Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers, father figures, and those of you who take on the role and the responsibility of a father! Dads may not get many songs written about their child rearing skills, but Netflix is doing their part to change the pop culture game this year with Kevin Hart’s Fatherhood, which debuted this past Friday to kick off the holiday weekend. Hart may be overwhelmingly known as an all-around funny guy, but he takes a bit of a different approach with his new streaming film, allowing us to see a different side of the comedic actor. Hart reveals just why he didn’t want to be the guy bringing all the laughs to his new film.
We’re used to Kevin Hart being the main source of laughs in pretty much all his projects, although sometimes it’s a close call when working with other big name talents. In Fatherhood, though, Hart takes a back seat to some of his co stars when it comes to the funny moments. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hart says that he didn’t want to be the guy responsible for all the comedy, and even when he did throw out a joke it was very light. Said the Jumanji star,
I didn't want to be responsible for laughs, laughs, laughs. I felt that that burden should be put on another talent that can come in, knock the ball out the park where we want them to be knocked out and then I go back to doing whatever it is that I have to do. When it was time for me to provide a laugh to some degree, it was done in a very tasteful manner. But, once again, never over the top for me. It was always subdued.
Honestly, this makes a ton of sense. We already know that Kevin Hart can tell jokes all day and throw down with the best in the comedy realm. He’s been in the game a long time, and has proven himself time and time again. It’s nice that he can take a back seat and let some less notorious names hop in the comedic driver’s seat.
Not only that, however, it’s also refreshing to see Kevin Hart acting in a new light. Being a father himself, it gives us a little peek into a different side of him – but it's also worth noting that Fatherhood features him as a single parent facing incredible grief in the time of new parenthood. Given this, it makes a lot of sense that Hart wouldn’t want to be making a ton of over the top jokes, as his character has some heavy weight on his shoulders.
You can catch Kevin Hart in Fatherhood by logging on to Netflix, and you really can't miss it – just check out the Top 10 list. If you like the range Hart shows in Fatherhood, you can expect even more in his upcoming projects, like the film adaptation of the video game Borderlands, set to come out next year. I’m pumped to see what Hart does next, even if it’s not full of obvious laughs.
