Kevin Hart is ready to take the animation world by storm with his new series Lil Kev.
Airing exclusively on BET+, the show is set in his hometown of North Philly in 1993. “12-year-old Kevin faces tough neighborhood life with boundless optimism. His mom works nights, his brother’s a troublemaker, his dad wants back in, and his uncle gives dubious advice – but Kev keeps hustling,” the synopsis read.
Along with Hart, the star-studded cast includes some of the top names in comedy. Wanda Sykes as Nancy Hart, Kevin’s mother, and Deon Cole as Uncle Richard Jr. Also, voice acting legend Cree Summer, Affion Crockett, Jamar Neighbors, Jess Hilarious, and “Ms. “Pat” Williams, comprise the cast which is sure to bring the laughs.
In an interview with BET, Hart spoke about the creation of the series.
“Now was the right time to do it because it finally came to life. I’ve been trying to develop it for the longest. And any opportunity that I can tell my story, I jump to it. When I have an opportunity to be creative and do it from the times of old, it’s exciting to me,” Hart explained. Recreating those moments or repurposing them for the [greater good] for people to see, relate to, and understand is great to me… I can go and get raw, but give you a reason to laugh through the animation and delivery.”
For Sykes, she thought the series was a great idea and couldn’t turn down the opportunity.
“It was very well written. I just got who she was. And the big thing is… I got to yell at Kevin,” Sykes joked. “I just loved that. I would skip to work. And I praise God that I got this part where I just get into him. Just yell at him. It’s beautiful.”
With his extensive body of work, Hart hopes that Lil Kev will be another part of his legacy that his fans will love.
You know, you’re just trying to create an amazing resume at the end of the day. This is like a vision board. It’s so much,” Hart said. “So it’s like, alright. Well, what do I want it to mean? It’s one that I gotta think about because what do I want it to mean? Is it for me to say, or is it for other people to say, like, well, ‘Here’s your legacy because here’s what you were to us.’ And then I’m able to say, ‘Oh my God. Thank you.’ I think it’s me accepting it and then embracing it.”
