"The Fifth Element" is filled with great performances, but Chris Tucker's appearance as Ruby Rhod is one of the most memorable parts of the entire movie. From clothing to hair, Ruby's sense of style is something that you won't forget after seeing it. Tucker brings a tremendous amount of energy to the role, transforming Ruby into an unbelievably entertaining powerhouse entertainer. Ruby immediately steals the scene, and even the characters in the movie seem to be a bit stunned by Tucker's performance.
It turns out that everyone on set probably was just as surprised by Tucker as anyone who's ever watched "The Fifth Element." Tucker told EW that when he took the part, hardly anyone knew what the role was supposed to be. "They were really protective of the script," he recalled. "They didn't let anyone know what the part was." Even Tucker himself was kept mostly in the dark. All he knew was that Prince was supposed to play the role, but he passed it up because the costumes were too outlandish. Tucker didn't know what to think, until he saw the costume for himself.
"I was kind of like 'Whoof, this is a deep, deep character,'" Tucker said, adding, "But all that stuff really helped me get into character." Get into character Tucker did, and the movie's other actors couldn't help but let their genuine reactions to Tucker's performance bleed into their own work.
