Tuesday, February 19, 2013

0 You Gonna Learn Today: When Kevin Hart came to the Boro


Kevin Hart may a household name for comedy fans today, but in early 2011, he was still working his way up in the world of comedy.
That summer, his show "Laugh At My Pain" went on to break records grossing over $2 million and setting a record as the best performing concert series since Martin Lawrence's Live: Runteldat in 2002. By the end of 2011, Kevin Hart was solidified as a top star in comedy. 
But on April 2nd 2011, after bring down the house at Edinboro University, performing his then-new "Laugh At Pain" comedy show, Hart sat down (while joking about the tartan couch on which he sat, he sarcastically remarked, "Wow, a plaid couch, this is nice.") and he talked with me and two of my fellow Edinboro students who would also become successful in their own right in the years to come: Andre Roberts and Jessica Kunz.
Here's what he had to say...
(L-R Andre Roberts, Kevin Hart, Me)
"Make sure y'all make me look tall in the interview." -Kevin Hart
 
By: Marvin DeBose & Andre Roberts
Published on EUPSpectator.com April 2011
 
On April 2nd, 2011, Edinboro University got a when comedian, Kevin Hart brought his “Laugh At My Pain” comedy tour to a packed crowd at the McComb Fieldhouse.

Following the show, Hart sat down and spoke with The Spectator and ETV reporter, Jessica Kunz, discussing his comedic beginnings, his family, and even his plans for the future.

Hart, a Philadelphia native stated that his early life in “The City of Brotherly Love” is what made him who he is. “Philadelphia molded me into becoming the man that I am today,” Hart said.  “It’s a tough city and getting respect from your peers there was a big deal”

It was also in Philadelphia where Hart spent his college years. He briefly attended Temple University and Community College of Philadelphia. Not long into his college career, Hart realized that he should take a different path.

“Anytime you fail a pop quiz in community college… education might not be the thing for you,” Hart said. “I couldn’t go to school and help provide so I got a job to help out my mom.”

Consequently, Hart worked as a shoe salesman in sneaker stores to help pay the bills, he even claimed to be so good at his job that if it weren’t for comedy, he’d probably be working for Nike.

However, comedy was in his blood, so with the advice of a few friends, Hart started doing standup comedy at amateur nights throughout the city and eventually quit his job to assertively pursue a career in comedy.

But apparently, the city of Brotherly Love didn’t have to much love for a young comedian trying to get into the business, Hart recalled some of the roughest times he had in Philly when he first got into comedy.

“People have thrown buffalo wings at me at one point,” Hart said. “I remember one time I got hit in the head with a Lemonhead candy because this guy was so mad at my jokes.”

Hart also stated that some of his biggest influences were comedians like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Redd Foxx, and Sinbad. However, he held one particular comedian to an even higher standard.

“I think my biggest influence is probably Chris Rock, he’s probably one of the smartest businessmen out there… he’s a self-made mogul,” Hart said. “He goes above and beyond the word ‘success’.”

Success is something which Hart would see in his career as he started work bigger venues and eventually earned movie roles in films like Soul Plane, Death at a Funeral, and Little Fockers. These days, he’s touring all over the country, is set to star in multiple films, and even has a pilot for a sitcom.

A great deal of Hart’s comedy revolves around his family. Like many entertainers, Hart, a father of two, faced the hardships of working while maintaining a family.

“It’s tough, but you have to understand that you’re doing something that’s not just for yourself, so many people benefit from my success,” Hart said. “My kids reap the biggest rewards from [my work] financially, mentally and emotionally, they have all the support in the world.”

With all of this success, one must wonder how the funnyman from Philly keeps himself grounded.

“I don’t look at the fame or walk around with the attitude of ‘I’m famous, you’re not’,” Hart said. “I think once you do that, you’ve made a transition into the kind of person that people don’t want to win… I try to stay as humble and levelheaded as I can and treat everybody with respect.”

Many fans wonder if Hart will always do stand-ups, since many comedians tend to primarily do movie roles.

“Stand up is what feeds me, that’s my drug, that’s what started everything,” Hart said. “I’m always going to do standup, hopefully they’ll stay funny if they don’t, I apologize.”

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Pages - Menu

The Mind of Marvin Copyright © 2011 - |- Template created by O Pregador - |- Powered by Blogger Templates