He’s been known as one of the big screen’s best comedy actors for years, but where did Kevin Hart originally grow up?
Kevin Hart was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As he was growing up, he experienced a disadvantaged home life, which didn’t change until his late teens, when he began performing stand-up comedy in clubs around Philadelphia.
Read on to learn more about Kevin Hart’s life growing up.
Little Man In A Big World
It’s no secret that Kevin Hart has a small stature, but massive personality. Standing at just five feet, four inches, Hart’s size has been the butt of many jokes, most self-deprecating. In fact, his breakout comedy tour was titled: I’m a Grown Little Man.
His self-deprecating, satirical style of humor persisted with a follow-up tour, Laugh at My Pain. This was one of Hart’s first great successes, grossing over $15 million. However, it wasn’t always fame and riches for the hilarious Kevin Hart.
Hart grew up in a single-parent household in Philadelphia through the eighties and nineties. His mother worked hard to provide for Kevin and his older brother, Robert. Hart’s father, Henry, was reportedly addicted to hard drugs, namely cocaine. As a result, he had regular stints in prison while Kevin grew up.
In an interview in 2017, Kevin opened up about his father. He explained that he was a “cool dad”, but the wrong kind of cool. He’d permit Kevin and his brother to get into all kinds of antics together. He did go on to explain that his father was now sober, saying, “His actions now say, ‘I know how bad I messed up’.” You can see this short interview clip on YouTube.
Kevin Hart started using comedy to cope with his struggles growing up. After finishing high school, he spent a short period of time in a community college. That academic venture was short lived, with Hart dropping out and moving to New York City shortly after.
After a brief interlude in New York, Kevin Hart relocated again, moving near Boston, Massachusetts. Once he’d settled, he started working as a shoe salesman, and did quite well by all accounts. On an impromptu visit to an amatuer comedy club back in Philadelphia however, he discovered his affinity for making people laugh.
The Road to Comedy
Kevin Hart’s early career in comedy was almost as rocky as his upbringing. He tried to get his start in clubs around Philadelphia, but it wasn’t an instant blossom. He was heckled and booed off stage a lot in his early days. On one occasion, the crowd even started to launch food at him.
He was forced to work heavily on his comedy, and began sharpening his skills in comedy competitions around Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Reportedly, it took Hart a while to sink into his unique niche and style of comedy. In the beginning, Hart attempted to imitate the styles of other comedians.
His career kicked off and got under steam at the start of the 2000s. Not only did Hart engage in stand-up comedy, but he’d also started dabbling in film and television. He had named roles since day one, and quickly moved up the ladder to lead and main character roles.
In 2014 Hart’s big screen career blew up, co-leading a movie with Ice Cube. After that film was released – and was a substantial success – Hart became destined for bigger movies. Also in 2014, Kevin Hart met and became close friends with Dwayne Johnson. The two formed a comedic couple, with the latter being over two feet taller and 120 pounds heavier than the former.
By 2020, Kevin Hart had a net worth of around $200 million. He stood leagues away from his impoverished upbringing, now being marked as one of Hollywood’s finest funny men.
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