Mike Epps

If it weren't for Chris Tucker declining to return to his role as Smokey for the sequel to the 1995 cult classic <i>Friday</i>, the world might not know Mike Epps the way it does today. Although he has been featured for his stand-up on Def Comedy Jam several times throughout his career, Epps is best known for his on-screen work opposite Ice Cube, which began with <i>Next Friday</i> and continued with <i>Friday After Next</i> and <i>All About the Benjamins</i>. After Epps' remake of <i>The Honeymooners</i> with Cedric the Entertainer flopped hard, more movies with Ice Cube followed, including <i>Lottery Ticket</i> and <i>Janky Promoters</i>, which cast the two as promoters who fail to book Young Jeezy for their club. This summer he'll also appear in <i>Sparkle</i>, a Motown drama that marks Whitney Houston's final film role.