'Night School' stars Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart share sweet stories of the teachers that most inspired them
The new comedy Night School is first and foremost an excuse to let two very funny people — in this case, Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish — work their magic on moviegoers. But the film’s message is no joke: Director Malcolm Lee crafts a story about how education, and a great teacher, can transform a person’s life.
That’s a theme that the movie’s stars can definitely relate to. When Yahoo Entertainment asked Hart and Haddish (or, as they prefer, Hart and Pebble) if they had a teacher that made a significant impact on their lives, neither of them hesitated. “I’m going to give a shout-out to Ms. Grieb and Coach Martin,” Haddish said, while Hart name-checked Calvin Jones as “someone who was influential just in me understanding how to become a man.” (Watch our video interview above.)
It’s worth noting that the two stars went to school across the country from each other: The Philadelphia-born Hart is an alumnus of George Washington High School, while Haddish experienced a tumultuous childhood in Los Angeles — including a stint in foster care — before attending El Camino Real High School. That’s where she met the two teachers who profoundly affected her life.
“[Ms. Grieb] taught me how to read and act,” she says. “Coach Martin was my track coach; he taught me how not to give up. There were a lot of times I wanted to quit, and he would not let me quit.” Coach Martin also helped Haddish hone her signature catchphrase. “He’d be like, ‘Are you ready, Haddish? Is she ready?’ And I’d be like, ‘She ready!’ That’s kind of the beginning of that, although me and my cousins really started it.”
Yahoo Entertainment contacted the actors’ respective schools and learned that the teachers in question have since retired. But David Hussey, executive director of El Camino Real, did tell us, “I recall Tiffany Haddish’s high energy and positive attitude. … We wish all graduates and Ms. Tiffany Haddish continued success. Tiffany is welcome to visit ECR any time.”
Hart, meanwhile, hopes that Mr. Jones feels a sense of accomplishment when he goes to see Night School this weekend. “For Tiffany and myself, I know those teachers that were in our lives are looking at us now and are proud,” he says, getting serious. “Teachers are the biggest heroes: They’re the ones dedicating a large portion of their time to these kids … so they can feel all their time, energy, and effort was well spent in creating the next generation of leaders and groundbreakers. To the teachers that were involved, I guess college wasn’t in the future for me, but the education that was given to me has helped shape me and mold me into the man I am today.”
Night School is currently playing in theaters.
Watch: Tiffany Haddish is Kevin Hart’s new Rock:
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