Chris Tucker at The Laughing Skull Lounge

On Wednesday night, as I was sitting in the green room of The Laughing Skull Lounge waiting to go on stage for their weekly open mic, I was chatting with another comedian friend of mine backstage. As the two of us sat alone waiting for our turn, Atlanta native Chris Tucker walked into the room and introduced himself as if he were just an average guy. He sat down with us and instantly began chatting about how the night was going, the comedians who were going up, and even what material we were going to try out in front of the crowd that night. After a while, he started getting ready to go on stage to surprise the crowd who had no idea that he was there. It wasn't until he began getting into the zone that his body language changed and he began to get quiet and appeared just as nervous and anxious as any other comic. As the comedian before him went on stage, Chris began pacing back and forth while listening to music on his iphone to get himself pumped up.

Once the host introduced the next him by saying, "Give it up for your next comedian, Chris Tucker" the crowd just clapped normally until the moment when he walked out and everyone realized that it was the guy from Friday and the Rush Hour movies, then they completely lost their shit. After everyone calmed down and got their pictures, he delivered a solid 10 minute set and then returned back to the green room and looked for the same validation that every comedian craves as he asked "How was that? Was it good?" The man that the audience saw was the same man who they expected Chris Tucker to be, however the man that was behind closed doors was just another comedian who was doing what he loved to do. He was able to use his celebrity status on stage to do what all comedians strive to do to an audience: getting the crowd on his side. Once that connection was made and he had their attention by getting everyone on board, it was up to his material and his presence to deliver, which he did. After his set, he hung around for a little while and was able to hear my set and a couple other comedians perform. When I returned backstage, he was super supportive and told me how much he enjoyed it, which felt amazing coming from someone with his experience.

This unexpected evening showed me that Chris really is just a friendly, nice, and personable guy who truly loves the art of stand up comedy. By getting to know someone who has achieved what many comedians drive toward and seeing them in a way that most people do not was an eye opener. I now know that being a celebrity or a pro does not necessarily change who you are as a person or a comedian, but it does change how people perceive you.