The comedian who almost died during a Tupac video shoot
The 1990s was a transformative time for hip-hop. Not only was there an abundance of high-quality music, but there were also a series of movies, some of which were directed by former rappers and others starring MCs. However, several iconic comedians rose to fame in the ’90s and one in particular almost died during a Tupac Shakur video shoot.
One iconic movie of the 1990s starring a rapper is Friday, a franchise created by N.W.A legend, Ice Cube featured not only the emcee himself but also the comedian Chris Tucker. The film follows two friends in their Los Angeles neighbourhood and was a debut for its director, F. Gary Gray. The movie was a hit. However, the same year Tucker appeared in Friday he also got the call to star in a 2Pac music video, which nearly cost him his life.
Tucker was gaining acclaim on the underground comedy circuit in the early ’90s, and before Friday, he had only had a small role in the 1994 movie House Party 3. His performance as the character Johnny Booze and subsequent placement on the Def Comedy Jam caught the attention of Ice Cube.
Although heavy hitters such as Tommy Davidson and Chris Rock were considered for the character of Smokey and many other stars, including more famous actors, Ice Cube had an affinity for Tucker and his energy.
Following Friday, Tucker appeared in two more movies. He played a bodyguard in Panther, a drama about the Black Panther Party, and had a significant role opposite Larenz Tate in Dead Presidents. However, in 1995, he managed to secure one more role in the music video for Shakur’s hit song ‘California Love.’
During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2016, Tucker reminisced about the experience of filming the ‘California Love’ video, reflecting, “It was fun and dangerous at the same time.”
Detailing the exact period he filmed the video, Tucker explained, “Tupac just got out of jail, and Suge Knight was walking around with a Rottweiler. I didn’t know if I was gonna get bit or what.”
Speaking about an extremely dangerous situation he got caught in, Tucker continued, “I almost fell off a jeep. Michael Clarke Duncan saved my life, my good friend. He saved my life! I was so young. I was on the jeep, and I was acting. I was over-acting… and they went over a dune in the middle of the desert, and I was like, ‘Ah!’ And Michael said, ‘Come here, little boy. Come back here,’ and I said, ‘Thank you, God. Thank you!’ He saved my life.”
Michael Clarke Duncan was also destined for Hollywood stardom. The late actor was nominated for an Oscar for his role as John Coffey in the 2000 film The Green Mile just a few years after the filming of ‘California Love’. However, Tucker never forgot about what he did for him on the music video set.