Chris Tucker Nearly Died While Shooting Video for ‘California Love’

On Thursday’s Late Late Show, Chris Tucker recalled a near-death experience on the set of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur’s video for “California Love,” the first single from Tupac’s multiplatinum album All Eyez On Me. The video, from director F. Gary Gray — who directed last year’s hit Straight Outta Compton — was a Mad Max-inspired joyride, and while shooting, Tucker narrowly escaped disaster.

“I almost fell off a jeep and Michael Clark Duncan saved my life,” Tucker said of the near mishap.

For a sequence for the video, Tucker stood on the back of a jeep while it roared across the dessert — until it hit a large bump. He credits the now deceased Duncan with keeping him from flying out of the jeep. But even with his feet firmly on the ground, Tucker said it wasn’t the safest set.

“It was fun and dangerous at the same time. Tupac just got out of jail and Suge Knight was walking around with a Rottweiler. I didn’t know if I was gonna get bit,” Tucker joked.

Sadly, Tupac and Duncan are no longer with us, and Knight is in prison for murder, but Tucker looks back fondly on the iconic video.

“It was amazing. Dr. Dre, everybody was there. F. Gary Gray directed the video. That was right when Friday came out. Everybody was happy. It was a great time,” Tucker recalled.

Check out Dustin Diamond’s apologetic message to his Saved by the Bell castmates:

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