Christopher Tucker (born August 31, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He made his debut in 1992 as a stand-up performer on the HBO comedy series Def Comedy Jam, where he frequently appeared on the show during the 1990s. He made his feature film debut in House Party 3 in 1994 and gained greater recognition in Friday the following year. In 1997, he co-starred in the films The Fifth Element and Money Talks, and had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown. Tucker gained international fame in the 2000s for playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour film series.