Want to catch up with the stars of this ’90s cult classic?
“Take advantage, man, take advantage!”
Everett
Fridayis 30 years old?Daaaaaamn!
Chris Tucker as Smokey and Ice Cube as Craig Jones in ‘Friday’.Credit:Everett
No, we’re not talking about the weekday orRebecca Black’sviral anthem.
We’re talking aboutF.
and the leading men’s memorable facial expressions earning it a permanent spot in the internet meme lexicon.
Ice Cube as Craig Jones in ‘Friday’; Ice Cube attends the Monster Energy BIG3 Celebrity Basketball Game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Aug. 21, 2022.New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett; Paras Griffin/Getty
Were working on it.
Ice Cube, was already well-known as the lead rapper of N.W.A.
before he decided to try acting and made his film debut inBoyz N the Hood(1991).
Chris Tucker as Smokey in ‘Friday’; Chris Tucker attends the NBA All-Star Weekend at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Feb. 17, 2023.New Line Cinema/Everett; Paras Griffin/Getty
biopic,Straight Outta Compton, in which his oldest son,O’Shea Jackson Jr., portrayed him.
Cube shares four children with his longtime wife, Kimberly Woodruff.
“I don’t wanna represent everybody smoking weed.”
Tom Lister Jr. as Deebo in ‘Friday’; Tom Lister Jr. attends the NYC premiere of ‘Sister’ during the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.New Line Cinema; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
(That said, the actor maintains he’d still consider returning for a potential fourth movie.)
In 1997 alone, he appeared inMoney Talks,The Fifth Element, andQuentin Tarantino’sJackie Brown.
The following year, he starred oppositeJackie ChaninRush Hour(1998), which quickly became a successful franchise.
Nia Long as Debbie in ‘Friday’; Nia Long attends the L.A. premiere of Crunchyroll’s ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — To the Swordsmith Village’ on Feb. 18, 2023.New Line Cinema/Everett; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
In 1997, Tucker married Azja Pryor, with whom he shares two sons.
The couple later divorced in 2003.
When scouting forFriday, casting director Jaki Brown needed to find somebody who looked powerful and daunting.
Regina King as Dana Jones in ‘Friday’; Regina King attends the Filming Italy red carpet in Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy, on June 10, 2022.New Line Cinema; Daniele Venturelli/Getty
“They all thought they were actors, but none of them could do it.”
Though the actor’s Hollywood career had been sporadic, it remains memorable.
He soon appeared inThe Fifth ElementandJackie Brown, both of which reunited him withFridaycostar Chris Tucker.
On the small screen, he also appeared in the pilot episode ofStar Trek: Enterprise.
Lister Jr. married his sweetheart, entrepreneur Felicia Forbes, in 2003, and they had one child together.
Nia Long (Debbie)
Fridaywas far fromNia Long’s industry debut.
“Chris Tucker and I saw each other on the freeway, on the way to the set… She also continued to work on the small screen for shows likeThird Watch,Boston Legal, andEmpire.
The couplebroke up in December 2022after 13 years together.
“I got to know Cube in between scenes on the set ofBoyz N the Hood.
John Witherspoon as Willie Jones in ‘Friday’; John Witherspoon arrives at FOX 29 Studios in Philadelphia on May 24, 2019.New Line Cinema/Everett; Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
“He definitely has a comedic side….
He definitely has his timing right.
It felt natural to be there with him.”
Faizon Love as Big Worm in ‘Friday’; Faizon Love performs at the Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena on May 6, 2023.New Line Cinema/Everett; Michael S. Schwartz/Getty
While King’s career has been fruitful, she’s also experienced tragedy in her personal life.
Unfortunately, his experience working onFridaywasn’t entirely positive.
As for his personal life, Witherspoon married actress Angela Robinson in 1988 and had two children.
Paula Jai Parker as Joi in ‘Friday’; Paula Jai Parker attends New York Magazine’s ‘Vulture’ Festival in L.A. on Nov. 13, 2022.New Line Cinema; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Sadly, the actordied in 2019from a heart attack at age 77.
Faizon Love (Big Worm)
Fridayput Faizon Love on the map.
I have zero regrets.”
Meagan Good as Kid #2 in ‘Friday’; Meagan Good attends the L.A. premiere of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ on March 14, 2023.New Line Cinema; Amanda Edwards/FilmMagic
That’s largely because she took control of many aspects of her character.
As for television, she’s starred onThe Wayans Bros.(withFridaycostar John Witherspoon) andRay Donovan.
The actress has also notably voiced matriarch Trudy Proud inDisney’sThe Proud Familyandits sequel series.
DJ Pooh as Red in ‘Friday’; DJ Pooh attends the world premiere of ‘Grow House’ in L.A. on April 17, 2017.New Line Cinema; Todd Williamson/Getty
The couple has one child together.
I remember this audition.
I was 13 and did it in front of F. Gary Gray [the director].
Bernie Mac as Pastor Clever in ‘Friday’; Bernie Mac during an interview on ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno’ on June 6, 2007.New Line Cinema/Everett; Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
He was like, I love this kid.
“It was an incredible experience.
(2019) andits 2023 sequel, andDivorce in the Black(2024), among other titles.
Michael Clarke Duncan as a craps player in ‘Friday’; Michael Clarke Duncan attends a star-studded party hosted by 20th Century Fox Television Distribution at the Fox Lot in L.A. on May 26, 2011.New Line Cinema/Everett; Kevin Winter/Getty
On TV, she starred onCousin Skeeterfrom1998 to 2001andHarlemfrom2021 to 2025.
Every hood has a Deebo or a Felisha.”
One of Mac’s costars,the late A.J.
Anna Maria Horsford as Betty Jones in ‘Friday’; Anna Maria Horsford attends the 2022 Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood.New Line/Everett; David Livingston/FilmMagic
Johnson, remembered his enduring sense of humor fondly.
“When those cameras went off, Bernie stayed on,” Johnson toldComplexin 2015.
“[He] had everybody laughing on that set.
Singing, cracking jokes, running around playing with people.
Anything he said came out funny.”
Mac married movie producer Rhonda McCullough in 1977, and they had one child together.
The actor sadlydied in 2008at age 50.
But it’s certainly easy enough to spot his iconic frame while his character is playing craps.
At the time, the actor was completely unknown, with this movie marking his feature film debut.
In a 2023interview withThe Root, Meagan Good recalled bringing sandwiches for her fellow cast members.
Through both his acting skills and his humility, Duncan soon took Hollywood by storm.
In 2012, Duncandied of a heart attackat age 54.
Elmo’s Fire(1985) andPresumed Innocent(1990).
As for television, she had also been a regular cast member onGuiding LightandAmen.
“Being able to document the Black middle class was really a delight,” Horsford toldComplexin 2015.
“In most of the movies that were being done, they didnt have families.
Immediately after the film, she starred onThe Wayans Bros.seasons 2 through 5.
)andNo Good Deed.
