Who is Kevin Hart? The entertainment and acting world knows him American actor and comedian. Hart began his career by winning several amateur comedy competitions at clubs throughout New England, culminating in his first real break in 2000 when he was cast by Judd Apatow for a recurring role on the TV series Undeclared. The series lasted only one season, but he soon landed other roles in movies like Paper Soldiers, Scary Movie 3, Think Like a Man, Little Fockers and Soul Plane. His comedic reputation continued to grow with the release of his first stand-up album I'm a Grown Little Man in 2008. This was followed by Seriously Funny in 2010, and in 2011 Laugh at My Pain. He currently stars as himself in the lead role of Real Husbands of Hollywood.[3]
Early life
Kevin Hart was born on July 6, 1979, in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother, Nancy, and has one older brother, Robert Hart. His father, Henry, a cocaine addict, was in and out of jail throughout most of Kevin's childhood. Kevin used his natural ability to make people laugh as a coping mechanism to deal with his family struggles and to stay out of trouble.[4] After attending George Washington High School in Northeast Philadelphia, he moved to New York City to attend community college,[5] graduating two years later. He then moved to Brockton, Massachusetts and found work as a shoe salesman. He began pursuing a career in stand-up comedy after performing at an amateur night at a club in Philadelphia.[6]Stand-up career
Hart's first gig was at The Laff House in Philadelphia under the name of Lil Kev, which didn't go well.[7] His career suffered a slow start, as he was booed off stage several times, once even having a piece of chicken thrown at him.[8]
After those initial unsuccessful shows, Hart began entering comedy
competitions throughout Massachusetts, and his fortunes soon turned for
the better.[5]It took time for Hart to develop a unique comedic style. After an early period of attempting to imitate comedians like Chris Tucker, he found his own rhythm by delving into his insecurities and life experiences. "Because of what I do, it has to be an open book," he has said. "But right now this is a book that is being written."[8]
Hart draws his inspiration from role models like fellow Philadelphian Bill Cosby, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, and Dave Chappelle.[8] He strives to combine the best qualities of all these men into his own act. "When you talk about your flaws, people gravitate towards you," Hart said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. "I'm just not that manly man." This humility may be somewhat attributed to his short stature, since he is only five feet, four inches tall.[2]
Hart's comedy tours began in 2009 with his act titled "I'm a Grown
Little Man," followed by "Seriously Funny" in 2010, "Laugh At My Pain"
in 2011, and most recently, his TV special titled "Let Me Explain" in
2013.[7] Hart grossed over $15 million from "Laugh At My Pain," making it one of the year's top-selling comedy tours.[4] Hart also has a game available through iTunes called "Little Jumpman." His Facebook page, Twitter account, and YouTube channel are all connected to and accessible through this app.[6] Most overseas fans of Hart discovered him on YouTube, as well.[9]It was announced in October 2013 that ABC will be making a 30 minute pilot based on Hart's stand-up act. Hart does not plan to star in the sitcom, but does plan on having a recurring role.[10]
Personal life
On May 22, 2003, Hart married Torrei Hart and they had two children,
Heaven Leigh and Hendrix. In February 2010 the couple filed for divorce,
citing irreconcilable differences. Hart requested joint custody;
looking to prevent Torrei from receiving [11] money in the divorce, due to
the fact that she is a comedian herself with sufficient income to
support herself. The pair's relationship troubles have made their way
into both of their stand-up acts. Even though negative remarks were made
about one another during the course of the divorce proceedings, Hart
says there are no hard feelings, stating, "We just didn't work out, but
we're friends."
Hart's relationship with his father is much better now that the
latter has recovered from his addiction. He said in an interview with The New York Times, "My dad said I was supposed
to be on drugs. I was like, 'Dad, shut up,' but then I thought about
it, and it was stupid, but it made sense. He was saying that basically
he was my example to never go down that road."[7]Hart also talks about his mother in his stand-up routine, portraying her as a loving, yet intimidating woman. In 2006 she succumbed to cancer.[7]
On April 14, 2013, Hart was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after his black Mercedes nearly collided with a tanker truck on a Southern California freeway. Hart failed a field sobriety test and was booked for misdemeanor DUI.[12] On August 5, 2013, Hart was sentenced to three years’ probation after pleading no contest to one count of driving under the influence of alcohol.[13]
Awards and honors
In 2005, he was nominated for the BET Platinum Mic Viewers' Choice Award.In 2012 Hart was named MVP of the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game regardless of the fact that he was ejected in the fourth quarter for cursing at the referee and taking off one of his shoes and throwing the other across the court. He scored eight points and had six assists in the game.[14]
Hart then hosted the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. His longtime friend Judd Apatow, the director who gave him his first big on-screen break in the TV series Undeclared, was the one who recommended him for the gig.[2] Hart hopes that this will project him further into a side career as an emcee, stating, "Hopefully after MTV, of course we’re talking Emmys, Oscars, whatever."[7]
In 2012, Hart won a Best Actor trophy at the BET Awards for his performance in the box-office hit movie Think Like a Man.
| Year | Work | Category | Award Show | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Big House | Choice Breakout TV Star - Male | Teen Choice Awards | Nominated | |
| 2005 | N/A | Platinum Mic Viewers' Choice | BET Awards | Nominated | |
| 2012 | N/A | NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP | N/A | Won | [14] |
| Think Like a Man | Best Actor | BET Awards | Won | [15] | |
| Scene Stealer: Male | Teen Choice Awards | Nominated | |||
| Hissy Fit | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | N/A | NBA Celebrity-All Star Game MVP | N/A | Won |
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Paper Soldiers | Shawn | |
| 2003 | Scary Movie 3 | CJ | |
| Death of a Dynasty | P-Diddy / Cop 1 / Dance Coach / Hyper Rapper / H. Lector | ||
| 2004 | Along Came Polly | Vic | |
| Soul Plane | Nashawn Wade | ||
| 2005 | The 40-Year-Old Virgin | Smart Tech Customer | |
| In The Mix | Busta | ||
| 2006 | Scary Movie 4 | CJ | |
| 2006 | The Last Stand | F Stop/G Spot | |
| 2007 | Epic Movie | Silas | |
| 2008 | Fool's Gold | Bigg Bunny | |
| Superhero Movie | Trey | ||
| Extreme Movie | Barry | ||
| Meet Dave | Number 17 | ||
| Drillbit Taylor | Pawn Shop Dealer | ||
| 2009 | Party Down | Dro Grizzle | |
| Not Easily Broken | Tree | ||
| Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire | Zezelryck | ||
| I'm A Grown Little Man | Himself | ||
| 2010 | Something Like a Business | JoJo | |
| Death at a Funeral | Brian | ||
| Little Fockers | Nurse Louis | ||
| Seriously Funny | Himself | ||
| 2011 | 35 and Ticking | Cleavon | |
| Let Go | Kris Styles | ||
| The Precious One | Precious McKenzie | ||
| Laugh at My Pain | Himself | ||
| 2012 | The Five-Year Engagement | Doug | |
| Think Like a Man | Cedric | Teen Choice Award for Choice Hissy Fit | |
| Exit Strategy | Mannequin Head Man | ||
| 2013 | Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain | Himself | |
| This Is the End | Himself | ||
| 2014 | Grudge Match | Dante Slate, Jr. | |
| Ride Along | Ben Barber | ||
| About Last Night | Bernie | ||
| Think Like a Man Too | Cedric | ||
| 2015 | The Wedding Ringer | ||
| TV Shows/Program | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Show | Role | |
| 2001 | North Hollywood (movie) | Himself | |
| 2002 | Class of '06 (movie) | Tony | |
| 2002 | Undeclared | Luke | |
| 2004 | The Big House | Kevin | |
| 2005 | Wild 'n Out (TV series) | Himself | |
| 2005 | Dante (movie) | ||
| 2005 | Barbershop | James Ricky | |
| 2005 | Jake In Progress | Nugget Dawson | |
| 2006 | Love, Inc. | James | |
| 2006 | Help Me Help You | Kevin | |
| 2007 | The Weekend (movie) | Miles | |
| 2007 | All of Us | Greg | |
| 2009 | Party Down | Dro Grizzle | |
| 2009 | Kröd Mändoon and The Flaming Sword of Fire | Zezelryck | |
| 2010 | Cubed | Security Guard | |
| 2011 | Untitled Burr and Hart Project (movie) | ||
| 2011 | Little in Common (movie) | Ty Burleson | |
| 2011 | Modern Family | Andre | |
| 2013 | Real Husbands of Hollywood | Himself | |
| 2013 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | |
| 2013 | Wild 'n Out (TV series) | Himself | |
No comments:
Post a Comment