Comedian Mike Epps shared some surprising tidbits from his time working on Ice Cube’s sequel to the film, “Friday.” Fellow comedian Chris Tucker starred in Cube’s 1995 mega box office comedy about a man named Craig (played by Ice Cube) who gets fired and hangs out with his best friend Smo key (played by Tucker) and eases his mind by indulging with trees on a Friday. It was deemed an instant classic, and Epps was brought on for the sequel, “Next Friday,” as Ice Cube’s cousin, Day-Day, which prompted a third film, “Friday After Next.” Mike Epps claims how Chris Tucker was in his feelings about him in “Next Friday.” (Photos: Paras Griffin/Getty Images, Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images) ‘I Honor You and My Family’: Mike Epps Begs for Forgiveness and Refuses to Do Another Interview After He Was ‘Tricked’ Into Making ‘Ignorant and Reckless’ Comments That Seemingly Offended His Wife During his Jan. 7 appearance on “Club Shay Shay,” Epps said he heard Tucker didn’t want a sequel made of “Friday,” and he believes the “Rush Hour” star is still upset over the comedian accepting the role. “I think Chris Tucker is mad at me because I did the ‘Next Friday,'” he told host Shannon Sharpe. “‘Till this day!… I heard it through the grapevine that he said they should have left it alone,” he added. “He did such a great job, I could see him saying that.” Rumors speculated that Tucker’s popularity and his religious background played roles in his decision not to come back as Smokey. Epps joked that Tucker “might have been the [first person] that first started off saying the Cube didn’t pay.” Sharpe and Epps agreed that “nobody could have played Smokey better than Tucker, pointing to his hilariously double-fisted blunts and perfect comedic timing. Epps added that he believes Tucker may regret not starring in the sequels. “Do I think he regretted not being in it? To some degree.” “Look what he did after? Would he have been a star outside of ‘Friday?’ I think so. Because he was good… I’m glad he didn’t do it,” he joked, implying he was happy because it led to his role in the films. Epps added that he hoped Tucker said “no” to the “Rush Hour” sequels while Sharpe and the podcast’s crew hollered with laughter, “I was waiting for him to say he wasn’t gonna do ‘Rush Hour.'” "I heard through the grapevine he said, 'They should've left it alone. They f*cked it up by keep doing it.' N*gga my mama needed a washer and dryer. F*ck was I supposed to do? … I'm glad the n*gga didn't do it. I was waiting on them to say he wasn't going to do Rush Hour." -… pic.twitter.com/IZNOQLwNYP— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) January 8, 2026 Tucker went on to star in several films, including the “Rush Hour” franchise with Jackie Chan, followed by “Rush Hour 2” and “Rush Hour 3.” A fourth sequel, “Rush Hour 4,” is currently in pre-production. But not many are buying Epps claim about Tucker saying he wasn’t paid. “When did Chris say that?” said one YouTuber. Another said, “Chris didn’t say that bro look at the man interviews, the man said it was never about the money lol, and you Mike sitting there lying about what was not said bro, not cool smh…… Other than that, this interview is a lot of hating but joke wise, which I don’t [get] people might take it serious which fs the world up lol” Tucker told Classix 102.9 ATL that he left the “Friday” franchise to pursue other interests, travel, explore humanitarian work and do more stand-up. In an interview with All Urban Central, he revealed another reason he didn’t return was that he didn’t want to keep playing a character who smoked weed, which is a staple of the films. A fourth “Friday” film, “Last Friday,” is currently in pre-production with both Epps and Ice Cube returning to their roles. During a 2024 interview with “The Breakfast Club,” Epps said that he wanted Tucker to come back for the fourth film, but nothing has been confirmed. “We need to get Chris Tucker on that,” he declared. “People still love Chris Tucker.” He also appeared on the “All the Smoke” podcast in March of 2024 and said Tucker was “great” in the movie. “Hell yeah,” he said after being asked if he felt pressure to perform after joining the franchise. “Chris Tucker did such a great job as Smokey, they was lookin’ at me like, You better kill this s–t.'” During Club Shay Shay,” Epps also said he wants Tucker back for the fourth sequel, “Last Friday.” “Me, Ice Cube, Aaron McGruder and DJ Pooh just sat in a room,” Epps revealed in a recent interview. “And we’ve been writing it. It’s gonna be off the hook.” Tucker hasn’t publicly responded to Epps’ comments about joining the next sequel, but if he does, we’ll let you know. ‘When Did Chris Say That?’: Mike Epps Makes Wild Claim About Tension with Chris Tucker Over ‘Next Friday’ as Fans Demand Receipts ...read more read less