While he did confirm that he’s on board for ‘Rush Hour 4,’ Chris Tucker recently opened up about his long Hollywood hiatus. Tucker reveals that after earning $48 million for the first three ‘Rush Hour‘ films, he stepped back because “it wasn’t enough.”
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Chris Tucker Says After Earning $48M For ‘Rush Hour’ Trilogy He Stepped Back From Hollywood Because ‘It Wasn’t Enough’
After making a cool $15,000 for his hit role as “Smokey” in F. Gary Gray and Ice Cube‘s 1995 classic ‘Friday,’ Chris Tucker would hit the ground running and nailed the role of “LAPD Detective James Carter” in 1998’s ‘Rush Hour.‘
The 51-year-old SAG Award nominee would then be pulled back in to film two more films in the movie series, eventually amassing $48 million altogether for the Brett Ratner action-packed trilogy.
But after giving us three ‘Rush Hour‘ films, with the last premiering in 2007, Tucker left Hollywood for the most part. And as the fans have been missing seeing Tucker on the main screen all these years, Tucker admitted, “I’ve been missing y’all too!”
Speaking with ‘Classix ATL,’ the actor adds, “The way I kind of stepped back from Hollywood at one point, you know, being the highest paid actor in Hollywood. But I felt like, you know, it was a ceiling right there and I wanted more. It wasn’t enough. So I stepped back and lived a little bit, travelled the world, and did a lot of humanitarian stuff that really broadened my perspective on the world.”
He continues, “That, you know, it ain’t just about me being the biggest comic actor in the world, it’s about becoming somebody to give to the world – inspire in some kind of way, hopefully. I like that I did that.”
Tucker, who, during his hiatus would still continue his supporting roles in 2012’s ‘Silver Linings Playbook‘ and 2016’s ‘Billy Flynn’s Long Halftime Walk,’ says he also “never stopped doing stand-up.”
The Atlanta-born comedian added, “I’m doing it right now. I’m on the road, so I’m definitely looking forward to doing like a stand-up comedy and stand-up shows. I definitely want to [write] a book.”
He also says that he’s been spending quality time with his 24-year-old son, Destin Christopher Tucker, whom he had with his ex-wife of six years, Azja Pryor. Destin, as of 2021, was pursuing a rap career, and had earned himself a degree in cinema, TV and emerging media studies. He graduated with honors from Atlanta’s Morehouse College.
It was also noted that during Tucker’s hiatus, he was hit hard in the pockets after he neglected to pay over $12 million in taxes on all the films he had starred in. It is reported that as of 2021, the actor still had a tab open for $9.6 million in unpaid taxes, stemming from 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Fortunately, he’s still been securing roles and never stopped his stand-up. Plus, ‘Rush Hour 4‘ on the way!
#Socialites be sure to check out what Chris Tucker had to say below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after!
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