By Thomas Chau in New York City

One of the “Original Kings of Comedy,” Steve Harvey, has a very serious side to him despite what you think. He takes his craft as a comedian very seriously, as he should, provided that it is one of the hardest lives in the entertainment business. Harvey, who previously co-starred in “The Fighting Temptations” earlier this year, stars in “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” opening December 12th. Harvey plays the father of Alvin (Nick Cannon), who notices his boy is going through some major changes after Alvin becomes Mr. Popular at his high school.

Harvey sat down to talk about his film and life as a comedian in New York City recently.

Q: So how much of your dialogue in the movie to your son is improvised, and how much was scripted?

STEVE: Maybe 50-50. They let me improv[ise] but first, you have to do it the way it’s on the script. The studios and writers with their tremendous egos feel like they’ve made a contribution to the project. Then, [director] Troy [Beyer] says, “Steve, what do you think?” She should say that. Then I say, “O.K., give me a minute.” I’ll then say, “I’m ready.” And then they say, “Action!” I haven’t seen the movie but a lot of the improv is in there from what I’ve seen.

When you’re working with a stand-up [comedian] and you’re trying to make a scene funny, you gotta [improvise]. Otherwise, what did you come get me for? There are other cats out there that would read just what’s on that paper verbatim and do a better acting job. But we ain’t talking about that now. If you want something funny, O.K., then let me show you this. They let me do it. I never felt like I was being restrained by Troy.

Q: Do you believe you will always be a comic first and an actor second? Or do you blend the two together?

STEVE: No, I’m a comedian. A comic is that guy who walks out on stage and he’s like a comic strip. They have to their show in order, verbatim, as in rehearsed or rewritten. That’s a comic. As a comedian, I go out on stage and start working the set but if I see something funny, I make a note of it. If that leads me to something that I think is funny, then that’s what I say, and then I go back to me [rehearsed] set. Or I might just dump the whole set out the window because the audience may look [the other] way. I might improvise for 30 minutes before I do a written joke. A comic can’t do that because he ain’t funny. He’s just doing his act.

But I’m a comedian first. I’ve learned how to act. I just draw on life experiences and that’s how I’ve learned. I didn’t take classes or anything. I don’t need no classroom.

Q: Do you think you will always stay in the comedy club circuit?

STEVE: I’ll stay in theaters. No more comedy clubs. “The Kings of Comedy” changed that life drastically. Everything “springboarded” from standup and that’s the key to everything. There would be no acting, no radio, no movies.

Q: Over the years, you hear about all the horror stories coming from comedy clubs. Do you have your own?

STEVE: I don’t know of a tougher life. I mean - I’m sure there is - but in entertainment, comedy is the toughest field. If you’re in a band and you have a bad night as a singer, you have your drummer play for five minutes. And then you go “Ricky!” And Ricky plays the guitar for five minutes. You can do that until you get your shit together. When you’re on stage as a standup, there is no moment for you to get yourself together. You are doing the most difficult thing in the world and that is to make a person laugh whom you’ve never met before. You don’t know anything about them and they don’t know anything about you. They’re in a comedy club, they’ve been drinking, and you know if this guy is racist or how he feels about you. You’re standing up there and trying to produce laughter from people who don’t know you and you don’t know them. There is nothing more difficult to do and it’s a very, very tough existence. Very few people rise above the comedy club level. I’ve been in fights in comedy clubs, I’ve had Ku Klux Klan totally destroy my car, I’ve been barricaded in my room for 24 hours. I had a woman chip my collarbone in Pensacola, Florida with a shot glass. I’ve got some stories man.

Q: How has that changed for you now that they know who you are?

STEVE: In the beginning, the first three minutes of your act is critical. You’ve got to instantly go out there and become likable. When you’re famous, the first three minutes is simple because they’re glad you’re here and they paid $75 dollars to see you. I got three minutes of g*d damn yelling versus three minutes of fucking “Who is this guy?” That’s a big difference man. Then, after your three minutes, you got to deliver. No matter how famous you are, you are still faced with the daunting task of making a person laugh at everything you say. I try to do a joke that will guarantee me a laugh from 80 to 85 percent of the room. I’m shooting for 100 but I got to get at least 80 to 85 percent of the room to laugh at the joke in order for it to be really successful. If I tell a joke three times and I don’t get 80 to 85 percent, I throw that joke out. That’s the tough part of my job.

"Love Don't Cost a Thing" opens in theaters December 12th.