There wasn’t a funnier African-American actor in Hollywood than Chris Tucker in the lead role, as he co-starred with famous martial arts actor Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour film series.
The rib-busting actor, who started his career as a stand-up comedian, also appeared in films such as Friday (1995), Money Talks (1997) and Fifth Element (1997) among many others. Read on to learn more about his personal life, net worth, and other accomplishments.
Biography (age) of Chris Tucker
Tucker was born Christopher Tucker, one of six children of Mary Louise and Norris Tucker on August 31, 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father Norris was a businessman who also ran a janitorial service while his mother was a homemaker. The family were practicing Pentecostal Christians who attended the Church of God in Christ.
While attending Columbia High School, Chris Tucker began to understand how to use his humor to his advantage and make a living. He began trying stand-up comedy whenever he got the chance, but since it didn’t pay his bills, he had to work for his father as well as at a local Burger King mopping bathroom floors .
After high school, Tucker made the bold move to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. The ambitious move paid off as he was able to appear at a number of clubs before later becoming a regular at Def Comedy Jam . Shortly thereafter, Tucker appeared in an episode on the sitcom Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper (1992) before his film debut in House Party 3 (1994).
Despite working with such big names, Chris Tucker had yet to achieve A-list status before starring as talkative LAPD detective James Carter in Rush Hour (1998). The film was hugely successful, grossing over $244 million worldwide. This led to the producers creating two sequels; Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007), in which Tucker re-emphasized his role in both, although the third installment was not as commercially successful as its predecessors.
After the last rush hour movie, Tucker took a hiatus from acting and stand-up comedy, which he says was down to not getting the right scripts. After a battle with the US government’s Internal Revenue Service that found Tucker owed $12 million in back taxes, the comedian returned to work, initially doing a string of stand-up shows before embarking on a stunning one Performance in the film delivered Silver Linings Playbook (2012), starring heavyweight actors Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence.
What is Chris Tucker’s Net Worth?
In 2007, Chris Tucker negotiated a $25 million contract, which at the time was the highest base salary in film history, making him the highest-paid actor in Hollywood for his role in Rush Hour 3 .
After his kerfuffle with the IRS, Tucker is now thought to be worth around $11.5 million, which some sites like celebritynetworth.com say is well above what he’s actually worth. The actor is reported to be worth $3 million.
Family – Who is his wife?
Chris Tucker was previously married to Azja Pryor. It’s not clear exactly when the two married, although some reports suggest it was in 1997. The union existed for six years before ending in 2003. Together, the couple have a son named Destin Christopher Tucker, who was born in 1998.
Azja Pryor was in the news in 2005 to testify in the abuse case against Michael Jackson. Pryor, who was said to be at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch when the incident occurred, condemned his accusers, adding that their motives were financially motivated. She claimed that the boy and his sibling never showed any signs of abuse as she spoke to them multiple times that day.
Son
Chris Tucker’s son Destin is currently following in his father’s footsteps to become a Hollywood star. He is currently enrolled in the Cinema, Technology and Emerging Media major at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. After that, he hopes to become a director.
Height, weight and other facts
Birth name: Christopher Tucker
Date of birth: August 31, 1971
Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation(s): Actor and stand-up comedian
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.87 m)
Weight: 88kg