Christopher "Chris" Tucker (born August 31, 1971) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour trilogy and Smokey in the 1995 film Friday. Tucker was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the youngest son of Mary Louise and Norris Tucker. Tucker was raised in Decatur, Georgia. After graduating from Columbia High School, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy and movies. In 1992, Tucker was a frequent performer on Def Comedy Jam. He made his cinematic debut in House Party 3, and gained greater film recognition alongside rapper Ice Cube in the 1995 film Friday. In 1997, he co-starred with Charlie Sheen in Money Talks, and alongside Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element. Tucker did not reprise his role of Smokey in Next Friday (2000) because he had become a born-again Christian after filming Money Talks (1997).He later starred in the 1998 martial arts action comedy Rush Hour and its sequels, Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3, in which he played James Carter, an abrasive wise-cracking detective. Tucker is good friends with fellow Rush Hour star Jackie Chan, and was also close friends with the late singer Michael Jackson, introducing and dancing with him at his 30th Anniversary Special, appearing in Jackson's video "You Rock My World" from his 2001 album Invincible and attending Jackson's memorial service. A friend of Bill Clinton, Tucker has traveled with the former President overseas, though he endorsed Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries. On February 13, 2009, Tucker participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Celebrity Game.

Filmography

• 2023Air — Howard White
• 2016Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk — Albert
• 2015Chris Tucker: Live — Himself, Writer
• 2012Silver Linings Playbook — Danny McDaniels
• 2007Rush Hour 3 — James Carter
• 2001Def Comedy Jam: All Stars 2 — Chris Tucker
• 2001Michael Jackson: You Rock My World — Chris
• 2001Rush Hour 2 — James Carter
• 2000Def Comedy Jam, Vol. 7
• 1998Rush Hour — Carter
• 1997Jackie Brown — Beaumont Livingston
• 1997Money Talks — Franklin Hatchett, Executive Producer
• 1997The Fifth Element — Ruby Rhod
• 1995Dead Presidents — Skip
• 1995Friday — Smokey
• 1995Panther — Bodyguard
• 1994House Party 3 — Johnny Booze
• 1993The Meteor Man — MC in Mall (uncredited), Mall MC
• Hangin' with Mr. Cooper — Rapper
• Roseanne

Appearances as themselves (24)

• aka Charlie Sheen — Self
• Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy — Self
• 2021Jackie Chan: Building an Icon — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend — Self (archive footage)
• Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich — Himself (archive footage)
• Unfiltered: Paris Jackson & Gabriel Glenn — Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• 2015The 10 Faces of Michael Jackson — Self (archive footage)
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self
• The Arsenio Hall Show — Self
• 2009Q: The Man — Self
• 2007Making Rush Hour 3 — Self
• 2005Live 8 — Self
• 2005Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast — Self - Presenter
• America Beyond the Color Line — Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Guest
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Self
• 2001Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration — Self
• Diary — Self
• 1999A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of Rush Hour — Self
• Mark Twain Prize — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• Today — Self
• Jackie Chan: Down to Earth — Self