Kevin Hart just may be the funniest man alive, but he started with humble beginnings. For over a decade, Hart performed at small comedy clubs and appeared in low budget films with lackluster scripts. However, Hart’s hard work has come to fruition in major ways.
He stars in his own TV series, “Real Husbands of Hollywood”; will appear in the sequel to Think Like a Man. He will also star in Ride Along with Ice Cube in 2014.
But Hart gets a chance to return to his first love, stand-up comedy, with his latest film, Let Me Explain. Filmed at New York’s renowned Madison Square Garden, Let Me Explain is Hart’s follow-up to the often quoted stand-up film, Laugh At My Pain.
While in Los Angeles to promote Let Me Explain, Hart sat down with rolling out to discuss his new film, investing in himself and how a Dave Chapelle comedy show changed his life.
You released Laugh At My Pain in 2011. How long did it take you to create the subject matter for the new film, Let Me Explain?
It took about one year and a half years. I performed at small clubs and we were using the time to put the material together so that it made sense. The whole idea was to show growth from the previous special, Feel My Pain. I think that’s where all the pressure comes from. I wanted to show that I have evolved with this new film.
You put up $2.5 million of your own money to produce this film. Why did you decide to take that route?
I wanted to control the outcome. With Laugh At My Pain, I had a lot of success in doing the film under my production company. I gambled on myself. We took about $700,000 and the movie made $8 million in return. I knew that I could do it again but I wanted it to be on a larger scale this time. With Let Me Explain, we put up $2.5 million and the film will be in over 1,000 theaters nationwide. It’s about becoming a brand. It’s about understanding business and evolving as a businessman.
Stand-up comedy is the starting point and place of comfort for most comedians. What was the most important stand-up comedy show that you have ever witnessed?
Several years ago, I saw Dave Chappell after everything happened with him leaving his show. People were talking negatively about him. But I saw Dave perform in Seattle as he did two hours on stage. He was happy, had no worries and he was just talking. But it was some of the funniest stuff I had ever seen in my life. He did it effortlessly. After seeing that, I realized that I had to do better. I had to start writing better. I needed to challenge myself more. I was inspired on how easy he made his craft look.
Check out a scene from Let Me Explain:
