Chris Tucker was only paid $10,000 for his role in Friday

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Since its release in 1995, Friday has gone on to become a rule cult classic comedy that continues to makes the masses laugh today. One of the true highlights of the film is Chris Tucker who plays Smokey in the film and it's a role that ultimately made Tucker a star. Despite the popularity of the film, which went on to spawn two sequels, Tucker has revealed that he was only paid $10,000 to appear in the film.

In a new episode of Shannon Sharpe's "Shay Shay" series, Tucker admitted that he received a $10,000 payday for the movie but it's not something he's complaining about. He admits that "It's one of those things, it was a small movie." Tucker continues by saying "We filmed it in 20 days. I got about $10,000 for it or whatever. I didn't care. I wanted the opportunity."

Tucker goes into specifics about how small Friday was as he believes the film's entire budget was about $2-3 million. The finances were so tight that the actors were only allowed to have two takes for every scene and if you botched your scene in those two takes, your role would be cut. Tucker goes on to discuss the beauty of making a small film like Friday:

"It was that small of a movie, but that was the beauty of it. It allowed me to get into character. It wasn't no big distractions like big movie sets. You got light people and sound people and everybody wanna be a star. But that movie was just a camera and me and Cube on the porch. Magic came out of it, thank God."

Friday grossed $27.4 million at the time of its release and was a hit in relation to its very small budget. The film found an even bigger life after its theatrical run and has gone on to become a true cult classic. It's arguably one of the most quotable movies of all-time and it's a film that new generations continue to discover. The movie follows Craig Jones (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker), unemployed friends who must pay a local drug dealer on a Friday. It's a simple premise but the comedy goes a long way to make up for its simplicity. The film also stars Regina King, Nia Long, Tiny "Zeus" Lister Jr., and John Witherspoon.

Chris Tucker would go on to receive even bigger paydays after the success of the first Rush Hour film. Tucker became a part of the $20 million a movie club when he earned that staggering amount for Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3. Talk about humble beginnings with Friday but it's also cool to say that he's still proud of the film and says that he has nothing but good memories making it.

Are YOU surprised Chris Tucker was only paid $10,000 for Friday?