being developed.

Laugh Out Loud Productions

In 2017, Kevin Hart started Laugh Out Loud (LOL). This is a global media and production company that helps new comedy talents from all backgrounds. Kevin became the main owner in 2019. LOL creates content for many platforms, including digital, audio, and live events. It has four main parts: LOL Network, LOL Studios, LOL Audio, and LOL X!

Kevin has worked hard to expand LOL's reach. He has made deals with companies like PlutoTV, Roku, Snap, Facebook, Peacock, and YouTube. In 2020, he also extended his company's agreement with Sirius XM. LOL has won many awards and nominations, including from the Producers Guild of America and the Webby.

LOL is known for shows like Cold As Balls, What the Fit, and Die Hart. It has had over 1 billion video views across its digital platforms. LOL and Kevin's other production company, Hartbeat Productions, joined together in April 2022 to form a new company called Hartbeat.

Hosting Gigs

Besides acting, Kevin Hart has also hosted many events. He first hosted the 2011 BET Awards. Then, he hosted the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards after his friend Judd Apatow suggested him. Kevin hoped this would lead to more hosting jobs, like the Emmys or Oscars. From 2013 to 2015, he hosted three episodes of Saturday Night Live. In 2015, Kevin hosted the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. In 2016, he co-hosted the 2016 MTV Movie Awards with Dwayne Johnson.

In September 2018, Kevin Hart hosted HQ Trivia with Scott Rogowsky and gave away $100,000 to one lucky winner.

On December 4, 2018, Kevin was announced as the host of the 2019 Academy Awards. However, he decided not to host a few days later. On January 8, Kevin confirmed he would not be hosting. The ceremony ended up being held without a host that year.

In September 2020, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced that Kevin Hart would host their yearly telethon. This event raises money for people with muscular dystrophy. The two-hour telethon, called The MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon, was held on October 24, 2020, and was shown on social media platforms.

In 2024, Kevin hosted the Netflix special The Roast of Tom Brady.

Music Career

Kevin Hart also has a music alias called Chocolate Droppa. Under this name, he signed with Motown Records. He released Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa), which was the soundtrack for his stand-up film. He released singles like "Push It On Me" with Trey Songz and "Baller Alert" with Migos & T.I.

Modeling

In 2017, Kevin Hart and Tommy John appeared in an underwear commercial for Macy's.

Hart House Restaurants

In August 2022, Kevin Hart opened a vegan restaurant called Hart House. He wanted it to compete with regular fast-food chains by offering tasty plant-based options. The first restaurant opened in Los Angeles, California. It had a simple menu of veggie burgers and "Chick'n" products. The food at Hart House is said to be free of cholesterol, antibiotics, hormones, artificial colors, and other unhealthy ingredients. This was inspired by Kevin's own healthy lifestyle.

Kevin opened a second location in Monrovia, California, in November 2022. A third opened on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, in May 2023, and a fourth near the University of Southern California campus in June 2023. All locations closed down in September 2024.

Influences on His Comedy

Kevin Hart has said that many famous comedians have influenced his work. Some of these include George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Kevin Hart's Personal Life

Kevin Hart married Torrei Skipper in 2003. They divorced in 2011, and Kevin asked for joint custody of their two children, a daughter born in 2005 and a son born in 2007.

On August 18, 2014, Kevin got engaged to Eniko Parrish. They were married on August 13, 2016, near Santa Barbara, California. They have two children together: a son born in 2017 and a daughter born in 2020.

Kevin is also a big poker player and has played in major tournaments like the World Series of Poker. He even became a Brand Ambassador for PokerStars in 2017, appearing in their ads with Usain Bolt.

Kevin Hart is a Christian and often talks about his faith.

Injuries

On September 1, 2019, Kevin Hart was a passenger in a car accident near Calabasas, California. The car went off the road and rolled down a hill. He and the driver had serious back injuries. Kevin was released from the hospital 10 days later and continued his recovery at a rehabilitation center.

On August 23, 2023, Kevin Hart raced against a former National Football League player, Stevan Ridley. During the race, Kevin tore muscles in his lower abdomen. He needed a wheelchair to recover and later joked that he was "the dumbest man alive" and that "the age 40 is real," advising others not to race like he did.

Height

Kevin Hart's height has often been a topic of discussion. Different sources have listed him between 5'2" and 5'5". In an interview in April 2024, Kevin clarified his actual height. He said, "I'm 5-foot-5, like with a shoe on, like a sneaker. Now, if I put a boot on, I can get to 5'5" and a half." Kevin often uses humor about his height in his stand-up comedy shows.

Work

Discography

• Kevin Hart: What Now? (The Mixtape Presents Chocolate Droppa) (2016)

Filmography

Television Roles

Music Videos

Comedy Tours

• What Now? Tour (2015–2016)
• Irresponsible Tour (2017–2018)
• Reality Check Tour (2022–2023)
• Acting My Age (2024–present)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Hart para niños