Kevin Hart says he ‘almost died’ in terrifying plane incident

Kevin Hart has opened up about a frightening experience on a flight that made him fear for his life.

The comedian and actor stars in the recently released Netflix action-comedy film, Lift, which includes several high-pressure scenes on an aeroplane.

Speaking on Friday night’s edition (12 January) of The Graham Norton Show, Hart reflected on his own tense experience while on a flight, during which the exterior caught fire.

“I almost died,” he tells Norton and the show’s fellow guests.

“We were landing and as we did the front wheel broke, and I just saw flames coming out of the front of the plane.”

Continuing his story, Hart shared that despite the scary nature of the situation, he’d reached a point of contentment in his life that calmed him.

“It was one of those moments when I thought, ‘This is it’, and I realised that if it happens I was cool with where I was in life. I didn’t panic.”

Hart also had a near-death experience in 2019 after a serious car accident. On his 41st birthday the following year, he told fans about how he was “lucky to be alive” while celebrating on a boat.

In August, the comic found himself in need of a wheelchair after tearing his lower abdomen during a race with retired NFL athlete Stevan Ridley.

“I tried to jump out there and do some young stuff … and I was told to sit my a** down,” he told his Instagram followers at the time, calling himself “the dumbest man alive”.

“What are we competing for at this age? What am I doing?” Why did I even race? Stupidest s*** ever,” he added.

Lift, which also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sam Worthington and Money Heist star Úrsula Corberó, sees Hart as a master thief tasked with executing a heist with his international crew on a 777 passenger flight from London to Zurich.

On taking on the role, the Get Hard actor said it marked a significant change from the more light-hearted characters he’s played in the past.

“It’s my first leading man role where I am serious,” he told host Norton. “It’s a proper thriller and for the first time I’m not responsible for the jokes.”

Other guests on the programme include Sofia Vergara, Jodie Comer, Alan Cumming and singer-songwriter Tom Odell, who provided the evening’s musical entertainment.

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One on Fridays at 10.40pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.