In “Night School,” comedian Kevin Hart stars as Teddy Walker, a high-school dropout who returns to school to earn his GED with the help of a ragtag group of classmates and a teacher (Tiffany Haddish) who refuses to allow him to breeze through the semester. We caught up with Hart last week in Dallas to talk about his new movie, working with Haddish, and the San Antonio Spurs.
How does Tiffany stack up when compared to other actors you’ve teamed up with, like The Rock, Ice Cube and Will Ferrell?
You gotta put Tiffany at the top. I would put Will Ferrell after that. Then Cube. The Rock is last. That’s how I would rank it. Tiffany is unbelievable. She did an amazing job in this film. We were very lucky to get her fresh off of “Girl’s Trip” with all the success she had with that movie.
So, when you heard there was potential for a Hart-Haddish movie, was that an automatic yes for you?
It’s an automatic yes. [Fans] have literally stepped up to the plate by simply saying, “We want that. We would love to see it.†The response I’m seeing on social media is, “We can’t wait to see the movie,†which is a great thing for us, especially in a world where comedy has kind of been on a backslide. We have a great opportunity to give comedy a spike up.
If you had to do high school again, what would you do differently?
I would do it exactly the same. We should do a segment where we get all of my teachers from high school just to talk about the type of student I was. I think it would help other kids understand how to really embrace that moment and take full advantage. I graduated (purposefully mispronounces) magnum cum laudum.
You should just say you were valedictorian.
I could’ve said that, but it sounds better when I say magnum cum laudum.
I know you’re a fan of the NBA. How do you think the Spurs will do this season?
Well, you got younger. The worst thing for you guys is that you’re losing Ginobili. For years, Ginobili has been your glue. But DeMar DeRozan is no slouch. He can definitely bring a new sense of energy to your town. You guys will be in the playoffs. You got the best coach in basketball. The one thing that you’re not is an exciting program. I don’t know what it is about [Coach] Pop and fun. Pop just doesn’t like to have fun. [Imitating Pop] Pick and roll, pick and pop, all right now. Done.