Written by | Ray Cornelius
It wasn’t that long ago that comedic actor Justin Hires was making his classmates laugh in the hallways of Clark Atlanta University’s mass media arts department. Now Hires will be making the entire country laugh as the star of CBS’s new television series “Rush Hour.” It’s a reboot of the classic 90’s franchise that made Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan international superstars.
Hires will portray the every so funny ‘Detective Carter’ alongside Jon Foo as Lee. Much like the film, “Rush Hour” follows two unlikely detectives who join forces to avenge the death of Lee’s sister. The one-hour series debuts on March 31.
The 20-something-year-old actor stopped by his alma mater Thursday afternoon as part of a promotional tour for the show. He talked candidly with the aspiring actors and filmmakers about the project and how he transitioned from Atlanta to Hollywood. He also expressed his desire to one day offer job opportunities to young talent such as the ones that were in attendance.
“I would love nothing more than to create a platform for young up-and-coming minorities to make projects for film and television. That’s what we need. Keenan Ivory Wayans use to do it back in the day. Spike Lee use to do it. So I feel like that’s something I should do,” said Hires.
The former YouTube sensation also wants to use his new found “celebrity” as a launching pad for future projects of his own where he can call the shots and have creative control over his work.
“Whatever show I do next, it will be produced by Justin Hires. I will be executive producer. I will have the final cut. I will choose the music. My goal is to have some type of creative control over the product and have some type of ownership. That’s what Kevin Hart does so well and that’s my goal too.”
Hires went on to further explain to the students that while he enjoys being in the spotlight he wants his legacy to consist of more than just his acting resume. He hopes that while he is chasing his passion, it will ignite a fire in those who are watching to pursue their own dreams and aspirations.
“I love acting so much so that i turned down a contract to do acting. At the same time, I’m doing acting because I know what I want to achieve ultimately. I know it’s a means to get me to something bigger. And I want my legacy to be much bigger than acting. I want it to inspire and give people hope and motivation. Whether this show is canceled at the commercial break or goes on for five seasons, it’s a platform to get me to the next place in my career.”
Check out more photos + the trailer for “Rush Hour” below:
Hires w/Dr. Kandace Harris, Dr. Herbert Eichelberger & Semaj Robinson
Hires with Professor Andrew Will and Dr. Alice E. Stephens
Ray Cornelius with Justin Hires
Photo Credits: RayCornelius.com