Chris Tucker once had private jet turn around and fly back to New York to meet Michael Jackson

Chris Tucker has revealed he once had a private jet turn around from LA back to New York so he could meet Michael Jackson.

“I was in New York for two days waiting to meet MJ,” Tucker recalled.

He told GQ: “I took a private jet there. I said, well, I ain’t heard from him, I got to go.

“I took a private jet back to LA and as soon as I landed, I had a message: ‘Michael Jackson wants to meet you tomorrow morning.’ I was still on the plane. I went up to the captain and said, ‘I’ll pay you whatever you want to take me back to New York.’”

The comedian also revealed that he and Jackson later became close friends, and the singer encouraged him to take on more work in Hollywood.

“He used to always say, ‘Let’s make history,’” Tucker said. “‘We want to see more of you, Chris! What are you doing?’”

Tucker stars in Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s new film Air, which is based on Michael Jordan’s influence on Nike in the 1980s.

Air is the first release from Affleck and Damon’s new production company, Artists Equity.

Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and Julius Tennon are also starred in the movie.

Tucker revealed that Affleck told him he’d love to work with him one day back in 2013, but that he always assumed it was just “Hollywood talk”.

Affleck would eventually present him with Air, which Tucker said he was attracted to because he gave him the freedom to improvise in a role.

Air was released in the US on 5 April.