Actor Chris Tucker was immortalized in pop culture history when he appeared with Ice Cube as “Smokey” in the 1995 stoner film Friday.
The weed-loving, smack-talking friend of Craig Jones (Cube) added even more levity to the comedic cast. But Tucker didn’t return for the 2000 sequel, Next Friday. During a recent interview, Tucker explained why he decided to walk away despite the success of the film.
“I never really told people this ’cause I kinda forgot about it … I didn’t want to represent everybody smoking weed,” he said. “I kind of made it more personal than a movie … I wanted to move on because when I did something, I never wanted to do it again. Back then, I was all about going to the next level. I had a good sense of like, ‘OK, now it’s time to go do an action movie.'”
Elsewhere in the interview, Chris Tucker revealed he only made $10,000 for making the film but was simply grateful for the chance to participate.
“It’s one of those things — it was just a small movie,” he continued. “We filmed it in 20 days. I got about $10,000 for it or whatever, I didn’t care. I wanted the opportunity. It was that small of a movie, but that was the beauty of it.
“It allowed me to get into character. It wasn’t no big distractions like big movie sets. You got light people and sound people and everybody wanna be a star. But that movie was just a camera and me and Cube on the porch. Magic came out of it, thank God.”
Following Next Friday, Cube and company released a third installment in the franchise called Friday After Next. A fourth installment, Last Friday, was expected to manifest, but it has yet to come to fruition. After actor John Witherspoon, who played Cube’s father “Pops,” passed away in October 2019, the film’s future became even more uncertain. During Witherspoon’s funeral, Cube provided a little insight into why it had been stalled.
Ice Cube Reacts To Passing Of 'Friday' Star Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr. A.K.A. Deebo
“I really apologize to my friend for not getting the next Friday movie made,” he said. “It’s not my fault. Some dumbass people in Hollywood at New Line Cinema, if you wanna … you can email Toby Emmerich and Richard Brener if you feel like I feel. Yeah, you punks had two scripts and you didn’t wanna do them. That’s the real. We were tryin’ to make that movie for years and we couldn’t get it done. We got the other three and we got our memories.”
Tommy “Tiny” Lister, Jr., who played the imposing tough guy Deebo, also died last December at the age of 62. Anthony “A.J.” Johnson, who portrayed loveable crackhead Ezal, suffered a fatal heart attack just three months prior.
Iv heard this before
Played a great stoner and how shit could happen living the lifestyle. Ass, Grass, or Cash. He is a great guy, comedian, and sport.
Rush hour etc after Friday is amazingly done. Pure genius! Mr. Tucker kept it moving, I can dig that!
Michael already School Chris on what to do and what not to do,that’s why he had success.
So essentially: he didnt want to be typecast. Has nothing to do with “not wanting people to smoke weed” he clearly said he knew his next move was an action movie after this so he was just scared to be put in a typecast box. It happens to 90% of all actors so it was a smart move.
He didn’t wanna be typecast so he did 45 Rush Hour movies instead??? Nah, he just got more money. Period. And how in the world did an Asian and a Black man make a successful movie franchise? According to media, these races can’t even leave the house without harassment, how are they able to be so successful??
So Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan represent the common black and asian experience in America??
Is it me or does Tucker come out with a new reason why he didn’t do another Friday every few years?
I haven’t read or heard of any other reasons o we the years besides the exact same reasons he’s saying now. What did you hear??
He said ms parker stank ass wouldn’t give him some chun chun
Pops??
The thing is the beauty of the “Froday: franchise is not just the returning characters but the new characters they added along the way. There are so many established and comedians on the rise that losing Chris Tucker shouldnt have been an issue. To me “Friday” hS always been an ensemble cast type of movie sure some characters made the movies better or worse but still its time to stop living in the past and get this “Last Friday” movie made
It’s just not the same Pops, Deebo and Ezzel with no Chris Tucker Next Friday was the Last Friday
Enough but nobody wants to see last Friday to be introduced to upcoming comedians. We wanted this to be one final romp with the original cast. It can no longer be that. And that makes me personally no longer interested.
yo chris memba when you were on those epstein flights? pepperidge farm remembers
Really Chris. You got high in dead presidents. Damn liar. Fuck it.
Hell of a point!
Yo!
Smokey got up out the damn hood so you can’t fault a guy for wanting to do so
Wanted to do something new everytime? How many damn Rush Hours did you do?? ?♂️
YES!!!!!
He was getting paid way more money with Jackie Chan
Money is not happiness.
The stigma of smoking weed is not close to what it was 2005…then there is type casting.
That was not weed that he was smoking in Dead President’s. Look again.
He didn’t want to be typecast as a firnd. He showed he could do more than get high.
Too busy hanging out at Jeffrey Epstien’s islant touching kids to make the movie.
Wow
WTF?
He full of sh**, just afraid to say he wanted more money than they were willing to pay
I think you’re projecting.
Nope. Ice Cube and John Witherspoon both came out and said it years ago
That little movie character is still yr best known act….u just couldn’t fit in those same old clothes.
“Cocaine is a hell of a drug”
He said he didn’t want to do any roles over and over but did 3 Rush Hour movies. Just sayin…
Right
He said he didn’t want to do weed movies that inspire to smoke .
Chris you will always be crazy funny to me wit that high pitch voice…..go make that mula you have a giving heart.
Didn’t have a problem playing a dress wearing clown in The 5th Element. He was comfortable playing that role, smh
Smokey is awesome I only smoke weed cause of him lol ? ????????
He telling the truth I remeber. Initially it was because of the weed. He got pressed by his spiritual leaders back in Atl and they made him feel convicted to not do anymore movies like that smdh lol they wanted him to lead by example pretty much. All these other excuses came years later.
I bet that punk smoke now!
So shucking and jiving in multiple Rush Hour movies was a beautiful demonstration for the culture. Boy stop! It was about the money!! He got paid for those movies and felt Cube couldn’t afford him. Point blank period.
It was his decision fuck off
People who bring up the fact that he said once he did something he did want to do it again, forgot the part where he said that’s how he felt “back then”. The movie Friday was released in 1995, Rush Hour was released 3 years later in 1998 and
3 years after that Rush Hour 2 was released (2001). 6 years is plenty of time to change how someone feels, which makes sense because Rush Hour 3 was released in 2007. Y’all act like he did more than one Money Talks (released in 1997). lOl.
My bad. *once he did something he didn’t want to do it again. Back then.