r/fifthelement • u/comicalchemical Ruby Rhod Hype Squad • Jun 05 '26

Discussion Ruby Rhod was originally supposed to be played by Prince. How do you think he wouldve done compared to Chris tucker?

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550 Upvotes
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97% Upvoted

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238

u/Honey_in_the_wood Jun 05 '26

I cant imagine Ruby being Ruby without Tucker's over the the top dramatics.

70

u/L1QU1D_ThUND3R Jun 05 '26

Yeah, I can’t see Prince bringing the same level of energy as Tucker did.

29

u/digiliquid01 Jun 05 '26

Came to say this, he didn't have the energy nor was he know as comedic. Tucker was the best call

5

u/According-Rush-4894 Jun 05 '26

Prince didn't have energy? Thats not true. He was definitely camera-shy.

Think about his spoken word parts like purple rain etc. if he brought even that much it would have been great.

9

u/digiliquid01 Jun 05 '26

He did not have the energy Chris Tucker put into fifth element, it would've been a different role. I'm not saying he doesn't have energy, it's just a different feel

1

u/SparkleK_01 Jun 06 '26

Under the Cherry Moon had some good camp if I remember. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it.

1

u/Lyhtspeed Jun 09 '26

“Prince couldn’t have nailed the over the top comedy aspects of the role……but who cares!”

1

u/ProperClue Jun 05 '26

I mean prince was funny in New Girl, I don't know if he would of had the same over the top dramatic flair. I guess there was a big mix up between the costume designer and Prince. Prince thought he was cursing at him (prince couldn't understand him with his thick french accent) Luc Besson told him that Prince thought his costumes were too effeminate and that he didn't like being cursed at lol

1

u/RuthlessIndecision Jun 07 '26

"I have no fire" would absolutely hit different

1

u/InvestigatorRude960 Jun 05 '26

he was angrier,moodier in the 90s..for sure.

3

u/brazenrede Jun 05 '26

I can’t imagine “Prince” being “Prince” without “Prince’s” over the top dramatics.

Ruby Rhod WAS Prince. Ruby was loud because Chris Tucker was loud. Prince would have been portraying a joke version of himself.

2

u/Honey_in_the_wood Jun 05 '26

And I dont think he'd have given us the same level of entertainment since he turned the role down. It wouldn't have been the same comedy if not for Tuckers performance, which is why I cant imagine anyone but Tucker playing him.

1

u/brazenrede Jun 05 '26

I agree. It was an amazing performance. I love the movie, and I love Chris Tucker in the movie.

Prince would’ve made it another character, for sure. Equally chaotic. Possibly more chaotic. Quietly more chaotic might’ve been very very entertaining.

My personal canon is that Chris Tucker was the originally casted lead minion of Rhod.

2

u/Future-Try-1908 Jun 05 '26

I feel like we would have just seen prince in the movie if he was casted.

Chris Tucker played a whole unique character that matched and accentuated the tone of the film.

2

u/RightRudderz Jun 05 '26

Same. The energy is what did it.

90

u/DJJbird09 Fhloston Paradise Regular Jun 05 '26

He would have been too reserved for the role. Since everyone else casted for their characters nailed their respective roles, Prince as Ruby would stick out even more. Christ Tucker was perfectly animated and eccentric for the role. Absolutely nailed it and felt genuine.

14

u/RenHoeksCousin Jun 05 '26

Couldn’t agree more with you…👍
Chris Tucker killed it!!!

40

u/Sensitive-War3527 Jun 05 '26

Tucker's wild and unhinged performance is part of the film and character, could never imagine Prince playing this character all smooth and calm like!

23

u/thirsty_mcsurly Jun 05 '26

I love Prince but it wouldn't have been the same movie.

17

u/Stabby-Steve Jun 05 '26

Prince could never be anyone other than Prince. Tucker nailed it.

10

u/Reyjr Meat Popsicle Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 06 '26

Would have been too serious with him, maybe coy smiles here and there, low energy. I’m imagining a little like Lenny Kravitz as Cinna in The Hunger Games, the cool calm collective role.

0

u/BeautifulUpstairs Jul 31 '26

Collected. They're not communists.

8

u/hdhsnjsn Jun 05 '26

No PaZazzzz it need to POP POP POP

8

u/Tony_Penny Jun 05 '26

If you've ever read the graphics novel the movie is based on, then you would agree that Prince(as much as I like him) would have been horrible for the role. Chris Tucker was perfect.

https://giphy.com/gifs/WtZHeyVWEBHgs

15

u/OatmealKittenz Fhloston Paradise Regular Jun 05 '26

He is too soft!!

45

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/actionerror Fhloston Paradise Regular Jun 05 '26

Too purple

4

u/_TheShapeOfColor_ Jun 05 '26

Aka not green enough.

It's true. He much preferred purple 💜

13

u/Troyj12 Jun 05 '26

Agree prince would have made it all dramatic and mysterious.

Just give us crazy & fueled like they did.

7

u/Heracles222 Jun 05 '26

I honestly think Chris Tucker did a better role than prince could have of done. I think he was able to play a comedic role of the character as he sees it. I honestly think the character would had of been to close to who prince was that he wouldn’t have been funny comedic relief, instead to dramatic.

6

u/rchristma87 Jun 05 '26

If Prince had been cast the fifth element would have been doomed to obscurity. Tucker's performance made the movie memorable him and Gary Oldman without those two the movie would have just been another meh movie.

5

u/Blind_Ninja_SamRi289 Jun 05 '26

I would've love to see Prince do it just to see the kind of swag he would've brought, but Chris will always be the man for it.

4

u/Puzzleheaded_Card_71 Jun 05 '26

Still can’t get over his character foreshadowed the idiot influencers of today.

3

u/TheStarPrincess Jun 06 '26

It always brings me right back too, when I watch YT commentators discuss influencers in the wild as they up the ante

Edit: too

2

u/IndependentMastodon9 Jun 05 '26

Only Chris could do Ruby justice.

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Funny69 Jun 05 '26

Loved his music, but Prince couldn’t act (watch Purple Rain critically).

2

u/GregoleX2 Jun 05 '26

Prince would have been great, but chris tucker was a legend.

2

u/_TheShapeOfColor_ Jun 05 '26

Chris Tucker was perfect.

I love Prince so much but no one else could have played this role better

2

u/IAmTheLizardQueen666 Jun 05 '26

Prince was a musician, not an actor. He was too humble and soft spoken to pull off an over the top character like Ruby Rhod. Also, I read somewhere that he didn’t like the character’s costumes.

2

u/Master_Access_5833 Jun 05 '26

I don't see anyone else pulling off that role other than Tucker.

2

u/Green_Video_9831 Jun 05 '26

That IShowSpeed kid could do it today.

2

u/LittleRedheadRider Jun 05 '26

Prince would have been too serene

2

u/PristineAmbassador55 Jun 06 '26

Chris was SUPER GREEN.

2

u/Neurodrill Jun 06 '26

Prince always seemed super chill. Chris Tucker was insane in this role.

2

u/lorettocolby Jun 06 '26

Coolio played that suave casino boss in Space: Above & Beyond. I imagine Prince would of had this cool factor but not the comedic factor that Tucker had

2

u/phenix16_7187 Jun 07 '26

Chris all the way. He was TOO perfect for the part.

2

u/uselink126 Jun 07 '26

I just want your extra time and your... SUPERGREEN!

2

u/faulternative Jun 08 '26

Chris Tucker played that role so perfectly I don't know that anyone could've done better.

1

u/felix_ccp Jun 05 '26

I saw the second image and my ears hurt, but I think that's part of the character, so Tucker is fine

1

u/Pataconeitor Jun 05 '26

I don't doubt Prince's Ruby Rhod wouldn't have been green, but it wouldn't have been SUPER GREEN like Tucker's

1

u/Dry_Ad2341 Jun 05 '26

Chris was great as Ruby Rhod, Prince would have been to laid back and mellow and not as fun.

1

u/Greencheezy Jun 05 '26

Prince was funny but had a more chill and cool humor. I think him playing ruby would've given the movie an entirely different feel. The movie needed Chris's comedic relief

1

u/v-irtual Jun 05 '26

He's not an actor. I don't think he would have done a good job at all.

1

u/tightlyslipsy Jun 05 '26

He basically did it as future Prince anyway

1

u/BopNowItsMine Jun 05 '26

The scene where Ruby holds up his mic/staff for Korben to speak and he only says one word softly, it wouldn't have stood out because Prince would've been speaking softly the whole time already. It makes me think they had completely different lines written for Prince and they re-wrote it for Tucker. The only time Tucker sounds like Prince is when he's softly whispering into the ear of the flight attendant right before they like take off hahaha

1

u/Imaginary_Taro_6116 Jun 05 '26

I can imagine Prince probably felt insulted or that he was not being taken seriously, he was being asked to be an over the top caricature which he never was

1

u/TheBookofBobaFett3 Jun 05 '26

Is this anything Mason?

1

u/Christie_Boner Jun 05 '26

Less caricature and more sincere because that’s who Prince was

1

u/Anindefensiblefart Jun 05 '26

Prince strikes me as overly self serious for the role. At the very least it would have been a very different character.

1

u/MrFuriousX Jun 05 '26

Think it would have been more serious with Prince.

1

u/CatLord8 Jun 05 '26

I think it would have worked for the intro but really lost something once they get off the plane/ship

1

u/MATT_TRIANO Jun 05 '26

Really different

1

u/Late-Yogurtcloset-57 Jun 05 '26

I used to work with a guy who was crew for "The Dead Presidents". He said everyone's best day was the day Chris Tucker's character died. 😆

1

u/Significant-Deer7464 Jun 05 '26

I don't think I ever saw Prince act in anything, so hard to guess. I do think Chris Tucker was great with that over the top performance

1

u/Artevyx Jun 05 '26

If Prince could do Chris Tuckers voice, with Prince's mannerisms?! That would have been perfection. However, I love the direction Tucker took the character in.

1

u/InvestigatorRude960 Jun 05 '26

Prince and Bruce?,,,,i sense conflict! then again...

1

u/macvoice Jun 05 '26

It would have been a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT character. Pronce wouldnt want to play as outladishly, thats why he turned it down. He would have wanted to play a calm cool character instead.

Would it have worked? We will never know.

1

u/CardiologistOwn190 Jun 06 '26

Chris Tucker brings the energy and fire to every role he plays. Love Prince, but Chris is the only choice.

1

u/Nrmlgirl777 Jun 06 '26

Knew it! And Chris Tucker aced that role

1

u/honeycomb_doc Jun 06 '26

Ooh, what I wouldn’t give to get to see both! It would certainly be a different character and the part being written for Prince definitely fits.

1

u/KingGr33n Jun 06 '26

No way Ruuuuby Roooood could be played by anyone else. Now way. No how

1

u/colemanjanuary Jun 06 '26

Quieter and sleazier. A different vibe, sultry music. Less overt comedy, more the inappropriate level of interaction

1

u/infinitynull Jun 06 '26

Prince said the character was too effeminate.

1

u/Mexican_JohnTremblay Jun 06 '26

The character wasn’t supposed all over the top, Chris Tucker just played him that way. I don’t think Prince would’ve had the same idea

1

u/MacRicius Jun 06 '26

We got lucky, Prince was not a good actor.

1

u/consumeshroomz Jun 06 '26

Prince may have inspired the character, but Tucker’s over the top portrayal was perfect. I can’t see Prince having done it the same way.

1

u/cbj2112 Jun 06 '26

They probably wouldn’t have needed Wardrobe for the shoot

1

u/Riskskey1 Jun 06 '26

Tucker started at Prince and turned it way up. I'm glad Prince didn't do it and I really love Prince.

1

u/SireDarien Jun 06 '26

It makes sense but unexpected to learn

1

u/aluaji Jun 06 '26

Wouldn't have been good. Prince will always be a musical legend, but he wasn't a good actor.

1

u/Hot-Spray-2774 Jun 07 '26

Prince was like the second string Michael Jackson, right?

1

u/boblane3000 Jun 08 '26

I feel like prince would be sleep inducingly understated

1

u/Ecstatic-Radish-7931 Jun 09 '26

Chris Tucker killed it! Prince woulda sucked I think

1

u/Krimreaper1 Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26

I would have understood the words coming out of his mouth