Justin Hires, one of the stars of the CBS adaptation of “Rush Hour,” admits that he and co-star Jon Foo can’t be exact copies of Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, but their chemistry is undeniable.
“Jon is a natural introvert and I’m a natural extrovert,” Hires told TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell. “That was the same way the movie was with Chris and Jackie. And I think it really shows onscreen. We’re that perfect yin and yang.”
And while the pilot episode pays homage to the original 1998 movie, once the series gets rolling it will morph into its own animal entirely. “The first episode is actually a reboot of the original film,” Hires said. “After that, episodes 2-13 — it’s brand new storylines, brand new jokes, brand new action.”
And while Hires said he does “80 percent” of his own stunts, he still needs a stunt double from time to time. “Fun fact: me and Kevin Hart have the same stunt double,” he said. “We’re both little men. We’re tiny. Me, Kevin and our stunt double, we’re tiny, tiny men.”
Hires also paid tribute to Chris Tucker, who played the character in the movie on which Hires’ is based on the show.
“Chris Tucker is literally one of the reasons I got into stand up comedy,” Hires said. “I said, ‘If I could be half as funny as Chris Tucker, maybe one day I could have a career in Hollywood.’ And that’s what I am, I’m half as funny.”