You can change your life in 6 months, here's how to do it | Chris Tucker

When I knew I wasn't going to college because I barely got out of high school, I said, "I better find something right quick." I said, "What am I good at?" You know, I was making people laugh.

I'm busy. I'm real busy.

So I gotta tell people like the President of the United States, Mandela, that I can't hang out with them because I got to go loop.

First time I met him in William Morris' office, and he just keep talking. I just look at that guy, "Why?

Why he keep talking?" Right now I'm finna jump off a 20-story building with no pads because I don't like pads. It slow down the jump. So— You know, you're good.

He's an American actor and stand-up comedian. He's best known for his roles as Smokey in the film Friday and Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour series. He also became a frequent stand-up performer on Def Comedy Jam in the 1990s. He's Chris Tucker, and here's my take on his top 10 rules for success. Rule number 3 is my personal favorite, and I'm curious if you agree, which one you guys like the best. And as always, guys, as Chris is talking, if he says something that really resonates with you, Please leave it in the comments below, put quotes around it so other people can be inspired as well. Enjoy.

When did you know that you wanted to be a comedian?

Like, were you really young or were you a little older? When I was young, I was in high school when I knew I wasn't going to college because I barely got out of high school. I said, I better find something right quick. I said, what am I good at? I was making people laugh and I was like, why y'all laughing? It was like, you funny, you remind me of Eddie Murphy. So I said, let me try this out. And I host my talent show in high school and I got my first laugh and I got an epiphany and I was like, I'm gonna do this. Yeah. You know, 'cause it's fun and I'm already, you know, so that's when I found out I hosted my first talent show. I hosted a talent show in high school and I said, that's what I wanna do. What advice would you give people based on your own experience about how to manage the money? Oh man, you know what, invest in yourself. That's the number one thing. Don't go invest in stuff you don't know about because 9 times out of 10, you're probably going to lose it or you're going to get scammed out of it because whoever you invest with, they know more about it than you. And they going to say, well, let me just take this if he don't know what he is doing. So invest in yourself and try to own as much as you can and save your money. And by saving it, it's investing in yourself. If whatever, it's equipment or keeping yourself healthy or whatever, because, you know, the longer you stay in whatever business you in, the more likely you're gonna keep making money, you're gonna keep being relevant. I look towards the future, and the future is just, you know, it's more to do, it's more steps to climb and stuff. So I don't really look at, you know, what I'm doing right now. Every time I do something, I move on and see how could I get better. And I'm never satisfied, you know. I think I always knew I could do better, you know.

Always knew you could do better.

I could do better, yeah. So all that stuff I was just dreaming about, like, this is the possibilities that can happen if I move to California or if, you know, because I was working really hard here and a lot of comedians come down from LA and say, man, you need to go to California because you're pretty good. I was getting a lot of good advice and a lot of people who was really rooting for me. Yeah, just went and did it. But I had a dream and that dream gave me confidence to keep going. The power of believing and dreaming is real because that's all I did was dream and believe and that these things could happen and it made me feel good. And that was my— that's true wealth. If you believe and you're doing something, you have a goal, you have a dream to get somewhere, it makes you feel good. Right now I'm going to jump off a 20-story building with no pads because I don't like pads. They slow down the jump. So, you know, I'm going to do it.

Ah!

It was surprising. Every day it was something different. And it was like, it was real fun. I'm glad he did it that way because, you know, you had to always, you get up in the morning, you know, you don't know what to expect. And it was a real good experience. And my part was a stretch for me because I never did anything like that before. And it was so far from me and what I do in America's stand-up comedy. You know, I do like reality jokes and stuff, and my movies that I usually do are reality, like based off America situations and stuff. It was nothing like that. But when I got there and John Paul Cotillet, I seen all his clothes he wanted me to wear, I was like, oh, this ain't gonna be nothing like I ever done before.

Boy is fused like fire.

I would never wear this stuff in the street.

Don't start melting, ladies, 'cause the boy is hotter than hot.

So I was like, "Shit, this gonna be hard." And Jean-Paul Gaultier was like, "This is beautiful. I knew you would love this." I was like, "No, I do not like that." But I started wearing the stuff and I started getting into the character and it helped. The costume helped me create that character a lot, so.

I'm busy. I'm real busy.

So I gotta tell people like the President of the United States or Mandela that I can't hang out with them because I got to go loop.

Oh, hell no, I ain't coming.

When I'm in a session, I always get mad make it better.

Let's go!

Ah, I'm a perfectionist. I can't stress this enough, I am a perfectionist.

Take 55 is when Chris really shines.

5 is the one. I like pressure because it brings the best out of me.

You got it, let's go!

I watch everything down to the last detail because I can't trust them. Yeah, I don't know how they're gonna edit me. I gotta go see for myself. This remark, the editor puts Rush Hour 2 together to make it look good, make it funny. If it's not And I slap him upside the back of the head.

Keep it going!

My fans and everybody, they gonna want to see the best. Gotta look out for number one. I have a good partner who started out as my manager. Now we're partners. And I say that to him because I say, you know, I learned a little bit over the 3 years that I didn't do movies. I learned more about business, about the business, how it work, and about movies and everything. So I think it's appropriate to say we're partners because he does some of the business side and I do the, you know, the acting side. His name is Tracy Kramer.

Right.

But definitely as far as business, you know, I think he sees the same vision that I have and where I want to go.

Talk about that vision.

Well, it's a vision of doing something different and not doing what's already been done because I always think, you know, You know, I'm trying to evolve as a person and also as an actor and do great movies. I think it's a lot of good stories that haven't been told yet. I think it's a lot of, you know, a movie should be— and Harry Belafonte told me this, and I'll never forget it. He told me movies should be how life is— I mean, how life should be, not how life is. You know, so— and I always remember that, because, you know, life should be perfect. It should be good.

Um, but it's not. And so, yes, that's you.

I can't believe this. I cannot believe this. This happened to me.

Let's see who it is and we'll see if we want to talk to them.

Hello? Hey Tracy, I just finished talking about you. I'm on Charlie Rose. Okay, hold on. Charlie Rose want to talk to Tracy.

This is Charlie Rose. Now I just asked him who was responsible for success. We didn't know you were calling here, obviously. Where are you? In Los Angeles? Didn't you know he's doing a tape in this show? You did. And you know what to expect on this show? You think Chris can handle it? Now let me just ask you this. Uh, he comes here to do the show, and so I said to him, we talked about this remarkable success, and I said to him, is anybody else responsible for your success? And he said, not one single soul. He said, I got this manager who I made a partner, and I'm not sure that was a good idea. Do I have the right guy?

After conceiving the dreams to become a stand-up comedian and actor, Chris began the grind necessary to realize them, including working at his only job outside of the entertainment industry, his father's janitorial service.

You know, I used to work that at night early, you know, 8 to like 11, then I would go clean up, uh, McDonald's, Burger King's, Crystals at at that time because I had the freedom 'cause my dad had his own business. And he taught me a lot. He taught me how to be a businessman. He taught me how to, you know, work hard, hard work. And I put that into my standup career and my acting career. You know, the lesson I've learned, just, you know, always, you know, make friends, you know, make friends and communicate. Just don't isolate yourself because, you know, in this business it's ups and it's downs. But the people you know and people who really know you, they know who you are. If somebody say something bad about you, it's, "Nah, he ain't like that. I know, I really know him." So have, you know, like in any other thing, in any other business, in the school, that's why people go to Harvard, 'cause it's the connections, it's the, you know, people you know. And you gonna know, you gonna find some good people here and there. But that's one thing I keep with me, 'cause you know, you need good people in your life. And you know, that's what it's about. 'Cause the business is always gonna go up and down. You know, that's always fickle. But you know, your life is constant, you know. [Speaker] Who are some of the actors that you've worked with that it became a friendship that means a lot to you, or maybe it's a connection that you have with them that professionally you like?

I think Chris Tucker.

Yeah.

Even though I don't like him in the beginning.

Tell us about that part.

First time I met him in William Morris office, and he just keep talking. I just look at that guy, why? Why he keep talking? And he's so fast. Mostly people like Brett Ratner and my manager, Jackie, the movie is really good for you. I understand. And Chris Tucker, how they can do that? Ah, I said, huh, then after he left, yeah, after left, then I asked my manager, what the hell are you talking about? I don't, I don't even one word come in, come from his mouth. And later on he used in the movie. And it's too young and too young and come to the set, so many ideas. And he was late on the set. I was 7 o'clock call, I was 6:30, I already make up standing. I'm filmmaker, they are standing here. Then he just come 11 o'clock and late. Yeah, late and late. And one day he come to my open motorhome, Jackie, can you come later?

You're making me look bad.

Yeah, you make me look bad. I said no, that's my job. No, you have to I have the right to come late. Did you want to come? No, I said no, I'm a director, I can come late. And I'm an actor after on the set, that's my job. But now Chris every day on the set and do what, just do the really, really good things. Now I really like him, yeah. But now he's just on the set, you know, and follow the rule, da da da. Now he's great. Mostly time, Jackie, where are you? I said, I'm in Hong Kong. Okay, when you come to United States? I said, coming soon. We can join it together. I said, okay, okay.

I'm so excited to be here.

So honored to be here for my good friend, my brother from another mother, Jackie Chan.

He's the biggest, one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and he has been for a long time because he made me one of them all over the world. When we did Rush Hour in '98, I never seen so much love. We traveled around the world, and Jackie had these fans already from, from Asia to Australia to Europe, and immediately he helped me get known internationally. And it was just an honor to be in a movie with him and with somebody with such comic timing, comedy skills. And action skills. That was comedian's dream. That was my dream to be in a movie that I could do whatever I wanted to do, and Jackie was right there with the right timing with me. And, uh, he's just— he's been a mentor, a big brother, uh, he's the best guy in the whole wide world. And, uh, he says— and I'm honored to be his friend. I'm so happy to be here today to celebrate this big day, uh, uh, the first, uh, China— China Chinese person to get an award. Did I say that right?

Oh man, I already messed that up. I'm sorry, that was that character, what's your character name? I'm sorry. He's the first person from China to get his handprint and his feet put in here. That's what I said. That's what's incredible, okay?

And I love him like a brother, and I'm happy for him, and I know you guys do too. And I'm happy to be here.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Thank you guys so much for watching. I made this video because David Mares asked me to. So if there's a famous entrepreneur that you want me to profile next, leave in the comments below and I'll see what I can do. I'd also love to know what did Chris say that had the biggest impact on you? What was your favorite rule from him? What message did he have that you're gonna immediately apply to your life or your business? Leave it in the comments. I'm gonna join in the discussion. Finally, I want to give a quick shout out to Carolyn Owens. Carolyn, thank you so much for picking up a copy of my book, Your One Word, and tweeting about it. I hope you enjoy the read. Thank you for your support. So thank you guys again for watching. I believe in you. I hope you continue to believe in yourself and whatever your one word is.

Much love.

I'll see you soon.

Pissed off, man. Just got me a new place, man.

Hate my neighbors, man.

I got neighbors that borrow shit all the time. You ever had a neighbor that borrow your shit and keep it so long you have to borrow it back? Like, "Yo, you got a broom I can borrow, man?" No, it's you got my goddamn broom.

That ain't all, man.

Man, I got rats and roaches like Crips and Bloods in my house, man. Be crawled by shootings all the time. I come over, work out the breakup fights. Oh, y'all, let it go. Let it go. It ain't worth it. Stop that shit, man. Man, they be answering my door. Talking on my phone won't click over. People done told me they ain't call. I ain't heard shit from them. That motherfucker don't live here. Chris who? My roach is smart too, man. They play dead. The other day I stepped on one of them, went in the bathroom to get some tissue, came back, that nigga was gone. I seen him 2 weeks later with some stitches. Nigga told me he was too legit to quit. That is fucked up when you going your series to get your prize, them motherfuckers —on already been in there and got it. Tripp, man. Whatever happened to pimps, man? What if Michael Jackson was a pimp? Should be him and Tito be riding around in the Cadillac and shit? Slow down, Tito. Slow down, Tito. Damn. Is that my hoe over there sitting on the curb? Let me out. "Come here, girl." I said, "Come here, girl." "What my money? How much you got?" I'm like, "I'm sorry. All I got is a $100 bill." "Girl, you've been out here all day, and all you got is a $100 bill? Ah!" Keep it in the closet. Now get out there and work before morning.