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THEATRE AND FILMS
H
e is short and very hilarious. Kevin Hart was born
on July 6, 1979, in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother, Nancy, and has one older brother, Robert Hart. His
father, Henry, a cocaine addict, was in and out of
jail throughout most of Kevin’s childhood. Kevin
used his natural ability to make people laugh as a
coping mechanism to deal with his family struggles and to stay out of trouble. After attending
George Washington High School in Northeast
Philadelphia, he moved to New York City to attend community college, graduating
two years later. He then moved to Brockton, Massachusetts and found work as a
shoe salesman. He began pursuing a career in stand-up comedy after performing
at an amateur night at a club in Philadelphia.
It took time for Hart to develop a unique comedic style. After an early period of
attempting to imitate comedians like Chris Tucker, he found his own rhythm by
delving into his insecurities and life experiences. “Because of what I do, it has to
be an open book,” he has said. “But right now this is a book that is being written.”