Only time will tell where Central Intelligence — the new Kevin Hart comedy that also stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Aaron Paul — will rank in the A-list comedian’s catalog. But longtime fans should take heed that the film will ultimately go down as a turning point in the type of roles the 36-year-old master of Hollywood choses to take on.
In a new interview with HipHopDX, Hart admits that it’s “very hard” for all movies to be completely original at this point in time, regardless of the generation of their origin. One glance at the trailer for the Rawson Marshall Thurber-directed flick will immediately evoke similar sentiments from the Ride Along series, thanks to its buddy/sidekick cop ethos. However, Central Intelligence manages to carve out its own identity with the unique chemistry between Hart and Johnson; especially since Hart isn’t pegged to be the comedic relief this time around. He stars as Calvin Joyner, a boring Middle American who was once known as “The Golden Jet” in high school and gets a crash course when he reunites with former classmate and social recluse Bob Stone (Johnson), an overly intense employee in the overkill department of the CIA. Hijinks ensue but the film manages to follow the script and keep the jokes witty and without warning.
Hart and Johnson’s chemistry was so imminent, they agreed to work together again – before their first movie was even released. They both will co-star alongside Jack Black in the upcoming Jumanji remake in 2017; a move that Hart tells us will “pay homage to the late, great Robin Williams.”
When asked about the transitioning into more serious roles within the movie business, Hart didn’t keep mum about the subject whatsoever. It’s definitely going to happen.
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“Look, everything I do is calculated… I don’t want to do the same thing or be the same guy,” he states. “The reason why I’m staying so true to the action-comedy movies is because the next step is an action movie or just a drama. But you know, you have to slow-walk your fanbase into these other things because the one thing that you want to have with these other projects is believability. I don’t want to go up to these [films] and have people question the character that I’m playing or the premise of the movie and me being heavily involved in it. I want them to go, ‘Holy shit!'”
“The action is progressively getting bigger and the roles, of course are getting bigger as well. So I’m patiently grinding until that right project comes along that can act as that platform for me to ascend.”
Another Kevin Hart fun fact was also uncovered during his most recent appearance on The Breakfast Club where he revealed that each movie he records in the history books births a new watch for his collection.
“I research ’em man — it’s really a hobby,” he explains. “I get collectibles that get the respect of other watch lovers. Right now there’s a couple I have my eye on but once we’re done with promo and the movie comes out is when I’ll attach onto one.”
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Seeing that 1996 was not only a marquee for Hip Hop music but an important timestamp for Central Intelligence, it was vital we got Hart to travel down memory lane to see what his 17-year-old self was bumping.
“Music wise, I was listening to Snoop’s [Tha Doggfather] and Doggystyle,” he vividly recalled. “That was something that was in rotation. 2Pac’s Makaveli [The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory]; I remember that’s when Makaveli came and [the album] was heavy in my rotation on my cassette. That’s when I thought I was a little taller so my level of ‘tough,’ in my mind was a little high.”
The song revealed to best describe his tireless work ethic was yet another 90s Hip Hop selection and a fitting choice: MC Hammer’s “2 Legit 2 Quit.” The year was also instrumental in developing Hart’s career choice as a universal funnyman.
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“I was a junior in high school,” the Philly native remembers. “That’s when the fear of what you want to do after high school starts to set in because you get close to that senior year. But I was very much a class clown. The popular kid in school. Just because of the likability I had. Everybody loved to laugh and through comedy is where I gained my popularity. I was a people person! And I got along with everybody.”
So basically Hart was the real-life “Golden Jet?”
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“Minus the high top,” he duly noted.
Central Intelligence hits theaters on Friday, June 17. Pre-order your tickets to beat the rush. (You can always ensure you beat the rush by entering our contests, too.)
