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Monday, 8/25/97 Comedian Tucker makes his way onto big screen FILM: 'Money Talks' star grabs attention with lead role in action-comedy

By Aimee Phan Daily Bruin Staff The class clown always gets the last laugh. At school, actor Chris Tucker would joke and make wisecracks to his classmates while the "A" students got all the attention from the teachers. But Tucker knew that the success he was after wasn't going to require straight "A's." After a successful run in comedy clubs and a string of movies ("Friday" and "The Fifth Element"), Tucker is getting all the attention with his starring role in the new action-comedy, "Money Talks." As a fast-talking hustler, Franklin Hatchett, who accidentally gets involved with an international crime mob, Tucker hopes his flamboyant role will fulfill a lifelong wish. "I always wanted a lot of attention when I was young," Tucker says. "In school, I did my work but I wasn't the smartest person in the world. I think I was more witty than anyone else. (Others) might pass the test, but I was passing everything else." At an early age, Tucker began entertaining audiences ranging from his classmates in talent shows to The Comedy Act Theater in his hometown, Atlanta, Ga. He believes most comedians crave the attention and glory from making an audience laugh. "When you have the audience rolling, there's no other feeling like that," Tucker says. After making a splash in the comedy club circuit, Tucker was discovered by a producer who was developing HBO's "Def Comedy Jam," a showcase of the hottest young comics across America. It was good training ground for a film career. "Performing every night for people in the clubs, you get quick and witty from exercising your brain every night, so I think that's just acting," Tucker says. "I figure we're all acting and doing our different roles in life." Tucker's current role, though, as the motormouth street hustler who accidentally slips into danger with both the cops and the mob, promises to showcase Tucker's talent to outtalk anybody. This may be because of Tucker's other role in "Money Talks" - that of executive producer. Tucker downplays this, saying that his only interest in it was helping to hone his character's development throughout the movie. "I was in production meetings but I tried to stay away from a lot of that because the only thing I wanted control over was what I said," Tucker says. "The other stuff didn't matter. I just wanted to have the freedom to be able to create on the set." Brett Ratner, in his directorial debut, also agreed to fitting the script to Tucker's comedic talents. He worked with Tucker, altering the script to the comedian's advantage. Ratner points out that most of the funniest lines came not from the original script, but from Tucker himself. "Where the improvisation came was in the rehearsals," Ratner says. "We tried to make the words fit him so he could articulate them better in a way that makes it more real and believable." Charlie Sheen, who co-starred with Tucker as an ambitious television reporter, says Tucker's comedic talent and boundless energy stole the movie. "It was so refreshing to work with somebody who was so free and so excited to be happy and was able to just let this energy flow through so evenly and consistently," Sheen says. "It was an education. I think he's Eddie Murphy squared." Tucker, in turn, was impressed with Sheen's willingness to play the straight man to Tucker's manic character. "Charlie did so much for this movie that I can't even explain it," Tucker says. "He gave up first credit in the movie for me. He gave so much to this movie and I think that's why it turned out so good, because if we had gotten any other big actor, there would have been that blockage there. But Charlie was like, 'Whatever you want to do.'" Tucker hopes to continue with his film career, eventually branching out to dramas and children's movies. "I wrote a kid movie that I want to do with a bunch of kids," Tucker says. "I just want to do different movies and have a lot of fun." But for now, Tucker is devoting his energy to his next project, which ironically, is another action-comedy and also stars Jackie Chan. Will Tucker be able to keep up with the energetic Chan? Tucker puts on a false bravado and pretends to be unimpressed by Chan's dual role as actor and stuntman. "If he jumps off the building, I'll go down the stairs," Tucker says. "Then I'll ask him, 'What did you do that for?'" FILM: "Money Talks" is currently in theaters. New Line Cinema Chris Tucker plays con artist Franklin Hatchett in "Money Talks." Previous Daily Bruin Story Charlie's demons