Ice Cube, Tika Sumpter and Kevin Hart attend the ‘Ride Along’ screening at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on January 15, 2014 in New York City.
The Source Magazine had the opportunity to interview “Ride Along” stars Kevin Hart and Ice Cube. Check out what they had to say about working on this project.
Kevin Hart and his cast member Lil P-Nut attended the RIDE ALONG Xperience. The event was presented by Universal Pictures and Konsole Kingz – the leading influencers in urban gaming. The gaming lounge at the SLS Hotel celebrated Kevin Hart’s character who in the film has a gaming persona known as the “Black Hammer.” Kevin played against Lil P-Nut and top gamers in “Call of Duty” as well as “NBA2K14.”
Can you both speak about collaborating with Director Tim Story and share what you admire about him?
Kevin: Admire? Admire. God, it’s such a tough word with Tim…No, you’re looking at good relationships at this table. This project doesn’t come together if these men aren’t sitting here. This was a script that was shelved for quite some time and they took interest in it from Will Packer, to Cube to Matt Alvarez to Tim Story and because of the relationship that I have with Will and Tim, they brought me in and said hey this would be great and I had the chance to work with Cube and I’m like “Oh Sh*t this will be dope,” so pieces of the puzzle came together, but take Tim and Will packers story way it doesn’t happen as quickly and it’s not as effective in my opinion. Very important people to me.
Cube: Tim makes your feel extremely safe. You know that he got you covered from the first time I worked with him in “Barbershop,” he made that movie special just by him knowing exactly what he wanted and fast forwarding to now he’s got a lot of movies under his belt and he’s a lot more polished and I don’t see how he gets sh*t done because he’s like so laid back and so easy to work with, but it all comes out perfect and I will always jump to work on a Tim Story movie.
Kevin: The one thing that Cube doesn’t have in common with me and Tim is that me and Tim both hit rock bottom in the business (laughs) and you know our success came from each other. I brought tim back from the dead. He brought me back from the dead so tim and I are afraid to let go of one another cause we think sh*t going to get dark (laughs) so we’ve been winning with each other and that’s why this combination Tim Story myself and Will Packer is so important to me because they get me and I can honestly say that I owe a lot of my success to these guys sitting here and Ice Cube now coming in and being apart of this equation just elevated it even more. I can honestly say that “Ride Along” is the BEST thing I have ever done in my career – this movie has the potential to be huge and it’s because of the combination of four men who are beyond qualified to be in their position and we came with a agenda, a goal and we hit that bi*ch. We got a f–ing solid movie on our hands.
Kevin, there are a lot of video game references and you actually seemed like an authentic gaming pro!
Kevin: Before we went and I started, the one thing about the script was there was a great collaboration between us of just making the material right so if you don’t have a sold story, you don’t have a solid movie, so the one that that we all say is that it needs to be real. it needs to come off grounded, so it was already on page with what it was but with Tim and me going back and forth with Will just about hey look this isn’t real gamer talk, it should be a little more and we should add it, so it was them letting me playing around really really talk the sh*t that they talk in the headsets and then really convince him that in this role I am big, I am huge and you can’t do that without really knowing the talk of what you guys talk.
Ice Cube do you game at all?
Cube: I used to game a lot back in the day my gaming time done got so short that my skills aren’t where they need to be, to be online, so I just got that Xbox 1 I got to get my skills back up to par to call myself a gamer, but not right now I can’t call myself gamer. I’m just a pretender right now but the next time you see me I’m going to be ready to battle you!
There are a lot of funny moments in the movie. Are there any funny moments that they didn’t put in the film that we should know about?
Tim Story: There is a few nuggets that we didn’t put in the movie it’s just because these guys gave us so much stuff, there were times where we couldn’t use it. There is a part when we ask how tall is Omar now?…There’s a lot of things that we are going to have to put on the dvd because these guys gave us so much stuff.
Will Packer: If Tim calls for 4 takes Kevin is going to give it to you and give it to you four different ways. So it’s really just figuring out, which one is going to be the best one. Then to watch them pig pong off of each other. Cube gives as good as he gets so Kev will be trying to break everybody he’ll come with something that nobody knows with he’s trying to do. He’ll come with a crazy ad-lib and he will break the whole crew. He will mess up the take because behind the camera we are all laughing at him.
Now Kevin with the so many movies you have coming out this year do you find that you have to change your comedy style?
Kevin: It’s not really changing your style. Im not going to sit up here and talk like I’m a Thespian because I’m not I’m not trained actor I just really understand comedy. I get comedy. I get the different levels of comedy. In a movie anybody can go out and scream and yell and be funny but when you are grounded and you make whatever you’re doing believable it’s a different ball park and I can say with the different projects coming It I’m doing that on different levels where I’m acting acting and I’m being a different type of myself but it’s just finding different approaches to get the joke across and I give Will and tim a lot of credits because when you talk about all the takes that we do we’ve kind of developed a style within our directing and producing where we shoot a movie four different way within shooting that same movie. This movie could have gone so many different ways.
After watching “Ride Along,” if there was an opportunity for a sequel, is there any other actors that you would want to throw in there ?
Kevin: We should probably put me in prosthetic and do what Eddie Murphy did with “The Nutty Professor.”
What was the most challenging part of making “Ride Along’?
Tim Story: The most challenging part of the film is dealing with Kevin. Cube is just cool, then there’s Kevin (laughs). No, I think there are many challenges to any movie, but as we we were saying before, we have just have a short hand with this crew and it really didn’t feel like going to work every day. We’re just like family, really good friends, we just had ball. I was really happy that the movie came out as well as I thought it could’ve because we were just having so much fun behind the scenes. The regular challenges of getting up early and being out there the cold in Atlanta, but other than that it was cool.
Will Packer: Tim you said we had good times in the movie and we shot in Atlanta, which is a popping city, a lot of partying. Cube was pretty focused. He didn’t hang out much…I’m just curious how did Kevin fare in Atlanta, the city of fun.
Tim Story: Well, we don’t really talk about what Kevin does.
Kevin: Here’s the thing. One think about Kevin is, I don’t have a late scratch on my record. I don’t break rules, I just don’t follow them. Just as long as I show up and I do what I’m supposed to do. Now, I will say is Tim. Your worst day was your best day…cause who would make to relax?…And who was with me at the strip clubs with me Will?… Me and you partner! (laughs)
Will Packer: I was trying to make sure that you would be to work on time!
Kevin: Cube was the only one I couldn’t get out as a matter of fact, that’s actually for real. (laughs)
Cube do you have to practice that look mirror or does it just come natural?
Cube: No, it just comes natural. In school people used to come over like what are you so mad about and I used to be like, “What are you talking about I’m cool.” They thought I looked so mean and mad that’s just how I look.
Kevin you mentioned how you came from the bottom what advice can you give someone?
Kevin: I don’t consider myself to be on a pedestal so when people ask for advice, it’s tough because I’m still seeking advice myself to achieve my goals. I would say jut don’t be a talker. A lot of people say stuff jut to say it…just execute…put your best foot forward and try to achieve whatever goal you set for yourself. That’s all I can tell you.
What was your favorite scene to shoot?
Cube: Strip Club scene! Cause Kevin just got busy, commanded that whole scene and it was dope to see that and the gun range.
Kevin: In the warehouse at the end when I turned into Omar and me and Cube have the exchange and I’m putting the knife in his chest that was fun (laughs).
“Ride Along” is now playing.
This week Universal Pictures hosted a “RIDE ALONG” advanced screening in New York City. Stars Ice Cube, Kevin Hart and Producer Will Packer introduced the advance screening at AMC LOEWS LINCOLN SQUARE. The film’s Tika Sumpter, Will Packer, and Tim Story were joined by Jermaine Dupri, Alexandra Burke, Kevin Liles, Bow Wow, Melyssa Ford, Yandy Smith, Tahiry Jose, Malacka Reed, The Lox (Jadakiss, Styles P and cheek), AJ Calloway, Mack Wilds, Estelle, Free, Sharon Carpenter, Chef Roble, Elle Varner, June Ambrose, Naughty by Nature (Treach, Kay Gee), Artie Thompson, Sevyn Streeter, Micah Hughes, Brie Bythewood, Cassandra Freeman and Dascha Polanco.
