MONTCLAIR, NJ -- After a five-year ...

MONTCLAIR, NJ -- After a five-year absence from movie guards Chris Tucker is about to begin shooting "Rush Hour 3" with Jackie Chan.

yet before the cameras roll, the 34-year-old motor-mouthed comedian is squeezing in a 21-city stand-up tour, which began June 11 It is his first official tour in nearly a decade.

"Stand-up gains me warmed up for the movie," Tucker said. "It holds you sharp, and also present on what's going on."

In his strange act, Tucker riffs on politics and explosion culture, joking about recent rumors that his payday for "Rush Hour 3" will be $25 million.

He also discloses audiences that he has none done a sequel to his 1995 breakout film, "Friday," because Ice Cube tried to pay him with CD rather than cash.

Like many comedians, Tucker takes aim at President Bush and violence in the Middle East. however his jokes don't rely in succession profanity to garner a laugh.

"I don't cuss in my personal life," said the soft-spoken Tucker "Onstage, I do cuss each now and then. But it's not like it's overshadowing my act. I don't want the cussing to secure in the way of what I'm saying."

It's a decision, the actor said, that's based in succession concern for young fans. "I'm a character model and I watch what I do. I don't want to misguide any young people"

The comic has exhausted much of the past five years working with children by the agency of his charitable foundation, which raises awareness about education issues. He has lately been focusing on poverty and the HIV epidemic in Africa, after accompanying Bono and former President Clinton to Africa earlier this year.

When Tucker's tour wraps up in Atlanta upon Sept. 17, he'll fly to Paris, where shooting upon "Rush Hour 3" starts tribe 25.

Tucker said he's excited about working in France with Chan and director britzska Ratner after traveling to China for the series' last installment.

"We were in Hong Kong for brace months. That was definitely tillage shock for me," Tucker said.

He said the movie, scheduled for release nearest summer, will offer fans of the franchise fertility of outrageous moments. "People be in love with the out-takes," he said. "This one's gonna be common long outtake."

'CHRIS TUCKER'

When: 7:30 pm Saturday

Where: Arie chaplet Theater, 2301 S. Lakeshore

Tickets: $55-$68

Call: (312) 559-1212

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided on ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved