Kevin Hart's Real Name: Kevin Darnell Hart

Quick answer: Kevin Hart was born Kevin Darnell Hart on July 6, 1979, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kevin Hart is his real name, and Darnell is his middle name. Early in his standup career he performed as "Lil' Kev the Bastard" before switching to his own name. He became a star with the 2011 Laugh at My Pain tour and films such as Ride Along, Central Intelligence, and the Jumanji movies (Library of Congress; Biography.com).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Hart, Kevin, 1979-." One citation reads "born Kevin Darnell Hart, July 6, 1979, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." Britannica also lists Kevin Darnell Hart as his full name, and Biography.com gives the same name, date, and city. One older LOC citation gives 1980, but the other sources agree on 1979.

According to Biography.com, Hart is the younger of two boys and was raised largely by his mother, Nancy, who died of cancer in 2007. His father, Henry, was often absent during Hart's childhood, though the two later reconnected. Hart has said humor helped him cope, and that "the jokes come from a real experience." He listed Chris Tucker and J.B. Smoove among his early influences.

Career highlights

After high school Hart lived in New York City and Brockton, Massachusetts. His standup career began to blossom back in Philadelphia while he worked as a shoe salesman. Biography.com says he first played small clubs as "Lil' Kev the Bastard." Mentored by comedian Keith Robinson, he began performing under his own name with material drawn from his life.

ABC gave him the sitcom The Big House, which was canceled after six episodes. His first standup special arrived in 2009. The 2011 Laugh at My Pain tour covered 90 cities, grossed $15 million, and became a concert film. Later specials included Let Me Explain (2013), What Now? (2016), Irresponsible (2019), and Reality Check (2023).

His breakout film role came in Think Like a Man (2012). He then starred in Ride Along (2014) with Ice Cube, Get Hard (2015) with Will Ferrell, and Central Intelligence (2016) with Dwayne Johnson. He joined Johnson, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). He voiced characters in The Secret Life of Pets and DC League of Super-Pets, and he took a dramatic turn with Bryan Cranston in The Upside (2019). In March 2024 he received the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Name notes for searchers

Kevin is his given first name, Darnell his middle name, and Hart his family surname from his father, Henry Hart. "Lil' Kev the Bastard" was a short-lived early stage name; he has performed as Kevin Hart for most of his career.