Chris Tucker Net Worth: $5 Million (approx.)
Net Worth: | $5 Million (approx.) |
Date of Birth: | 1971-08-31 |
Age: | 51 |
Height: | 6 ft (1.83 m) |
Profession: | Comedian, Actor, Stand-up comedian |
Nationality: | United States of America |
Chris Tucker net worth is $5 million. At the peak of his career in the late 1990s, Chris was the highest-paid actor in the world.
Chris Tucker is a famous American comedian and actor. Chris made his debut in 1992 as a stand-up performer on the HBO comedy series Def Comedy Jam, frequently appearing on the show during the 1990s.
How much Chris Tucker earned from movies?:
After the huge success of the first “Rush Hour” movie, in 1999 Tucker got his salary increased to $20 million to appear in the sequel.In today’s terms, this money is equal to earning $40 million for a single movie.
Chris then negotiated a two-movie $40 million contract with New Line Cinema of which $25 million would be his salary for Rush Hour 3. Chris Tucker also got 20% of the gross receipts of Rush Hour 3. In total, Chris Tucker earned at least $50 million from his work in the Rush Hour franchise alone, roughly $65 million after adjusting for inflation.
Chris Tucker Financial Troubles:
Chris Tucker has experienced financial troubles over the years. After a series of financial mistakes, in 2011 Tucker found himself drowning in IRS debt. IRS and California tax filings revealed that Chris Tucker owed the IRS $11 million in taxes for the years 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. By 2014 the debt had risen to $14 million.
Tucker’s tax debt was finally settled in 2014. If Rush Hour 4 movie ends up happening at some point, that will clearly be a boon to Chris’ wallet.
Chris Tucker House:
Around this time Chris Tucker faced foreclosure on his 8,000 square foot, Florida mansion. Chris bought the home in 2007 for $6 million. But, Chris sold the 1-acre lakefront property for $1.7 million in March 2012, a $4.3 million loss. At the time of the 2011 filing, Chris Tucker stated publicly that he did not have enough income to pay his bills.
In 2013 Chris Tucker sold a 6,399 square foot home in Tarzana, California for $2.1 million. Chris Tucker bought this home in November 1996 for $1.1 million. In 2001 he paid $2.4 million for the home next door. Chris Tucker sold this home in 2009 for $3 million.
He reportedly still owns a home occupied by an ex-girlfriend in LA and a home in Georgia.
Chris Tucker Biography:
Birth name | Christopher Tucker |
---|---|
Born | August 31, 1971 (age 51) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Medium | Stand-up, film, television |
Years active | 1992–present |
Genres | Blue comedy,black comedy,insult comedy,observational comedy |
Spouse | Azja Pryor (1997–2003) |
Children | 1 |
Notable works and roles | Def Comedy Jam Rush Hour |
Chris Tucker was born in Atlanta Georgia on 31 August, 1971. Chris is the youngest son of Mary Louise and Norris Tucker, who owned a janitorial service. Chris grew up in Decatur, Georgia.
Chris was one of six children growing up, using comedy to gain attention at an early age. Chris was drawn to the humor of Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor and decided to shift to Los Angeles after graduating from Columbia High School to become an actor and comedian.
Chris Tucker Career:
Though Chris first tried his comedy in Atlanta comedy clubs, he only started to get popularity as a performer on “Def Comedy Jam”. Chris made his official big screen debut in 1994’s “House Party 3”.
Chris acting really took off in the mid-90s with a series of high-profile roles, particularly as Ice Cube’s comic sidekick in the film “Friday“. While the film was a modest success, it has since grown into a cult classic and has spawned two sequels, though Tucker does not feature in those.
While Chris continued to act in smaller films in the following years, he gained widespread attention for his role in the French sci-fi film “The Fifth Element” in 1997. The film was a box office hit, though it was not universally acclaimed by many critics. Still, Tucker received generally positive reviews for his part and the film gained him more exposure.
1997 also saw Chris Tucker with a role in Quentin Tarantino s Jackie Brown, but it was in 1998 that saw Tucker’s star truly rise. In 1998, Tucker co-starred as Detective James Carter in Brett Ratner’s hit “Rush Hour” with Jacky Chan . Many critics praised both Chan’s and Tucker’s performances as the mismatched police team. The action comedy film opened in the top box office spot with a first weekend gross of $33 million. The film grossed over $244 million worldwide.
Tucker’s career peaked after the huge success of the first Rush Hour movie. Soon after, Tucker demanded and received $20 million to appear in the 2001 sequel, Rush Hour 2. Keeping the classic Chan/Tucker buddy comedy formula that had worked so well before, the film opened at the top spot in the box office and drew in over $67 million in its first weekend. It went on to earn over $347 million worldwide.
The next few years were not too successful for Tucker, as he did not take on any new film roles. Chris reemerged in 2007 for the next film in the franchise, negotiating a $40 million two-movie contract with New Line Cinema of which $25 million would be his salary for Rush Hour 3.
Tucker also received 20% of the gross receipts of Rush Hour 3 which, when combined with his salary, made him the highest paid actor in the world at the time.
But the film was not as successful as its predecessors, getting mixed reviews and taking in substantially less than Rush Hour 2. After another break from film, Chris got back into stand-up comedy with a 2011 tour. Chris then went on to receive positive reviews for his performance in the 2012 Academy Award winning movie Silver Linings Playbook.
A Netflix stand-up special followed in 2015 as did a role in the film “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” in 2016. Chris is still considered a good Hollywood actor and has been rumored to be in talks with Ice Cube’s production company to arrange another “Friday” film.
Chris Tucker has also been a host to many programs, including the 2013 BET Awards and the 2020 Urban One Honors, an event that celebrated entertainment icons such as Jamie Foxx, Missy Elliot and Chance the Rapper.
Tucker has a history of charity. Chris has participated–along with celebrities such as Terrell Owens, Mark Cuban and Master P–in a number of NBA Allstar Celebrity basketball games. Tucker has also started the Chris Tucker Foundation, a charity that is meant to impact youth health and education.
The Chris Tucker Celebrity Golf Tournament was started as a way to bring more attention to his cause, with all proceeds going to help the foundation’s charitable work.
Chris Tucker Wife:
Chris Tucker has a son with his former wife, Azja Pryor.
Chris Tucker Interesting Facts:
Chris remains good friends with former co-star Jackie Chan and was also a close friend of Michael Jackson before the singer’s death. Tucker was in the music video for Jackson’s song “You Rock My World” in 2001 and was also present at his memorial service in 2009. Chris actively endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008. Tucker divides his time between Bel Air, Atlanta, and Las Vegas.
Chris has also stated that he is a born-again Christian. It is also said to be a primary reason for his turning down offers to reprise his iconic role of Smokey in the two sequels in the “Friday” franchise.