Ice Cube Confirms Chris Tucker Turned Down A $12M Bag To Appear In ‘Next Friday’

We saw a very funny Chris Tucker play the best friend of Ice Cube’s character in the 1995 comedy Friday. Over the years, some have pondered why Tucker wasn’t in the subsequent sequels to the successful movie. Ice Cube revealed why, after Tucker was offered $12 million, he still declined to reprise his role in Next Friday.

The rapper said that for “religious reasons,” the comedian turned down the role because he didn’t want to curse and smoke weed on camera.

Cube dropped that tidbit when he recently appeared on the “Full Send” podcast.

“Yeah, we wanted him,” the “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted” rapper said during the interview. “He turned it down. You’ll hear 1,000 different stories, but we wanted to pay him $12 million to do that movie, and he turned it down. He said it was for religious reasons,” he continued. “He didn’t wanna cuss, and he didn’t wanna smoke weed on camera.”

But, Tucker turning down the role gave Cube and his production team a chance to bring on comedian Mike Epps to play the role of Day-Day. Cube states the opportunity wouldn’t have presented itself had Tucker accepted the role.

“Yeah, But I’m glad he didn’t do it,” Cube reiterated. ’Cause we wouldn’t have Mike.” The rapper thinks Epps is a better comedian anyway.

“Mike, to me, is funnier, just as a pure comic.”

In that same interview, Cube also mentioned his disdain for artificial intelligence and producers using it to recreate an artist’s voice for recording purposes. According to Complex, he said if anyone broached the subject of using his voice using the technology, he would pursue legal action.

Cube also said if anyone attempts to use an A.I. generated voice of him, he will make sure he sues them, even calling the technology “demonic.”