Kevin Hart knows a thing or two about the struggle. The 36-year-old had a hard childhood growing up in Philadelphia with a drug-addicted father, but throughout all his hardship, he somehow managed to become one of the most successful comedians working today. Hart recently announced that he is writing a memoir that will be titled “From the Hart.”
The stand-up comedian and actor will release his first book with help from the Atria Publishing Group under the imprint 37 Ink. The motivational memoir will track Hart’s difficult upbringing and how he used those experiences - and early failures in his career - to achieve the success he has today.
“My kids know I’m a big deal. They’re very aware. I let them know every day, I say, ‘Look, daddy’s a big deal,’” the comedian joked. “Now I’ll have a book out to prove it.”
The book deal is yet another achievement on Hart’s already impressive résumé. Last year, he sold out a stop on his “What Now?” comedy tour at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, which seats 50,000 people. Overall, the tour grossed more than $100 million worldwide. “What Now?” was the follow-up to his 2013 stand-up tour, “Let Me Explain,” which earned more than $32 million.
Hart used his impressive stand-up routines to get himself a couple of starring roles with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Will Ferrell in “Get Hard,” Ice Cube in “Ride Along” and “Ride Along 2” and the upcoming “Central Intelligence” with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Aaron Paul. The comedian even ranked No. 2 on Forbes’ 2015 list of the highest-paid comedians, only trailing behind Jerry Seinfeld.
“I’ve been watching Kevin’s star rise ever since he stole the show in ‘Think Like a Man,’” 37 Ink Vice President and Publisher Dawn Davis said. “He not only has a comedic sensibility that is perfectly-pitched for our time, he has a bounty of stories from his life that are wise, funny and entertaining.”
Hart is the latest comedian to release a memoir or autobiography following the blockbuster success of books by Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling. This summer, another huge name in comedy, Amy Schumer, will release her first book, “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.”
“From the Hart” is expected to be released on Father’s Day in 2017.