46 Fun Facts About Friday Movie

Who plays Smokey, the small-time weed dealer, in the original Friday?

Chris Tucker's Smokey was his breakout role; his nervous first audition went badly and he won the part only at a second reading.

What is the name of Ice Cube's character across all three Friday films?

Ice Cube plays Craig Jones in all three films; Friday opens with Craig having been fired on his day off, the running joke that frames the whole movie.

How much money do Craig and Smokey owe Big Worm, and by what time?

Smokey has smoked the weed he was meant to sell, so Big Worm demands his $200 by 10 p.m. that night, or else.

Who directed Friday, in his feature debut after a career making music videos?

Ice Cube picked him personally, having worked with him on videos; Gray later made The Italian Job and Straight Outta Compton.

Ice Cube co-wrote the Friday screenplay with which DJ and producer?

DJ Pooh co-wrote Friday with Ice Cube, basing Smokey on his own stint dealing weed, and was originally going to play the part himself.

What is the name of the hulking neighbourhood bully played by Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.?

Tiny Lister's bully Deebo became shorthand for a neighbourhood heavy; NFL players James Harrison and Deebo Samuel both picked up the nickname from the character.

Which actor plays Craig's father Willie, famous for telling Craig to use his fists instead of a gun?

John Witherspoon plays Willie Jones, whose 'fists, not guns' speech sets up the ending; he and Ice Cube are the only actors to appear in all three Friday films.

Which actress plays Debbie, the neighbour Craig ends up with at the end of the film?

Nia Long plays Debbie, the neighbour who walks off with Craig after he stands up to the neighbourhood bully; Regina King plays Craig's sister Dana.

Which internet meme, used to dismiss an inconsequential person, comes from a scene in Friday?

'Bye, Felicia' is Craig's brush-off to Felisha, the neighbourhood mooch who keeps asking to borrow things; the line became an internet catchphrase around 2014.

Who plays Big Worm, the drug supplier who gives Craig and Smokey their deadline?

Faizon Love plays Big Worm, the supplier who deals from an ice-cream truck and whom Smokey keeps calling 'Big Perm' to his annoyance.

Where do Craig and Smokey get the $200 they briefly hold before Deebo takes it?

Deebo forces Smokey to do the break-in, then keeps the cash for himself.

What is the last line of the film, delivered by Smokey to the camera?

Smokey closes the film by turning to the camera with 'I was just bullshittin'! And you know this, man!' right after assuring Big Worm on the phone that he is going straight.

Which studio agreed to finance Friday, on condition that a seasoned comedian took one of the leads?

New Line Cinema put up the $3.5 million budget on condition that an established comedian took one of the leads, which is how a stand-up comic landed Smokey.

Which two comedians were also considered for the role of Smokey before the eventual choice?

New Line floated Chris Rock and Tommy Davidson for Smokey before the writers settled on a then little-known stand-up comic who had to audition twice.

Which cast member helped the future Smokey nail his second audition by coaching him over dinner?

Angela Means, who plays the neighbourhood mooch, cooked the future Smokey a spaghetti dinner and ran lines with him; 'By the time that spaghetti was gone, Chris was Smokey,' she said.

Friday was written partly as a reaction to which kind of film?

Ice Cube wanted to counter the grim image of South Central in violent hood dramas like Boyz n the Hood, in which he had starred; 'We had fun in the hood,' he said.

What cost-saving idea did Friday's writers briefly consider before a studio signed on?

Ice Cube and his co-writer briefly considered shooting Friday in black and white to save money, and had even thought about financing it themselves.

On what date in 1995 was Friday released in the United States?

Friday opened in U.S. cinemas on April 26, 1995; it returned for a one-night 20th-anniversary screening on April 20, 2015, fittingly on 4/20.

Which director listed Friday among his 20 favourite films of 1992-2009?

Quentin Tarantino put Friday on his 2009 list of the 20 best films released since 1992, alongside picks such as Battle Royale and Shaun of the Dead.

Which rapper's 2024 diss track references Deebo?

Kendrick Lamar uses the name as a verb on Not Like Us (2024), nodding to NBA player DeMar DeRozan, who carries the same nickname and appears in the video.

In Next Friday, Craig is sent to live with his uncle and cousin in which city?

Craig's father ships him off to Uncle Elroy's house in suburban Rancho Cucamonga after the bully who terrorised their street breaks out of prison seeking revenge.

Who plays Craig's cousin Day-Day in the sequels?

Mike Epps plays Day-Day in both Next Friday and Friday After Next, his first major film role, and went on to star with Ice Cube again in All About the Benjamins.

Why has Craig's uncle Elroy moved to the suburbs by the time of Next Friday?

Uncle Elroy won the lottery and bought a house in the suburbs, but by the time Craig arrives the money is gone and the house faces repossession over unpaid taxes.

What are the three criminal siblings next door in Next Friday known as?

The Joker Brothers, Joker, Lil' Joker and Baby Joker, deal drugs from the house next door to Elroy's, and Craig ends up stealing their cash to save the house.

How did Next Friday explain Smokey's absence after the actor declined to return?

Craig explains that Smokey has checked into rehab; the actor, who declined to return, appears only in footage recycled from the first film.

What is the name of Ice Cube's production company, which made Next Friday its first film?

Next Friday was the first film produced by Cube Vision, the company Ice Cube founded to make his own projects; it later produced the Barbershop and Ride Along franchises.

Who directed Next Friday, in his feature debut?

Steve Carr made his feature debut with Next Friday after directing music videos; Marcus Raboy then debuted with Friday After Next, so each film had a first-time feature director.

Which film in the trilogy is the most successful at the box office, with $59.8 million worldwide?

Next Friday, the 2000 sequel, took $59.8 million worldwide, the most of the three films, and opened at No. 1 in January 2000 despite poor reviews.

Deebo escapes prison in Next Friday with which relative?

Sticky Fingaz of Onyx plays Tyrone.

Friday After Next takes place on which day?

Friday After Next is set on Christmas Eve; it opens with a burglar dressed as Santa Claus robbing Craig and Day-Day's apartment of their rent money and presents.

What jobs do Craig and Day-Day take in Friday After Next?

Craig and Day-Day take jobs as security guards at a strip mall, patrolling in uniform, while their fathers open a rib joint in the same mall.

Which comedian plays the pimp Money Mike in Friday After Next?

Katt Williams plays the pint-sized pimp Money Mike, whose shop is called Pimps and Hoes and who fends off Damon with a pair of pliers.

In Friday After Next, who is Damon, the hulking character played by Terry Crews?

Damon is the ex-convict son of landlady Ms. Pearly, who threatens to sic him on the cousins if the rent is not paid; Terry Crews plays him.

Which comedian plays the robber dressed as Santa Claus?

Comedian Rickey Smiley plays the Santa Claus burglar, credited simply as 'Santa Claus', who robs the cousins' apartment in the opening scene and is finally caught at the end of the film.

What is the name of the rib restaurant Willie and Elroy open in Friday After Next?

Willie and Elroy's rib joint is Bros. BBQ, whose slogan runs 'Taste so good, makes you want to slap yo mama!'

How do Craig and Day-Day get the police to leave their rent party alone?

Ms. Pearly had called the cops on the party in the first place.

Friday: The Animated Series aired on which channel in 2007?

Friday: The Animated Series ran for eight episodes on MTV2 in 2007, with Ice Cube producing but none of the film's actors voicing their characters.

What working title did Ice Cube give the long-planned fourth Friday film?

Ice Cube has long called the planned fourth film Last Friday, a title he has used since the early 2010s while the project sat in development.

Ice Cube said in 2020 the studios failed to make Last Friday while which two cast members lived?

'You let our legends die,' he said after Lister's death in December 2020.

Through which TV showcase did Friday's writers discover their eventual Smokey?

Ice Cube and his co-writer spotted the future Smokey doing stand-up on HBO's Def Comedy Jam, the Russell Simmons showcase, before bringing him in to audition.

Craig's firing on his day off was based on Ice Cube's cousin, a delivery driver for which firm?

Ice Cube's cousin really was fired from his UPS delivery job on his day off, a story Cube lifted for Craig; he has called much of the film autobiographical.

Which film series did Friday's writers hope to emulate when they pitched the movie?

Ice Cube and his co-writer pitched Friday as their version of House Party, the Kid 'n Play comedies that had done well for the same studio.

In how many theatres did Friday open on its way to a $6.6 million debut weekend at No. 2?

Friday opened in just 865 theatres in April 1995, yet averaged about $7,600 per screen for a $6.6 million first weekend, second at the box office.

In Next Friday, what does Roach feed the Jokers' dog Chico to keep it distracted?

Roach feeds Chico cannabis so the guard dog stays docile while Craig sneaks in next door looking for the brothers' cash.

What is the name of Craig's jealous girlfriend in Friday, played by Paula Jai Parker?

Paula Jai Parker plays Joi, Craig's jealous girlfriend, whose suspicious phone calls run through the film until Craig finally dumps her.

Who plays Cookie, the Bros. BBQ waitress and Elroy's latest girlfriend, in Friday After Next?

Elroy had split from her sister Suga; the film was directed by Marcus Raboy in his feature debut and grossed $33.5 million.