Kevin Hart became successful only after others started to steal his material

Kevin Hart, comedian and actor is now open about his success story. He also thanked bootleggers who helped him take his career to the next level.

Kevin discusses his early movie Soul Plane’s leakage before its official release, and his mixed feelings when asked by fans to sign copies of the film before it was officially released.

The leakage of Soul Plane, unlike many other actors whose careers were greatly damaged by bootlegging caused great popularity for the then-unknown comedian and made him one of today’s most successful comics.

Early career challenges

It is hard work to be a comedian. One mistake on stage or one small joke can end your career. Kevin feels exactly the same.

The starting stage of Kevin’s career was a nightmare. He performed his first stand-up show in Philadelphia, his hometown. It was a poor reception from the audience. Kevin was booed several times and, once, someone from the audience even tried to throw a piece of chicken at Kevin.

Recent research has shown that Oprah’s Master Class podcastKevin speaks out about his early career as a savage and says that he is proud of it. ‘kept banging his head against the wall’. And it never occurred to him that a bootleg would be his career’s turning point.

Bootleg is a blessing disguised

Kevin’s acting debut came in Soul Plane, 2004. Kevin was still a comedian, so he wanted the movie to help him get some recognition. Soul Plane was released six months before its official release. It was a disaster at the box-office.

But it didn’t mean the audience didn’t like it. Everybody had a copy of the bootleg and watched it at work. On Kevin’s way to an airport, he even encountered a fan who asked him to sign the bootleg copy of Soul Plane before it was released in cinemas.

As a result, Kevin’s popularity rocketed. His ‘comedy club numbers start growing up’His ‘fan base is getting bigger because now people have something to associate me with’. Kevin is also an actor who has achieved $1 billion in gross box office.

Kevin’s reaction

Kevin seems grateful to bootleggers for his first film. He thanked them for helping to make his career so successful.

And, most importantly, he believed he ‘could roll with the big boys’Because he ‘wasn’t afraid to take seven steps backwards to make one big step forward’.

It’s Kevin’s fearlessness of ‘taking steps backwards’That made him one the highest-paid actors and comedians, and we think his fearlessness will lead to more success.

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