’cause I barely got out of high school.
I said, “I better find something right quick.”
So what am I good at?
I was making people laugh.
I’m busy, I’m real busy so I got to tell
people like the president of the United States,
Mandela, that I can’t hang out with them
because I got to go loot.
– First time I met him in William Morris’ office,
and he just keep talking.
I just look at that guy, why?
Why he keep talking?
– Right now I’m going to jump off a 20-story building.
With no pads, I don’t like pads, they slow down the jump.
So, y’know. I’m going to do it.
– He’s an American actor and stand-up comedian.
He’s best known for his roles as Smokey in the film “Friday”
and Detective James Carter in the “Rush Hour” series.
He also became a frequent stand-up performer
on Def Comedy Jam in the 1990s.
He’s Chris Tucker, and here is my take
on his top 10 rules of success.
Rule number three is my personal favorite, and I’m curious
to figure out which one you guys like the best.
And as always, guys, as Chris is talking,
if he says something that really resonates with you,
please leave it in the comments below,
put quotes around it
so other people can be inspired as well.
Enjoy!
(dramatic music)
– When did you know that you wanted to be a comedian?
Like were you really young or a little older?
– When I was young, I was in high school.
When I knew I wasn’t going to college
’cause I barely got out of high school.
I said, “I better find something right quick.”
So what am I good at?
I was making people laugh and I was like,
“Why you all laughing?”
“You funny! You remind me of Eddie Murphy.”
So I said let me try this out.
And I host my talent show in high school
and I got my first laugh and I got an epiphany.
And I was like, “I’m going to do this.”
‘Cause it’s fun and I’m all ready, y’know.
So that’s when I found out, I hosted my first talent show.
I hosted a talent show in high school, and I said
that’s what I want to do.
– What advice would you give people,
based on your own experience, about how to manage the money?
– Aw man, you know what,
in, you know, it’s best, invest in yourself,
that’s the number one thing.
Don’t go investing in stuff you don’t know about.
‘Cause nine times out of ten you’re probably going to lose it
or get scammed out of it ’cause whoever you invested with
they know more about it than you.
And they going to say, “Well just let me take this
if he don’t know what he’s doing.”
So invest in yourself and try to own as much as you can
and save, you know, save your money,
and by saving it’s investing in yourself.
If whatever, it’s equipment or keeping yourself healthy
or whatever because you know the longer you stay in
whatever business you’re in the more likely
you’re going to keep making money,
you’re going to keep being relevant.
I look towards the future.
And the future is just, it’s more to do,
it’s more steps to climb and stuff.
So I don’t really look at what I’m doing right now
I just, every time I do something I move on
and see how could I get better.
And I’m never satisfied, I always know I could do better.
[Charlie Rose] – Always knew you could do better?
– I could do better, yeah.
So all that stuff I was just dreaming about
like this is the possibilities that can happen
if I move to California, or if, you know
’cause I was working really hard here
and a lot of comedians come down from L.A. and say,
“Man you need to go to California
’cause you’re pretty good.”
I was getting a lot of good advice
and a lot of people who was really rooting for me.
Yeah, I just went and did it,
but I had a dream, and that dream
gave me, you know, confidence to keep going.
The power of believing and dreaming is real.
Because that’s all I did was dream and believe
that these things could happen and it made me feel good.
And that was my, that’s true wealth.
If you believe and you’re doing something,
you have a goal, you have a dream to get somewhere,
it makes you feel good.
Right now I’m going to jump off a 20 story building.
With no pads, ’cause I don’t like pads,
they slow down the jump.
So, y’know, I’m going to do it.
(high-pitched screaming)
It was surprising, every day was something different
and it was real fun, I’m glad he did it that way
because you know you have to always,
you get up in the morning
and you don’t know what to expect.
And it was a real good experience
and my part was a stretch for me
because I never did anything like that before
and it was so far from me and what I do
in America’s stand-up comedy.
You know I do like reality jokes and stuff
and my movies I used to do are reality,
like based of America situations and stuff,
it was nothing like that.
But when I got there and Jean-Paul Gaultier,
I seen all his clothes that he wanted me to wear
I was like, “Oh this ain’t going to be nothing
like I ever done before!”
– Boy is fueled! (voice distorts) Like fire!
‘Cause I would never wear this stuff in the street.
– So start melting, ladies,
’cause the boy is hotter than hot!
– So I was like, shit, this going to be hard.
Jean-Paul Gaultier was like,
(exaggerated French accent) “This is beautiful on you!
You would love this design!”
I was like, “No I do not like that.”
(normal voice) But I start wearing the stuff
and started getting into the character and it helped,
the costuming helped me create that character a lot.
I’m busy, I’m real busy, so I got to tell
people like the President of the United States,
Mandela, that I can’t hang out with them
because I got to go loot.
Oh hell no, I ain’t dubbing!
When I’m in a session I always could make it better.
Get your ass up!
Let go!
(yells)
I’m a perfectionist.
I can’t stress this enough, I am a perfectionist!
– Take 55 is when Chris really shines.
– 55 is the one.
I like pressure because it brings the best out of me.
You got it? Let’s go!
I watch everything down to the last detail
because I can’t trust them, I don’t know how they’re
going to edit me, I got to go see for myself.
This is where Mark puts Rush Hour 2 together,
make it look good, make it funny
if it’s not funny, then I, y’know
I slap him upside the back of the head.
Keep it going!
My fans and everybody they going to want to see the best.
Got to look out for number one.
I have a good partner who started out as my manager,
now we’re partners.
And I say that to him
because I say that I learned a little bit
over the three years that I didn’t do movies,
I learned, I learned more about business,
about the business, how it worked,
and about movies and everything.
So I think it’s appropriate to say we’re partners
because he does some of the business side
and I do the acting side, his name is Tracy Kramer.
– Right
– But definitely as far as business, you know,
I think he sees the same vision that I have
and where I want to go, and it’s-
[Charlie Rose] – Talk about that vision.
Well it’s a vision of doing something different
and not doing what’s already been done.
Because I always think, you know
I’m trying to evolve as a person
and also as an actor, and do great movies.
I think a lot of good stories just haven’t been told yet.
I think it’s a lot of –
movies should be, Harry Belafonte told me this
and I’ll never forget it, he told me that
movies should be how life is, I mean how life should be
not how life is.
You know, and I always remember that because
you know, life should be perfect, it should be good.
– But it’s not and so,
(cell phone ringing)
That’s you. – I can’t believe this
(laughing)
I cannot believe this, this happened to me in the movies.
– See who it is and we’ll see if we want to talk to them.
– Yeah let’s see who it is. Hello?
Hey, Tracy, I just finished talking about you,
I’m on Charlie Rose show. – Put him on.
– Okay, hold on, Charlie Rose wants to talk to you.
– Tracy, this is Charlie Rose.
Now I just asked him who was responsible for his success,
we didn’t know you were calling here, obviously,
Where are you?
In Los Angeles?! Didn’t you know he was taping this show?
(Chris laughing)
You did. And you know what to expect on this show?
You think Chris can handle it?
Now let me just ask you this,
he comes here to do the show and so I said to him
we talked about this remarkable success, and I said to him,
“Is anybody else responsible for your success?”
And he said, “Not one single soul.”
(laughing)
He said “I got this manager who I made a partner
and I’m not sure that was a good idea.”
Do I have the right guy?
[Voiceover] – After conceiving the dreams to become
a stand-up comedian and actor,
Chris began the grind necessary to realize them.
Including working at his only job outside
of the entertainment industry;
his father’s janitorial service.
[Chris] – You know I used to work that at night early,
you know, 8 to like 11, then I would go clean up McDonalds,
Burger Kings, Kriscoll’s at that time
because I had the freedom cause my dad had his own business
and he taught me a lot, he taught me how to be a businessman
he taught me how to you know, work hard, hard work,
and I put that into
my stand-up career and my acting career.
You know the lesson I’ve learned just, you know,
always make, you know, friends and communicate,
just don’t isolate yourself because in this business
it’s up and it’s downs, but the people you know
and people who really know you, they’ll know who you are.
Somebody says something bad about you, it’s,
“Nah, he ain’t like that, I know, I really know him.”
So have, you know, like in any other thing,
in any other business, in school,
that’s why people go to Harvard
’cause it’s the connections, it’s the people you know,
and you’re going to find some good people here and there.
But that’s one thing I keep with me
’cause you need good people in your life and you know
that’s what it’s about, ’cause the business is
always going to go up and down you know, that’s always fickle
but your life is constant.
[Interviewer] – Who are some of the actors
that you’ve worked with that
it became
a friendship that means a lot to you,
or maybe it’s a connection that you have with them that
professionally you like?
– I think,
Chris Tucker.
(audience applauds)
Even though I don’t like him in the beginning.
(laughter)
– Tell us about that part.
– First time I met him in William Morris office,
and he just keep talking,
I just look at that guy, why?
Why he keep talking?
(laughter)
And he’s so fast!
Mostly people like
Brett Ratner,
and like my manager,
(slowly) “Jackie. The movie is really good for you.”
I understand, you know.
And Chris Tucker: (fast gibberish)
I just, ugh.
I just “Ah! Uh-huh! Ah! Hm! Ha ha ha!”
(laughter)
Then, then after he left,
“Yeah, haha!”
After left then I ask my manager,
“What the hell he talking about?”
(laughter)
I don’t even one word know that come from his mouth.
And later on he use it in the movie.
And he’s too young!
And too young, and comes to the set, so many idea
and he was late on the set.
I was 7 o’clock call,
I was 6:30, I already in make up, standing,
I’m filmmaker, standing here.
Then he just comes 11 o’clock late.
[Interviewer] – 11?
– Yeah!
Late and late.
And so one day he comes to my motor home,
“Jackie! Can you come later?”
[Interviewer] – “You’re making me look bad!”
– Yeah! “You make me look bad.”
I said “No! That’s my job.”
“No, you have the right to come late.”
[Interviewer] – Did you? Did you want to?
– No! I said no, I’m a director I can come late,
when I’m an actor I have to on the set, that’s my job.
But now
Chris everyday on the set,
and do what, just do the really really good things.
Now I really like him.
But now he’s just on the set you know and follow the rules.
Now he’s great. Most the time he’s,
“Jackie! Where are you?”
I said, “I’m in Hong Kong!”
“Okay! When you come to United States?”
I said “Coming soon!”
“We can join together!”
I say “Okay okay!” (air kisses)
– I’m so excited to be here and so honored to be here
for my good friend, my brother from another mother,
Jackie Chan!
(cheers)
He’s one of the biggest movie stars in the world
and he has been for a long time
’cause he made me one of them,
all over the world. (laughs)
When we did Rush Hour in, uh, ninety-eight
I never seen so much love.
We traveled around the world and Jackie had
these fans already coming
from Asia to Australia to Europe
and immediately he helped me get known internationally.
And it was just an honor to be in a movie with him
and with somebody with such comic timing,
comedy skills, and actions skills.
That was a comedian’s dream, that was my dream,
to be in a movie that I could do whatever I wanted to do
and Jackie was right there with the right timing with me.
And he’s been a mentor, a big brother,
he’s the best guy in the whole wide world,
and he’s just, I’m honored to be his friend,
I’m so happy to be here today to celebrate this big day.
The, uh, the first China,
Chinaman-person to get an award.
(laughter)
Did I say that right? Aw man, I messed that up.
I’m sorry! That was the character, the Rush Hour character.
I’m sorry.
He’s the first person from China to get his handprint
and his feet put in here, that’s what I said.
(cheering)
That’s what you put, okay?
And I love him like a brother, and I’m happy for him,
and I know you guys do too, and I’m happy to be here.
Thank you very much, thank you!
– Thank you guys so much for watching,
I made this video because David Mares asked me to.
So if there’s a famous entrepreneur that
you want me to profile next, leave it in the comments below,
and I’ll see what I can do.
I’d also love to know, what did
Chris say that had the biggest impact on you?
What was your favorite rule from him?
What message did he have that you’re going to immediately apply
to your life or your business?
Leave it in the comments, I’m going to join in the discussion.
Finally I wanted to give a quick shout-out to Carolyn Owens.
Carolyn, thank you so much for picking up a copy of my book
“Your One Word” and tweeting about it,
I hope you enjoy the read, thank you for your support.
Thank you guys again for watching, I believe in you,
I hope you continue to believe in yourself
and whatever your one word is, much love.
I’ll see you soon.
– Pissed off, man.
Just got me a new place, man. Hate my neighbors, man.
I got neighbors that borrow shit all the time.
You ever had a neighbor that borrow your shit
and keep it so long
you have to borrow it back?
(laughter)
Like “Do you got a broom I can borrow, man?”
“Naw.” “Yes, you got my goddamn broom!”
That ain’t all, man.
I got rats and roaches like Crips and Bloods in my house.
Be crawl-by shootings all the time.
I come home from work I have to break up fights.
Hey you all let it go! Let it go! It ain’t worth it!
Stop that shit, man!
Man, they be answering my door.
Talking on my phone, won’t click over.
People done told me they done called,
ain’t heard shit from them.
“That motherfucker don’t live here. Chris who?”
My roaches smart, too, man.
They play dead.
The other day I stepped on one of ’em,
went in the bathroom to get some tissue,
came back, that nigga was gone.
(laughter)
I seen him two weeks later with some stitches.
Nigga told me he was too legit to quit.
(cheering)
Man it’s fucked up when you go in your cereals
to get your prize, them motherfuckers done already
been in there and got it.
Trip, man. Whatever happened to pimps, man?
What if Michael Jackson was a pimp?
Should be. Him and Tito be riding around
in a Cadillac and shit.
Slow down, Tito.
Slow down, Tito, damn!
Is that my ho over there sitting on the curb?
Let me out.
Come here girl!
(cheering)
I said come here girl!
Where my money, how much you got?
Michael I’m sorry, all I got is a 100 dollar bill!
Girl you been out here all day
and all you got is a 100 dollar bill!
(yells) (raucous cheering)
Keep it in the closet.
Now get out there and make me some money!
”
Be First to Comment