Attributes screen absence to work in Africa
By Bill Beene Of the St. Louis American
Fans of Chris Tucker who miss him and his “Rush Hour” installments with co-star Jackie Chan can wipe the frowns off their faces. Better yet, let Tucker do it himself by going to see possibly the best “Rush Hour” yet, “Rush Hour 3,” which opens in theatres Friday, August 10.
It’s been six years since the second installment of the franchise in 2001, which also had fans waiting for a couple years after the first “Rush Hour.”
So, why the big breaks in between? That’s the reigning (serious) question surrounding one of the funniest and beloved comedian-actors in the country.
Well, there are two reasons – okay, three, with a Jackie Chan joke. “He’s been sitting on the beach,” Tucker’s “Rush Hour” co-star said in a roundtable interview recently in Beverly Hills, California.
Another – albeit layered – reason is that movies take a while to make, even after they are green-lit, what with meshing busy schedules, lining up financing and perfecting the script.
And what did Tucker say of his absence?
“Where the weed at? They told me y’all had the weed in here,” Tucker said, entering an interview room inside the Four Seasons Hotel.
Of course, he was joking, but when it came down to explaining his big screen absence, he was serious as human devastation in Africa.
“It didn’t seem like six years to me because I felt like what I was doing was important work – I was doing a lot of stuff in Africa,” Tucker said, adding that he took advantage of his superstar status to help fight devastation in the Motherland.
“So being a celebrity and making movies every week didn’t seem important to me anymore. I’d rather use my fame try to shed light on problems around the world, and it help me as a person.”
Tucker said since he became a star he has been exposed to, and learned about, a lot of things that concern him, like clean water issues in Africa, noting that $1,500 could buy a village new water pumps.
He has taken trips around the world with Oprah Winfry, former President Bill Clinton, Colin Powell and superstar singer Bono.
While in Ethiopia with Bono, Tucker said he visited an orphanage, which really hit him in the heart.
“It was full of babies, babies were crying, I saw a couple of blind babies and I was, like, ‘Man, this can’t get any worse,’” he said.
Tucker said he’s doing his part to help, and with a $25 million payday for “Rush Hour 3” he should really be able to chip in.
Yep 25 of them, and he’s only been in a few movies, while Denzel Washington has been in dozens and typically commands “only” $20 million.
Tucker also said he might try doing an album, saying people say he can sing.
Speaking of singing, Tucker isn’t crooning a Michael Jackson song in “Rush Hour 3,” but he still puts down some of his dance moves.
This time fans can expect a Prince song and a hilarious duet with Chan.
And though Tucker and Chan’s chemistry in the “Rush Hour” installments, shines through on screen, both admit they didn’t become really good friends until the third take.
“That’s totally coincidence,” Chan said. “The first time I met, I don’t understand a word he says. He speaks so fast.”
Laughing, Chan says, “Then the movie (shoot) starts and I see him on the set and, like, ‘Hi, Jackie,’ and after rehearsal I’m hiding from him. Then, I realize, he’s hiding from me – he’s a shy boy. And I think that’s what makes the movie work – I don’t know him.”
After five months into “Rush Hour 2,” Chan said they started become friends, then buddy-buddy after promoting it because they stayed in the same hotel and went out together.
Now, he said Tucker is his brother.
Tucker said their arrival at friendship traveled with the installments.
“The movie is just like real life,” Tucker said explaining that he surprised Tucker at his home.
“I was going to Hawaii and so I decided to fly to Hong Kong to talk to him right before I signed onto the movie. He said, ‘You in Hong Kong,’ just like the movie, and he took me out.”
In the first “Rush Hour,” L.A. was the location, then Hong Kong for the second, making each of them a fish out of water once. For the third movie both were out of their element filming in Paris, which makes for great action from Chan, especially his Eiffel Tower stunts.
Fans will be happy to know that Tucker, the producers (Arthur Sarkissian and Roger Birnbaum), writer (Jeff Nathanson), director (Brett Ratner) and studio (New Line Cinema) have already been talking about a possible “Rush Hour IV.”
But there may not be another long wait to get a load of Tucker on the big screen – he said he may do a comedy called “Mr. President” about the first black president. That would be first black U.S. president. In the Motherland, where Tucker spends some of his time and money, black presidents are old hat.
Bill Beene’s review of the film will be posted Friday on www.stlamerican.com.
