Can you imagine the iconic hustle and bustle? Rush hour without Chris Tucker’s racy quips in the air? It’s like trying to imagine New York City without the Statue of Liberty or a circus without clowns – almost impossible!
Chan’s spectacular kicks, coupled with Tucker’s hilarious gags, provided a lot of fun, starting in 1998 with the box office hit Rush hourThe duo’s talent for fighting crime and quick-witted remarks brought raucous laughter to the audience, creating a trilogy that never failed to elicit laughter.
But stay calm – did you know that Chan originally wanted to cast Martin Lawrence in his police dramedy before salary problems led to Bad Boys Legend who takes off his hat and retires? During a recent visit to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Lawrence revealed that he had spoken to Chan about their collaboration on Brett Ratner’s 1998 film.
Rush hour Once again: Martin Lawrence’s opinion on rejecting the role
Rush hour without Chris Tucker – it almost happened! Jackie Chan, the legendary martial artist and actor, actually wanted to work with Martin Lawrence before the iconic Rush hour Series was born.
Can you imagine it? The dynamic duo of Jackie Chan and Martin Lawrence taking on the streets of Los Angeles in a high-octane buddy cop comedy? It would have been a Hollywood match made in heaven, or so we thought. During Lawrence’s June 4 appearance at The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallonhe announced that Chan had approached him to star in Rush hour before Tucker joined the film.
The Bad Boys Star, 59, said:
Jackie Chan asked me if I wanted to star with him in Rush Hour, but I said no.
Unfortunately, Lawrence had to let the opportunity pass due to the all too common problem of low salary. As the saying goes, money makes the world go round, and in this case, it spoke louder than the promise of a blockbuster franchise. When Jimmy Fallon asked why Lawrence turned down Chan’s offer, House party Actor replied:
Not enough money.
It seems that even the prospect of sharing the screen with the 70-year-old Chan was not enough to persuade Lawrence to rush hour. Instead, the role of the fast-talking LAPD detective went to the hilarious Chris Tucker, and the rest is history.
Martin Lawrence’s “happy” attitude to Chris Tucker’s role
Rush hour became a cultural phenomenon, grossing over $244 million worldwide (Box Office Mojo) and establishing Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as one of the most iconic buddy-cop duos in film history.
But what if Martin Lawrence had agreed? Would the film have been as successful with another leading actor? It is difficult to say, but the actor was “Happy” as Tucker perfected his role as James Carter. In the same chat with The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Lawrence confessed:
I was happy for Chris because that’s how it should be. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan created a great franchise with Rush Hour.
Tucker confirmed last year that he and Chan plan to star in a fourth film, but no new information has been released so far (see Variety).
In short, the chemistry between Chan and Tucker was truly something special. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Rush hourThe box office success of speaks for itself. With their perfect comedic timing, they delivered some of the most memorable one-liners and action-packed scenes that fans quote to this day.
Rush hour was published in 1998, three years after the first Bad Boys Film. The former received two sequels: Rush hour 2 And Rush hour 3.
Both Bad Boys and Rush hour can be rented on Apple TV.
