Most people know Kevin Hart for his stand-up comedy, but some might not be familiar with the struggles he experienced early on in his career. He finally got the ball rolling in the early 2010s with small gigs that led to bigger shows in New York and Los Angeles. Comedy tours helped establish him as a respected figure in the entertainment industry. His most notable achievements eventually included TV performances and films like Scary Movie 3 — a huge commercial success! He has gone on to win several awards in his career, which shows no signs of slowing down even with the pandemic putting a halt to most industries over the past year.
With other film projects currently in the works, it’s worth pausing for a minute to get to know this accomplished entertainer a bit more. So, let’s go through 5 facts you might not know about Kevin Hart.
1. He’s afraid of insects
It’s no bug’s life for Kevin Hart, since he’s afraid of insects. No matter the bug, the comedian-actor prefers that these critters keep a safe distance from him. This made Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle particularly challenging since it was filmed in Hawaii, which is well known for its bugs. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reportedly used this to his advantage, executing a prank using fake bugs to scare his co-star!
2. He once worked as a shoe salesman
Many celebrities worked interesting jobs before they became famous. Hart is no exception, having been a shoe salesman for a bit. While dealing with people and their feet all day long might not be everybody’s cup of tea, he made it an interesting challenge for himself by trying to sell customers the complete opposite of what they wanted.
3. He’s an avid poker player
While he rose to fame primarily as a comedian and actor, he also happens to love poker. He is currently one of the world’s wealthiest poker players, often participating in charity poker events and was once even an ambassador for Poker Stars. On the Championship Cash Challenge series of the show, he showed up with an unexpected hand, prompting him to joke about being a legend after everything unfolded, ending the game like a true comedian and a poker champ to boot!
4. He had big NBA dreams
Hart once had dreams of playing in the NBA. He was so set on this dream that he actually ended up attending the basketball camp that Kobe Bryant went to. While he didn’t technically make it into the NBA, Hart still got the chance to appear at the All-Star Celebrity Games, where he was one of the game’s key players, even bagging the MVP award for four years straight!
5. He had a chicken wing thrown at him
Even the most successful comedians experience humiliating moments onstage, especially when they’re first starting out. During one of Hart’s earlier gigs, someone actually hurled a buffalo wing at him, hitting the now-famous comedian in the face. It was as embarrassing as it sounds, and killed any kind of morale that he had to continue the show, so he reportedly bid everybody goodnight and stepped offstage. Fortunately, that didn’t deter him from pursuing a career in comedy and, eventually, acting!
Entertainers like Kevin Hart prove that you can pursue and enjoy anything you want to, even if things are a little rough at the beginning. While not everyone can star in successful reboots of classic films, gain recognition for playing poker, or make a career out of being funny, this comedian turned actor encourages many of his fans to stay motivated, and always have a sense of humor.
