Throwing Produce is a Foodie Moment: Kevin Hart interview

by Le Anne Lindsay, Editor

This was my first opportunity to come face to face with Philly’s own Kevin Hart! It took place at the red carpet premiere of Ride Along, his new buddy/action/cop comedy co-starring Ice Cube.

Ride Along is directed by Tim Story (Barber Shop, Think Like A Man) it’s about a security guard, Ben (Kevin Hart) who’s in love with a really cute sistah (Tika Sumpter) and sister to police detective James Payton (Ice Cube). Payton thinks his sister could do much, much better than Ben, even though Ben just got his acceptance letter to join the police academy. This fact does give Payton the idea of taking Ben on a “ride along” – partly to see what he’s made of, but more to make a fool of him. The game gets serious when Ben gets in the middle of a real arms dealing, dirty cop operation and has to actually prove to himself, his girl and James that he’s got the goods.

Ice Cube, Will Packer, Kevin Hart in Philly 1/8/14

Love the fact that Kevin made it a point to bring this movie back to Philly for a red carpet event. I shot the below video and pictures at The Pearl Theater in North Philadelphia near Temple University.

A Red Carpet Blogging Moment

Waiting for celebs to arrive on the red carpet: I’m running late for press call time, always, so when I first get there, I’m really pumped up, then I say a couple hello’s to other photogs and journalists I may have met previously, then I double check my camera and digital voice recorder are working. Oh, this time I devised a great new way to hook my DVR into my necklace, and my cellphone in my boot. Next, I start practicing what I’m gonna say, cause it depends on how much time you have, and if the celebs are staying together to do interviews or splitting up. Like if Kevin & Cube were together when it was my turn, I had a good question ready. I saw a behind the scenes video on YouTube during the filming of Ride Along, where Kevin said Ice Cube had Irritable Bowel Syndrome on set. He was trash-talking, you know, but I wanted to see if Cube had a comeback for him. But of course, my moment didn’t happen.

It’s important not to ask anything that’s been asked a million times before the star(s) finally get to me – way, way, way at the end of the red carpet. And it can’t be anything too in depth as they only have seconds to answer, so I normally ask a film and food tie-in question. But before any of this can happen, it’s just a lot of waiting and waiting and waiting for them to arrive, while standing in high heeled boots. Finally, Kevin & Cube arrive and I fight for an opportunity to push in and get a shot, cause of course they stand in the middle, where the real photogs/paparazzi can get direct shots, I have to kinda peer around from the side to gets my shots. Then, as I’m the last person to interview before they get whisked away, I’m both a bit flustered and out of steam, all at the same time. Still, all in all, I’m just grateful to be invited to the party!

Food and/or in Film

So you’ll see in the video, I ask Kevin Hart, “Are there any foodie moments in Ride Along?” He took it to mean just a moment when he’s eating or drinking, which is my fault, I’ve gotta pose the question differently, cause a foodie moment can be anything, from product placement to a moment that takes place at a restaurant, choking, a scene around a dinner table etc… It can also definitely mean, I’m going to be giving out free Philly Cheesesteaks with Cube tomorrow at Max’s and Jim’s! I so wish he’d given me this scoop to run with, I could have been blowing up on social media!

Actually, turns out there was a great foodie moment to discuss in Ride Along; there’s a scene when Ben is sent to arrest a guy stripping out of his clothes at a Farmer’s Market- first the guy throws all manner of produce at Hart’s character and then he rubs honey all over his nude hairy body before rubbing Hart into the honey. If that’s not a foodie moment, I don’t know what is – LOL!

T&T’s LAMB Score: 2.5 outta 5

Philly Film, Food & Events Blog