Christopher Tucker, born on August 31, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and raised in Decatur, Georgia, in a Pentecostal Christian household affiliated with the Church of God in Christ, is an actor and comedian. His parents, Mary Louise (Bryant) and Norris Tucker, operated a janitorial service. After graduating from Columbia High School in Decatur, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy and entertainment. Tucker first gained prominence as a stand-up comedian on HBO's Def Comedy Jam starting in 1992, becoming a regular performer throughout the 1990s. His film debut came in House Party 3 (1994), followed by breakout roles in Friday (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Money Talks (1997), and a supporting part in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (1997). He achieved global stardom portraying Detective James Carter opposite Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour trilogy (1998, 2001, 2007), for which he earned $25 million for the third installment. In addition to acting, Tucker has worked as a film producer and has piloted flights. He grew up in the American South, shaping his early life before his move to Hollywood.