Club Shay Shay - REWIND: Chris Tucker on his favorite movies, comedians and working in show business

Episode Date: April 10, 2023

In this special rewind episode of Club Shay Shay, revisit some of Shannon's favorite segments from the show so far. Today, listen to Shannon talk with actor and comedian Chris Tucker about his favorite movies, comedians, getting his start and having a career in show business.We’re nominated for Webby Awards! Vote here:Sports Social Content SeriesBest Mobile User Experience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Make sure to listen to the Good Morning Football podcast Monday through Friday on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Club Che Che listeners. We'll be back soon with weekly episodes featuring brand new interviews with exciting roster of guests. Until then, enjoy this special rewind episode with one of my favorite moments from Club Che Che so far. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice, that's why. Give me your top five hood classics of all time.

New Jack City. New Jack City all time. New Jack City. New Jack City. I like New Jack City. Boys in the Hood. Boys in the Hood. The Mac. Mac. And I'm going to, well, you're talking about hood classics.

I always say Scarface is a hood classic to me because I love Scarface. We grew up, we accidentally saw that in Madden Day when we were kids. My mom and dad didn't even know what we were watching. We was gone. They sent us to the movie and I said, whoa, this is acting. I thought I was in, you know, a whole big old drug world with that. But the other one could be

offhand. Maybe Menace to Society. Oh, Uptown Saturday Night. Uptown Saturday Night. Let's do it again those in there you ain't gonna put you not gonna put Friday in there oh yeah

yeah you know what I gotta put my movie in there yeah put Friday's in there it's hard to have a hood classic

any of them Mount Rushmore any of them without Friday being in it thank you man good look at that big bro that's right that's right

you grew up in Atlanta what was it growing up in Atlanta. What was it growing up in Atlanta during the time? And what did you want to be when you were growing up? You know, I was blessed, man. I found out early, you know, that I like entertainment, you know, going to the movies, seeing a stir crazy with Richard Pryor in it and Gene Wilder walking down the prison talking about we bad, we bad. I was just fascinated when Richard Pryor came on the scene. Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours.

You know, he was in the prison like, case, case. You know, and I was like, yeah, go Eddie, you know. So, and then when I went to school, you know, I'm the youngest of six kids. So, I watched a lot. I observed a lot because, you know, you can't say nothing, you'm the youngest of six kids so i had a lot i watched a lot i i observed a lot because you know you can't say nothing you're the youngest and all you got three older brothers two sisters they think shut up or this what you know so i just watched them i you know it was and i watched them make mistakes you know they did they get a whooping i'll be like what they do i don't

i don't want to get a whooping when i get older like that what happened i didn't take out the garbage i'm like i'm gonna make sure i take out the garbage when it's my turn. Shoot. Daddy told you not. Good God. So I learned a lot at a young age. And then, you know, it was just comedy all around us. You know a big family.

It's always something. People trying to get in the bathroom. Get out of the bathroom, girl. We're trying to go to school. And mama, shut up. What do y'all mean? I don't know. So it was always something going on in the house.

And I was just around funny stuff, and I didn't even know it. And I was funny, I guess, too. And I went to school, and people were saying, man, you funny. Man, you like Eddie Murphy or something. I'm like, what you talking about? Then, you know, I don't dress out for P.

I will preach to the whole, everybody who didn't dress out in the bleachers. I'll be like, all right, get your books, your Bibles out. And I would make them laugh for about 30 minutes. Even the teacher come over there and be like what is going this fool and then they say you need to host a talent show because you you got something i said well how much they paying are they paying anything and uh do they get some good grades or something no you just go so i got like 30 30 dollars to host a talent show i told my first joke they laughed i said this is it this is it. This is what I'm going to do.

Because, you know, school wasn't easy for me. So I said, I ain't going to college. I barely got out of high school. I'm going to finish this right now. I'm lucky I got out of here. So, yeah. You went to Columbia, which is in Decatur, right? Yeah, Decatur in Georgia, yeah.

In Decatur? Decatur? Now, y'all have some athletes. That was a track. Gwen Torrance went to Decatur, went to Columbia. Yeah, I know, you know, I know a little bit of, they had awesome track program off the chain. That's right.

That's right. She graduated with my brother or sister, older sister. Yeah. So what was for, I mean, you went to a school that was very, that had good high school athletic program. You never wanted to play sports? I did play sports. I wanted to go pro like you, but I broke both of my wrists in practice.

That was it? That was God saying, you better go figure something else out. I jumped up, man, to catch a ball or two, you know, just to catch. We were just throwing, getting ready for practice. I jumped up, and instead of coming down on my butt bone, I said, oh, I'm going to brace myself. Broke both of my wrists. And even the doctors was laughing.

They're like, how did you do this? I said, man, just take me to the doctor. Take me to the hospital. And that's when I quit. I said, I need to do something else. But yeah, man, I love sports. And, you know, wanted to be go pro like everybody else. But you realized at a very

young age so doing the comedic thing when you were in high school or coming up was it to make people laugh or to make make sure people weren't laughing at you because i have a funny side but i used to talk with a lisp and i what i found at a very young age that if i made other people laugh at someone else they wouldn't notice what I got going on and so I could keep them up off me yep yep yeah yeah it was it was uh see I probably would have talked about you see I probably not I'm joking no I was one of them guys that I would just make people laugh because it was really because I didn't really want to do the work and some of the work was hard for me I was was like, shoot, man, what y'all doing? Hey, hey, hey. I'd be messing with people who done studied, done did their

homework. Hey, man, come on. Give me some answers. And they'd be like, shut up. Come on, I will. Shut up if you're giving me answers. Teacher looking right at us, fool. I was one of those. But I would make people laugh because it was easy to do. So I would be like, I just started up. It was easy to do. So I just started up and get the class going. So how old were you or when did you start doing the Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson impressions? Man, Eddie Murphy from high school, he was the man for me. And Michael, too, as a kid.

Oh, man. I remember my play brother up the street used to dance just like Michael Jackson. He had the prettiest girlfriend. I said, man, I want to be like this, this dude here. And I want to dance like Michael, like he danced. So we always had dance Michael Jackson contests. And he brought down Eddie Murphy's Delirious that he did on HBO because he had cable before they put the cable down in the street. because he had cable before they put the cable down in the street while we lived down the street by the circle he already had cable and had a vcr because he was the only child we weren't you know we had to wait you know yeah it had the stereo you remember the stereo so he had all that stuff he brought the lyrics down and it was over we got cable right when rocky three became up we came out on hbo and we was like watch Rocky III and the lyrics all day. And we just had a ball. So what's your go-to lines when you're going to impersonate Eddie,

you're going to impersonate Mike? What's your line? What's your go-to? Well, Eddie, you know, I just talk like, I'll do the laugh. Man, you crazy. So what's up? What's up? He's a little older now, but he talk a little like, what's little like what's up man how you doing bro he just talked low and rich but michael i would go

chris what are you what are you doing chris what what's chris how are you how are you what i talked to he was so kind when you a lot of people some people don't like when they get mimicked or they get made. So how was it when they found out you were doing it and then you saw them for the first time? Oh, Michael, Michael loved it because I heard from his nephews that he was a big fan of mine because they showed him the movies. They showed him the movies and Michael was, loved it, man. Cause he knew everything I did, it had a little bit of Michael in it. It was from Fridays. I'm dancing on the porch and the montage doing Michael dance, money talks, rush hour, doing the karaoke thing.

And, uh, even, um, in, um, a death jam, I talked about Michael, whether Michael was a pimp. So he knew that if we had kindred spirits or something and i was a big fan for sure you said some of your early influences was eddie murphy richard prior who are some of the other comedians when you were growing up you like okay i like his style well definitely bernie mack i guess bernie mack was just just funny naturally funny um robin harris i didn't get a chance to meet him but i heard his albums and i saw him I guess that Bernie Mac was just funny, naturally funny. Robin Harris, I didn't get a chance to meet him,

but I heard his albums and I saw him in the movies, Spike Lee movies and different movies like that. I just thought they were, I like naturally funny comedians. And today, of course, you know, Dave Chappelle, you know, a friend of mine, people like that, man. It just make me laugh. They gotta be fun. What was it like performing on the comedy tour in Atlanta? Cause Atlanta had used, I don't know if it's still like it, like, like this now, but Atlanta used to have a bunch of comedy places, Uptown Comedy Store right there on, on Peachtree. I used to go there

all, all the time yeah yeah it's still man it's so many funny young brothers out there man you can't even count them on one hand on one hand and it's still strong and they're still doing comedy even during the pandemic man they're still out there time the club's still open people ain't stopping man so uh yeah man i can't wait to see who else is out there but it we definitely got a good uh track record of a lot of great comedians coming out of atlanta what made you decide to move to la and not new york to do your comedy because everybody all the comedians was coming down to the comedy act theater and they were um they were coming from la like dl hugley and jamie fox and all those guys would come down and they they would see me open up for them at times,

and they were like, man, you need to go to L.A. You work pretty good. You can get there. And I was like, okay, you really think so? They was like, yeah, man, you need to go to L.A. So I knew that L.A. was the place for the movies and television and all that stuff, and New York was more theatrical. So that's what made me go out to LA.

Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL daily with Greg Rosenthal five days a week. You'll get all the latest news previews, recaps and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed. By the time you get your coffee, no dumb hot takes here. Just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game, every single week, but I can't do it alone. So I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic,

and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that super bowl i don't know why colleen catch the podcast the nfl daily with greg rosenthal every day subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends and who doesn't want that listen now on the iheart radio app apple, or wherever you get your podcasts. So what was it like? You're like, okay, I'm going to go. I'm going to mom, I'm going to mom, dad.

I'm going to go it alone. I'm going to dip. What were your emotions like? Because, you know, that's not like I got a job lined up. I'm going out there. I'm going to work. You're going to do comedy you got to get called you got to get called back you got to get readings there's no guarantee any of this is going to happen yeah yeah they were you know my mom and daddy was so so supportive

but they probably were so so happy i found something that i need i was gonna do because my mama thought i was gonna live with her forever and she right because I built a house and I stay with her right now she's right but uh she said I just I just thought you'd go be with me baby you know I was just gonna help you out but uh I was fortunate enough man to to uh have I knew somebody in LA and I think I moved with my girlfriend from high school father lived in LA so I had a place to stay my mama felt comfortable about where I was going LA. So I had a place to stay. My mama felt comfortable about where I was going, because she knew I wasn't going to be out there by myself.

So it was just God, man. It worked out. So in other words, you kept the girlfriend from high school, so you have a place to stay when you came in here with her father, huh? Oh, no, she was fine. I wasn't trying to leave her. I was like, baby, could you just ask your dad?

Because I didn't think he was going to agree with it. Like, you crazy going to be living up in my house with my daughter sleeping with my daughter? No. But he was cool with it. He was like, baby, could you just ask your dad? Because I didn't think he was going to agree with it. Like, you crazy going to be living up in my house with my daughter sleeping with my daughter? No. But he was cool with it. He was like, yeah, come on, gentlemen, come on out. And it was just things just fell into place. As soon as I graduated from high school, a comedy club opened up, Comedy Act Theater, where Robin Harris and everybody came from. And then when I was ready to move to L.A., my girlfriend's father was living out there already.

And I asked him, can we go? I thought he was going to say no, and I was ready to move to L.A., my girlfriend's father was living out there already. And I told asked, can we go? I thought he was going to say no. And I was not to get another plan. He said, yeah, it's OK. They kicked me out two months later. But I had I had two months to find a roommate. And I was and then I was out. I was on the road rolling in. Well, they were coming home from work. I was just getting up on the couch because I was out all night on the comedy club. And they would come home from work and I'd be like, hey, getting up off the couch. His wife at the time, his new wife, was like, uh-uh. He need to go.

He need to go. He ain't paying no rent. And he's just sleeping all day. So then I found me a roommate. And the rest is history. What are some of the advice that you would give young and up-and-coming comedians? Trust your dreams, man. Go after your dreams.

I went after mine, and it all happened even more than I ever could imagine happened. But, you know, every moment was a surprise. And when a door closed, another one opens up. Like I was telling you, I was going for a TV show. I didn't get that, but I walked out of that audition. I got Fridays. So don't get going for a TV show. I didn't get that, but I walked out of that audition. I got Fridays. So don't get frustrated when the door closed. Just look at, find the positive in it and keep moving.

But keep working. Like Marvin Gaye says, stay on the floor and keep dancing because that's the only way somebody's going to see you for the next part. And when you're working, even if it's something small, somebody might see you and say, oh, you got to look for the next part. So you got to just keep doing what you can do to keep going to, you know, to get to where you want to go. Was death comedy jam the show? Because I remember DL ended up,

I think DL ended up hosting that. And some of the great comedians have come through there. Martin Lawrence was, was the host for a while. Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac, Steve Hart. I mean, so many. Yeah. What was it like auditioning, being on Deaf Comedy Jam? Did you know a lot of the brothers and sisters that you were out there against were going to turn out to be what they later became? You know, I was on the same show as Bernie Mac. He was the headliner. And I started my first Def Jam. And I went up and I thought I blew the place away. I thought that, you know, there was nobody going to follow me.

And I went upstairs, you know, to use the bathroom. I was thinking New York, wherever we were. And I saw a guy up there. And I said, hey, man, you a comedian or something? He said, yeah. I said, what's your name? I'm Bernie Mac. I said, oh, OK, you going up?

He said, yeah, I'm going up. I said, I thought to myself, all right, good luck, you know, because comedian, anatomy bum. And then Bernie went up there, towed the house down. And I said, oh man, I got to get back to work. I got to get myself together. But that Def Jam was my platform that really got me my first agent, got me my, you know, that was the reason why you know they got me for fridays they saw you know i was rising up on def jam and def jam tour and all that stuff so that was my first big platform and then fridays you know was the um movie stuff platform give me give me your mount rushmore comedians you only get four your four best comedians all time. Richard Pryor, Robin Harris, Eddie Murphy.

I gotta say Bill Cosby. Those guys. Those guys. I'm just saying the guys you left off, not that it's right or wrong. You left off Chappelle. You left off Seinfeld. You left off Lenny Bruce, you left off Red Fox.

Yeah, yeah. Well, those guys, now Red Fox is up there too, but he was way before, well, I know all about him because I do comedy and I studied him. And Chappelle is in my generation, so he's on that level with me. And he's one of the greatest. Don't let me, don't be mistaken. But ain't none of them gonna touch Richard ain't none of us gonna ever touch Richard ain't none of us gonna ever touch Robin Harris ain't none of us gonna ever touch Eddie Murphy in movies and stand-up and and and Bill

Cosby he's one of the greatest Richard Pryor used to imitate Bill Cosby. And then I got to say Dick Gregory. So it's so many, man. It's so many. Do you believe that had Robin and Bernie lived longer, they would have had a greater place in the comedic hierarchy? Oh, for sure. Robin Harris was about to be out of this world. He would have been like Eddie and up there and probably big, just as big as Eddie.

And Bernie was gone. It wasn't anything he couldn't do. Drama, comedy, he was gone. He was there. He was already there, too, because he stayed here longer. So, yeah, those guys, they on that Mount Rushmore for sure, man. So when you write jokes, do you just sit down? I mean, so how does it happen i mean so you

know i've talked to rappers and entertainers and they says okay if i'm gonna write a song you know i might be laying down i wake up and i start writing or i might be eating and something coming to my head and i just put it down i start writing how do you write jokes how long does it take you take you to write a set yeah uh it takes it you know when it comes to me when it comes to me i usually don't sit down and think of stuff i let it come to me and then i'll write it down or i will get in a you know get in a mood or something and then it just all come to me and it's like whatever wherever it is uh wherever i'm at or if i go to the comic club that night, some come to me. But yeah, I jot down stuff throughout the year.

But I just let it come to me because so much stuff just comes. And then I keep, you know, some stuff I let go and some stuff I keep. Was it a difficult transition to go from stand-up to acting? And is it a natural transition that a lot of comedians have gone on to be actors from red fox to richard pratt to eddie murphy yourself uh bernie mack robin harris i mean so many guys uh said the entertainer bruce i mean so many guys yeah yeah it's it's it's a total it's totally it's totally different Stand-up and acting is totally different. Like in stand-up, you're more animated and you're more wired. In the movies, you got to tone all that down.

And then you got to come up when you need to, come down when you need to. I noticed that when I started doing acting. I said, oh, man, I got to take this down. Because they got your head in 100 close-up and you moving all around here. I'm like, I can't do that here. I got to calm down right here and look, you know, a certain way. So you got to adapt to that. And then also you got to go deeper because you're playing a part and then you got to, you know, you got to go deeper than stand-up. Stand-up is you, it's your life. And it's hard to at times but acting it's another level it's another level but you're using that act when you got that comedy tool and take it to acting

it's it's good have you ever forgot a line while you're doing stand-up oh all the time all the time but stand up so good because you got the audience right there and something might happen you might ask the question and boom that breaks you to a whole nother thing. And then you go back to whatever you forgot and you good again. But stand up ain't nothing like stand up. I love stand up. You know what to do. Hit the subscribe button to become an official member of Club Shea Shea, where we always do something for two something.

Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news and the best analysis delivered by the time you get your coffee. The show hits every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone.

So I'm bringing in all the big guns from NFL media like Colleen Wolf. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.