Ice Cube gives explanation for Chris Tucker turning down $12 million to continue his character of Smokey for “Next Friday.”
After Faizon Love, who plays Big Worm in Friday, revealed that he turned down a role in the sequel after only making $2,500 from the original, Ice Cube argued that he didn’t “rob” any of the actors in the movie, as some fans have suggested.
“I didn’t rob no fuckin body,” said Cube on Twitter. “The 1995 Friday movie cost $2.3m to make. Shot it in 20 days. Fazion worked 1 day, maybe 2. All the actors got paid scale to do the movie. They could’ve simple said ‘No’ but they didn’t. So miss me with that shit.”
When somebody responded to that post by saying they thought Chris Tucker quit Next Friday over money, Cube responded that that isn’t the case.
“We were ready to pay Chris Tucker $10-12m to do Next Friday but he turned us down for religious reasons,” said Cube. “He didn’t want to cuss or smoke weed on camera anymore.”
I didn’t rob no fuckin body. The 1995 Friday movie cost $2.3m to make. Shot it in 20 days. Fazion worked 1 day, maybe 2. All the actors got paid scale to do the movie. They could’ve simple said “No” but they didn’t. So miss me with that shit… https://t.co/2K1dUFZ489
— Ice Cube (@icecube) December 29, 2021
Chris Tucker also mentioned the true reason for his departure from Friday franchise as reported by New York Post. “One of the reasons why I didn’t do [‘Friday’ sequel ‘Next Friday’] is because of the weed,” Tucker, 50, explained during a guest appearance on movie podcast “Flix Talk” Monday.
“Man, that movie became a phenomenon. I don’t want everybody smokin’ weed,” the stand-up comedian-turned-cinema hotshot added. “I never really told people this because I kinda forgot about it, but it was one of the reasons why I didn’t do it.”
We were ready to pay Chris Tucker $10-12m to do Next Friday but he turned us down for religious reasons. He didn’t want to cuss or smoke weed on camera anymore. https://t.co/1pfo1FHWzp
— Ice Cube (@icecube) December 29, 2021
Check out the reactions of fans below.
Also you gotta remember cube wrote his lyrics, alot of the hooks, and was writing for easy E. Writers are supposed to get residuals alot of the time. You talking about a man that did ONE damn day of work. Less responsibility less pay.
— Jay Crypto (@JayCrypto12) December 29, 2021
Being a co-creator of work in a group vs a paid actor doing a smallish job. He did great with the role, but he didn't write it, direct it, and produce it
— Mary Mac-areno (@MaryMacX) December 29, 2021
Umm…it is called personal choice dude. You does realize he isn’t REQUIRED to entertain you.
— Tigers Ruledude (@Tigersruledude) December 29, 2021