In “I Think I Love My Wife,” Chris Rock stars as a suburban husband and father who toys with the idea of having an affair with an old friend (played by Kerry Washington) who has re-entered his life. Terry recently sat down with Rock, 42, to discuss the film and his career.
Fortunate or unfortunate timing for the release of this film — the tabloids say you’re having trouble with your own marriage. Is that true?
Rock: I’m still married — to the same woman. It’s all rumor. Let me put it this way: It’s confirmed that Britney [Spears] cut her hair but it’s only rumor that she’s crazy [laughs].
How long have you been in show business now — at least as a “face” guy? At least as a guy who is sometimes the subject of tabloid fodder?
Rock: The first time people actually saw me was “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” The first time I made any real money was “Saturday Night Live,” and that was in 1992.
The first time I saw you do stand-up in Chicago — this was years ago — I remember you were just hanging out at the front bar, talking to people. Can you still do that?
Rock: It’s hard to chat at Madison Square Garden [laughs]. It’s weird. I talk to [Jerry] Seinfeld a lot, and he always says, “You’ve got to keep yourself in the line of fire.”
And what exactly does that mean?
Rock: To continue to be funny, you can’t isolate yourself. I haven’t gotten to the point where I isolate myself. I went to see Sting a couple of years ago. When that man gets off stage, the band still plays. He gets in a car and he is out of the venue before the show is technically over [laughs]. My man is in a car and they have a police escort and then the band stops five minutes later. [Laughs] I don’t do anything like that — yet!
How much of who you are now is due to your upbringing or even your travails as a young comedian?
Rock: Coming from a two-parent household, I think everything I write has two parents, just like in “I Think I Love My Wife.” I refuse to do anything where there’s not a father in it. That’s just me. It’s like “Everybody Hates Chris.” That’s just how I grew up. Even something silly like “CB4,” he’s got a father in there.
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Speaking of “CB4,” you have had your share of misses on the big screen. Do you ever pay attention to the critics?
Rock: A little bit but not a lot. I really think you have to be a fan of somebody to criticize them. I’m not into country music so my opinion on country music is kind of irrelevant [laughs]. Now the people that are fans — some girl on the South Side in the projects, if she don’t like it, she’s got a legitimate beef. And it doesn’t have to be in black or white. [Laughs] If a 16-year-old white boy doesn’t like “Jackass,” then that means something.
Sometimes I guess you have to say, “People who get it, will get it, and the people that don’t, won’t,” huh?
Rock: Basically, what it boils down to is I just try to make my friends laugh. At the end of the day, that’s all it is — just trying to make your crew laugh.
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