Kevin Hart talks career, 'Wedding Ringer'

KEVIN HART is talking about "The Wedding Ringer" and his skyrocketing career, and stating the obvious.

"I'm a multitasker," says the stand-up comedian and movie and TV and online star, as he lays out his Hollywood agenda to a reporter at a downtown hotel, while also texting madly.

He's trying to hook up with Chris Rock, in town to promote "Top Five." This is back in mid-December, before the Sony email hack that caught Sony execs maligning one of their biggest stars. (Hart's movies have grossed $200 million for the company.)

This prompted Hart to call their remarks "ignorant," and he had a point: Talk to Hart for a few minutes, and you know you're listening to a guy that any studio should want to be in business with (and in fairness, Sony's been promoting the hell out of "The Wedding Ringer").

For instance - Hart picked "The Wedding Ringer" as part of a larger plan to expand his reach overseas.

"You have to get better, and you have to get bigger. To do that you need international exposure. You know why there are so many wedding movies? Because they travel - it's a subject that appeals to everyone. Everybody gets married."

Some more than once.

"Yes," Hart said, with a laugh.

"I'm about to get married for the second time. But everybody knows weddings, that's the key."

In his case, it's the key to exporting a brand he's worked industriously to develop and deploy.

"I'm improving at the box office. People can look at the numbers and say, 'Kevin will bring you a return at the box office, domestically,' but I want that internationally. So right now, I'm about to put in the work to make that happen."

Studios, if they've been paying attention, should already know his demo. For years, social media star Hart has leveraged his online presence to build his stand-up audience at home and abroad, where he plays to sell-out crowds in Europe.

"As a stand-up comic, I'm my own boss, my own entity. This is my brand," he said. "[Stand-up] has been a way to tell studios, 'Hey, I can do this myself.' "

Hart learned the craft of stand-up studying the work of fellow Philadelphian Bill Cosby - classic Hart bits like the swearing-in-school story show an obvious Cosby influence.

Asked about the rape-allegations controversy, Hart tip-toed carefully.

"My style of comedy is patterned after Bill Cosby, I'm a storyteller. I'm a student of comedy, with that being said, I support him in his career," said Hart, landing on the word "career."

Hart said the best outcome regarding the allegations is that due process takes its course, and that "everything is dealt with in a way that is just."

Hart, relentlessly "on" and funny on-screen, is low-key in person and all business.

Analyzing his character in "The Wedding Ringer" - a professional best man - he sees a merger of his screen persona and the organization behind it.

"I'm pulling from personal experience. You're looking at a guy who's fast talking, who's got charisma, who gets along with everybody," Hart said.

"But also a leader who's in charge of people and who delegates, who puts people in a position to do what they do best, and make the whole operation work better."

Hart Inc. will go on the road again for his "What Now" stand-up tour in March and April. He's finished shooting his "Ride Along" sequel and he's got two movies arriving this year - "The Wedding Ringer," and "Get Hard," wherein he helps a convicted financier (Will Ferrell) prep for life in prison.

"I'm right on schedule. I have two bangers, two movies that offer something different. 'The Wedding Ringer,' it's got heart, and 'Get Hard,' which is comedy at its craziest. It's two guys, me and Will, who are throwing themselves into it, really crazy inventions, just reacting off one another. I've seen it, it's wild."