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A Laughing Matter |

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MATTER By Lauren Comander phenomenon Kevin Hart’s meteoric rise from Bufalo wing target to history-making headliner

Back when Kevin Hart was known as Lil’ Kev the Bastard and trying out his stand-up routines across the City of Brotherly Love, the young wasn’t feeling much love. The come- dy scene was a small one, where hopefuls stood in small rooms before unruly crowds who thrived on seeing wannabes flop. Still, when he took the mic on a seemingly promising night and launched into a series of jokes, Lil’ Kev didn’t see it coming. But he certainly felt it. A Bufalo wing — minus a bite — nailed him in the face. “Simply because the person wasn’t happy with my style of comedy!” he recalls incredulously. So what did Lil’ Kev do, other than maybe wipe the sauce from his cheek? “I politely got of the stage, but I came back the following week. It’s not about how you get knocked down. It’s about how you get up. I’ve always gotten back up. Always.” Nearly two decades later, he got back up on a Philadelphia stage, this time with a gold mic stand and as Kevin Hart. With some impressive titles after his name: Comedy Superstar (). Comedic Genius (MTV Movie Awards). And that night in August 2015, a new one: First Comedian to Sell Out an NFL Stadium (Philadelphia’s , in front of 53,000 people). You can be sure there were no Bufalo wings hurled on stage. He scored a touchdown with his hometown performance, garnering rave reviews from fans and critics alike — and it’s all captured on film for Kevin Hart: What Now?, released by . “Being the first comedian to ever sell out a football stadium is unreal, and having the opportunity to make history in the city I’m from is amazing!” he says. “It’s a dream come true.”

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FINDING HIS VOICE

No dream seems too big for Hart. He has completed three wildly successful comedy tours, hosted twice and starred in blockbusters such as and Ride Along — not to mention his role for the small screen, a fictionalized version of Philadelphia. His parents divorced when he was himself on Real Husbands of Hollywood. He has four around four years old. His mother, Nancy, raised him major Hollywood films (at last count) scheduled for and his older brother in a studio apartment while his release in 2016. father chased a drug habit and drifted between lockup The 36-year-old with a net worth, according to and rehab. Forbes, of $28.5 million says that despite his rocky He gives her credit for his success because she start, he never doubted success would follow. Still, he’s taught him to stay the course. “She said I could have brutally honest about his early days. whatever I wanted as long as I put my mind to it,” “I sucked in the beginning!” he says. “[My jokes he says. were] black-white/these are the things/don’t you hate So when Hart told her he’d be pursuing a career as it when . . . It wasn’t personal.” a comedian, she didn’t laugh. She gave him a year, Along came mentor Keith Robinson, who convinced agreeing to pay his rent while he worked the circuit. Hart to open up about life’s challenges so his audience “So I put my all into it and worked my hardest to obtain could relate and laugh along with him. “I became a my goal,” he says. person that has emotion,” he says. “That’s something As his star rose, he heeded the advice of his prede- I had to learn, and it became the key to success: not cessors. advised him not to be afraid of being afraid to open up and be myself on stage.” talking about things others aren’t talking about and For better or worse, Hart had the material to to never fear creativity. told him to travel draw on from his rough-and-tumble upbringing in the world and be funny everywhere.

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FAMILY MATTERS When he’s not crisscrossing continents on tours and movie sets, Hart prefers to kick back in his opulent suburban Los Angeles mansion with his family, espe- cially the children he shares custody of with ex-wife Torrei Hart: daughter Heaven, 10, and son Hendrix, 7. “My kids think I’m the coolest thing walking the earth – If they didn’t, that would be a problem!” Hart says. “I’m a fun dad!” He’s also a taskmaster determined to hand down a strong work ethic and an appreciation for their privi- leged lifestyle. “I believe in rules,” he says. “Do your work. Succeed in school. Treat others with respect.” That said, the funnyman routinely draws chuckles by spotlighting his own family’s warts, something they don’t take personally “because it’s never done with an intent to hurt,” he explains. But there are some topics Hart won’t broach: “I certainly won’t touch political humor or homophobia. You don’t want to be a person that seems degrading or attacking. I’m a positive person who motivates people to do better.” PHOTO BY: TINSELTOWN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

HART HEALTH Hart, a self-described fitness freak who visits the gym daily and regularly posts pictures of his workouts on- line, is determined to get his fans moving too. During his What Now tour, he teamed up with Rally Health and Nike to organize 5K runs with his fans on show days. “Mental health and physical success go together, and it’s all about giving people that little push,” says Hart, who sometimes makes his workout a family afair by sweating alongside his kids. The comedian has always enjoyed an active lifestyle and is a favorite of the NBA All-Star Celebrity game, winning MVP four times. Fitness, he says, is no joke. “I’m just a guy trying to Kevin Hart at Spike take care of myself. You get one body and if you don’t TV’s 2013 Guys take care of it, you lose your life. Exercise and eat right.” Choice awards His favorite food to splurge on? Believe it or not — Bufalo wings.

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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2016 2016 Kevin Hart: What Now? 2016 Central HOLLYWOOD’S Intelligence

2016 The Secret Life GOLDEN of Pets BOY 2015 2015 The Wedding Ringer Hart says he remains grounded and relatable, but also has to keep 2014 Ride Along up with his self-proclaimed iden- tity as a “comedic rock star.” 2013- Real Husbands “I have my fair share of jew- PRESENT of Hollywood elry!” says the confessed watch (TV series) fanatic with a penchant for bling. “It’s about putting on a show. I 2013 Kevin Hart: can’t have the title of ‘Comedic Let Me Explain Rock Star’ if I’m not going to fit 2012 the identity of a rock star, so I get all the bells and whistles to ring 2011 Kevin Hart: true to the title. I enjoy my stuf — I Laugh at My Pain have no complaints at all!” The What Now tour, which 2010 Kevin Hart: traveled on eight tractor-trailers, Seriously Funny reportedly cost $7 million to $8 million to produce. “I want to woo 2010 people the minute I walk onto the 2009 Kevin Hart: I’m a stage, and I want my fans to walk Grown Little Man away with an experience,” he says. Hart, known for getting very 2004 Soul Plane little sleep, shows no signs of slow-

ing down. “Stand-up comedy is 2003 PHOTOS COURTESY OF: PATTI PERRET/ © 2014 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND RATPAC-DUNEMATT KENNEDY/ © ENTERTAINMENT2014 SCREEN LLC; GEMS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. something that I will always do!” he vows. “I’m a comedian first. I love it!” But he continues to look for ways to expand his brand and says offers for roles and projects continue to pour in, bigger and bet- ter than ever. “My goals are simply to become a mogul. I have my hand in a lot of pots, and I want the pots FROM TOP: as James and to continue to cook.” Kevin Hart as Darnell in Get Hard, a Warner Bros. Pictures release; Hart as Cedric, gambling at Planet Hollywood in ’ .

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