Robert Townsend is hailed as one of the most respected comedians in the entertainment industry. In his lengthy career, the actor-director-writer has been involved in films and television shows like Cooley High, Hollywood Shuffle, The Meteor Man, The Parent 'Hood, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, B*A*P*S, and American Soul. He worked with all of the great black comedians since the inception of his career back in the 1970s, but according to Faizon Love, who is affectionately remembered for his role as Big Worm in Friday, Townsend's reputation isn't as clean as his fans may think.
"He's a b*tch ass n*gga, but I learned a lot from him," he told VladTV. "The reason why I say that is because I know how smart this guy is, but when it comes to...I think it's the reason I don't wanna...him and Keenan's [Ivory Wayans] relationship [was close]. So, when it comes to ride or die, he's not riding with you," Faizon said of Townsend. "He's going to take the Robert Townsend safe route. I love everything he's taught me, but I still say, you a b*tch ass n*gga. Why you can't you ride for Bill Cosby when he's been looking out for you since Meteor Man! Are you serious?"
At another point in the interview, Faizon claimed that the only reason Chris Tucker accepted the role of Detective James Carter in the action-comedy Rush Hour was because Faizon convinced him to take the part. "He didn't know who Jackie Chan was," he said. "I'm a big Bruce Lee fan. I'm like, 'Are you f*cking kidding me? That's Jackie.' [Imitating Tucker] 'I don't know no gotdamn Jackie Chan, man!'" Faizon also claimed that Tucker was out of control with the demands he was making while filming, including wanting a Corvette from the studio and a Puff Daddy wardrobe that consisted of multiple puffy jackets a la "Mo Money Mo Problems." Check out parts of his interview below.
