Comedian Chris Tucker sets Legend Tour for fall

Chris Tucker smiles while leaning his arm on a seat

By Nardine SaadStaff Writer

Aug. 9, 2023 10:39 AM PT

It’s official: Actor-comedian Chris Tucker will embark on his first major North American tour since 2011.

The “Air” and “Rush Hour” star will embark on a 30-date tour in North Charleston, S.C., early next month. He’ll hit two Los Angeles-area locations in October before wrapping the tour in January 2024, Live Nation announced Wednesday.

The “Def Comedy Jam” alum will headline his “The Legend Tour” at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood on Oct. 4 and perform at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood on Oct. 7. He’ll also do an earlier California gig at the Paramount Theatre-Oakland on Sept. 30. He will also go to Toronto, Nashville, Philadelphia and Phoenix before closing the tour on Jan. 12 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.

“I started my career doing stand-up in comedy clubs and it’s stand-up comedy that prepared me for all of my movie roles,” Tucker said in a statement to The Times. “I’m looking forward to getting back to my roots. I love performing live, there’s nothing like the energy of a live crowd and making people laugh. I’m excited to be back out on tour.”

The ticket pre-sale begins Thursday and general on-sale to the public begins Friday on Ticketmaster.

In an April interview with The Times, Tucker said that being on the road keeps him sharp and is a lifeline to his fans, even though the comedy landscape has changed drastically since his 2011 tour and 2015 Netflix comedy special, “Chris Tucker Live.” That special was taped at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and tackled dating and aging and showcased his impression of singer and close friend Michael Jackson.

“My style of comedy has stayed the same. I just try to be entertaining. I don’t get too personal. I stay in my lane,” the 51-year-old said. “As a comedian, you have to be smart and be careful what you say. Being spiritual and a Christian, I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. There are things I’m not going to do that I might have done as a kid.”

The fast-talking film star made a name for himself on the Los Angeles comedy circuit before becoming a regular player on Russell Simmons‘ “Def Comedy Jam” in the early ‘90s. His ascent continued in 1995 when he played the loud-mouthed pothead Smokey in the seminal stoner comedy “Friday,” co-starring with hip-hop great Ice Cube in the first installment of the franchise.

But it was the 1998 buddy-cop blockbuster “Rush Hour” that paired him with action star Jackie Chan that made the Atlanta native one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors at the time. Tucker followed up the tailor-made role with two sequels adding to his résumé that included credits on “Dead Presidents,” “Money Talks,” an unforgettable turn in “The Fifth Element” and “Jackie Brown.”

He also landed notable supporting roles in 2012’s “Silver Linings Playbook” and 2016’s “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” He then took a break from Hollywood to focus on his namesake charitable foundation, which offers a variety of services to children and unhoused people.

After a seven-year hiatus, Tucker returned to the big screen earlier this year in Ben Affleck’s “Air” to play his friend Howard White, the Nike executive who was crucial in the development of the Air Jordan sneaker and who is now the vice president of Jordan Brand. Tucker wrote the part into the script, which had omitted Howard’s contribution to the Air Jordan story, at the behest of Michael Jordan.

“This is the hardest I’ve ever worked on a character. I locked myself in this hotel for 20 days to take in and go over all this information. Then I had to dissect the script, because Howard wasn’t in it and I didn’t want to mess up the plot. It was fun, but it was hard work,” Tucker told The Times.

THE LEGEND TOUR DATES:

Friday, Sept. 8: North Charleston, S.C. — North Charleston Performing Arts Center

Sunday, Sept. 10: Norfolk, Va. — Chrysler Hall

Wednesday, Sept 20: Louisville, Ky. — The Louisville Palace

Friday, Sept. 22: Memphis, Tenn. — The Orpheum Theatre Memphis

Sunday, Sept. 24: Durham, N.C. — Durham Performing Arts Center

Saturday, Sept. 30: Oakland — Paramount Theatre-Oakland

Tuesday, Oct. 3: Denver — Paramount Theatre

Wednesday, Oct. 4: Inglewood — YouTube Theater

Thursday, Oct 5: Phoenix — Arizona Financial Theatre

Saturday, Oct. 7: Los Angeles — Hollywood Pantages Theatre

Tuesday, Oct. 10: Columbus, Ohio — Palace Theatre Columbus