Known for cracking side-splitting jokes and his funny demeanour, Kevin Hart is undoubtedly one of the greatest comedic geniuses of our time. From starting off as a shoes salesmen to eventually taking on Hollywood, the 40-year-old jokestar has certainly come a long way. Want to know more about your favorite comedian?
Here are 24 Kevin Hart facts about the comedic genius…
1. Kevin’s First Job Was a Salesman
Before trying to make it out as a stand-up comedian, Kevin worked as a shoes salesman and has admitted that he was “one of the best in the business”. If you hate your job, just remind yourself of Kevin Hart. He ended up becoming a major Hollywood star. Anything is possible.
2. His Older Brother is a Professional Billiards Player
Kevin isn’t the only inspirational and hard-working Hart! He has an older brother, Robert Hart who competes around the world as a professional billiards player. Rob Hart is actually one of the only black billiards players, bringing a lot more attention from his community to the game.
3. Kevin’s Mother Died in 2007
You can thank Kevin’s mother for raising two determined sons. Sadly though, she died from cancer in 2007. Apparently Kevin turned to comedy as a coping mechanism for his grief when his mother passed. Kevin describes her as a “strong woman”.
4. He Had a Troublesome Childhood
Kevin had quite a troublesome childhood. His father allegedly had a very severe cocaine addiction and was in and out of prison most of the time, rarely there for his sons. Nevertheless, Kevin has forgiven his father and their relationship has improved.
5. It Took Kevin Years to Land a TV Role
If there’s one thing we can learn from Kevin, it’s that persistence is key. It took him years to land any kind of role in a TV show or movie. Before getting his first role alongside Seth Rogan in the sitcom, Undeclared, Kevin spent every night hopping from comedy clubs to college campuses to get the experience he needed.
6. He Was Originally Known as “Lil Kev”
That’s right. Before he was Kevin Hart, the Central Intelligence actor was known as “Lil Kev” at his open mic nights. It wasn’t until he dropped that stage name and took on his full name when Kevin’s comedy career picked up. Nevertheless, his close friends still call him “Lil Kev”.
7. Kevin Hart Was Booed Off Stage Multiple Times
We could never imagine Kevin Hart ever getting booed. Believe it or not, his career suffered a slow start. Performing at a variety of comedy clubs and gigs, the comedic rockstar would regularly get booed off stage. Once, someone even threw a buffalo wing at him! “There’s no way to respond to being hit with a buffalo wing. And there’s no going back to comedy after that. I wiped the buffalo sauce off of my face and told everybody good night.”, he told MensHealth.
Well, at least he never let a buffalo wing stop him from chasing his dreams! Look how far Kevin Hart has come now!
8. His Friends Refer To Him as “Panic Paul”
If you’ve heard his wild “Deebra” story or his hilarious mugging accounts, you’ll know that Kevin Hart likes to exaggerate and over-dramatize his experiences. For this reason, his friends refer to him as “Panic Paul” because they they know him to be the “worst scenario guy” who comes up with the craziest outcome of things.
9. Chris Rock is Kevin’s “Mentor”
It comes as no surprise to learn that Chris Rock is one of Kevin’s biggest inspirations. Chris once told him not to sacrifice his career for an easy way out that could potentially damage his image. Taking his “mentor’s” advice on board, Kevin has never participated in a group comedy tour, for this very reason.
10. He’s an Advocate for Working Out
If you follow Kevin on Instagram, you’d have realized he’s one heck of a gym rat! He once told PDX that he works out to inspire and motivate people. He’s even launched his own #HustleMovment where people can get out and “run” with him.
11. Kevin Paid His Friend $25,000 to Lose Weight
Talking of motivating people, Kevin once paid a friend $25,000 to lose weight. His close friend, Wayne was dangerously overweight so he bet him $25,000 to lose 60 pounds. Wayne succeeded and Kevin paid him what he owed. Apparently, he “was happy to lose that money”.
12. He Has His Own App and Sneaker Line
Kevin isn’t just an actor and comedian, he’s a smart businessman! Did you know he has his own app? “Little Jumpman” (honoring his small height) is similar to “Doodle Jump”, where the player has to guide Hart through obstacles and collect points.
Not just that. Kevin has also launched a sneaker line with Nike. With the Nike Trainer Hustle Harts, Kevin “hope[s] to inspire millions to become the best version of themselves through fitness.”
13. Kevin Hart Thinks Dolphins and Snakes Are Racist
Kevin has had the funniest (or scariest according to him) experiences with animals. He has an absolute fear of both dolphins and snakes, in which he believes are racist (LOL)! His famous encounter with a dolphin is by far one of his most hilarious stories and his experience meeting a snake was hysterical! I mean, just look at his face in this snapshot!
14. He Spent His First Six-Figure Paycheck on a Wristwatch
The joke was on Kevin when he went and spent his first six-figure paycheck on a $150,000 wristwatch! Apparently he wanted to “change the way people looked” at him but in the end nobody looked at him, not even “glanced at it”. Kevin ended up taking the wristwatch back…
15. Kevin Once Donated $50,000 to High School Kids
He may have stupidly spent his money back then but now, Kevin makes wiser decisions. Instead of splurging money on strip clubs and other nonproductive things, Kevin once donated $50,000 in scholarships to high school students in his hometown, Philadelphia.
16. He Doesn’t Need Much Sleep
You’d think a hardworker like Kevin would need plenty of sleep. That’s certainly not the case. He’s up early hours, working out as seen on his Instagram and according to his personal videographer Kevin Kwan, “I’ve seen him go from partying all night with (rapper) Drake, to driving right to the plane and playing video games during the entire flight, and then going straight to the next stand-up show, and that motherfu**er never complains that he’s tired. He will never complain.” Can we all be like Kevin?
17. Kevin Hart is a Skilled Basketball Player
Despite his diminutive height, Kevin Hart is actually a talented basketball player! He’s a four time NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP! Height is nothing but a number!
18. He Likes to Tease Drake
It’s bad enough Drake is already a victim of many memes, Kevin Hart also likes to mock the Views rapper. When Drake once roasted Kevin for a leather vest he wore, Kevin threw (hilarious) shade right back by teasing this photo of Drizzy in a bathtub. There was no offence taken, of course. Drake and Kevin are great friends. It was just awesome seeing the comedian get the last laugh!
19. Kevin Hart is One of The Shortest Men in Hollywood
It’s Kevin’s height that gives him that extra uniqueness. Did you know he is only 5’4 tall? In fact, he is one of the shortest men in Hollywood, with the shortest being Danny DeVito at 5’0!
20. He’s Married With Two Kids
Kevin was once married to Torrei Hart from 2003 until 2011. They had two gorgeous kids, daughter Heaven and son Hendrix. Today, Kevin is married to model Eniko Parrish. They’re expecting their first baby together soon!
21. Kevin Believes He Would Have Been Homeless If It Weren’t For Comedy
Kevin believes he would have been homeless by now if he didn’t have a backup plan or succeed in comedy. He’s far from homeless now, though. He rents a beautiful house in California and has a net worth estimated to be in the millions. Well-deserved!
22. He Was Caught Up in a Sex Tape Extortion
In September 2017, Kevin took to Instagram to issue a public apology to his pregnant wife and kids following an alleged extortion attempt. A woman threatened to release a sex tape featuring Kevin, if he refused to pay her a “multi-million dollar sum”. Unfortunately, the cheating scandal was very much true. On December 15, 2017, Kevin publicly admitted to having cheated on his wife while she was pregnant with their son.
23. Kevin had a Serious Car Accident
In September 2019, Kevin was involved in a serious car accident that left him with major back injuries, a hospital stay and a stint in an in-patient rehab. Another driver was in control of Kevin’s vehicle (which he bought for his 40th birthday) when it went off the road and rolled down an embankment. Thankfully, today the actor is doing much better.
24. He Contracted Coronavirus
Kevin Hart is yet another celebrity that had COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic. During his set at Dave Chappelle’s An Intimate Socially Distanced Affair, the comedian revealed that he had contracted the coronavirus back in March: “The problem is that I had it around the same time as Tom Hanks and I couldn’t say anything because he’s more famous than I am,” he joked.
He’s certainly on his way to becoming the king of comedy! Keep doing you, Kevin! There aren’t many out there with your energy!
