Chris Tucker almost didn't take the role. Let that sink in for a second. Imagine Luc Besson’s 1997 masterpiece without the high-pitched, motor-mouthed, leopard-print-wearing whirlwind that is Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element. It’s basically impossible. When the movie first dropped, critics didn't really know what to do with him. Some loved the energy; others found it grating. But nearly thirty years later, Ruby Rhod isn’t just a sidekick. He’s a blueprint.
The character is a pure shot of adrenaline. He’s the host of the "Ruby Rhod Show," the most popular broadcast in the galaxy, and he’s essentially what happens when you mix Prince, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and a literal lightning bolt.
The Evolution of a Legend
If you look back at the original concept art, Ruby Rhod was actually supposed to be played by Prince. Luc Besson, the director, met with the Purple One, but the legend famously turned it down because the costumes were "too effeminate" for his taste at the time. Prince also had a scheduling conflict with a massive tour, which opened the door for Chris Tucker.
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Tucker was fresh off Friday. He brought a specific kind of kinetic, frantic energy that shifted the character from "glam-rock icon" to "hyper-kinetic media mogul." It changed the movie's DNA.
Ruby Rhod functions as the bridge between the audience and the absurd world of the 23rd century. He’s loud. He’s obnoxious. He’s terrified of everything. Yet, somehow, he’s the bravest person on Fhloston Paradise because he keeps the microphone running even when the Mangalores start shooting the place up.
Honestly, the chemistry between Bruce Willis’s stoic Korben Dallas and Tucker’s chaotic Ruby is why the second half of the film works so well. You have this grizzled veteran who just wants to save the world and get the girl, paired with a man who is literally vibrating with anxiety about his hair. It’s comedy gold.
The Gaultier Influence
We have to talk about the clothes. Jean-Paul Gaultier designed over 900 costumes for The Fifth Element, but none are as iconic as the ones worn by Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element.
The leopard-print jumpsuit with the massive rose-shaped collar? It’s legendary. It’s high fashion meeting science fiction in a way that hadn't been seen since Barbarella. Gaultier’s vision was to erase the lines of gender and expectation. Ruby is hyper-masculine in his pursuits but hyper-feminine in his aesthetic. He’s a walking contradiction.
Most sci-fi of that era was gritty. Think Blade Runner or The Matrix. It was all black leather and rain-slicked streets. Then comes Ruby in a crushed velvet tuxedo and a blonde hair-horn that looks like a literal phallus. It was a middle finger to the "serious" sci-fi tropes of the 90s.
Why the Character Still Resonates
Ruby Rhod was a prophet. Look at modern influencer culture. Look at Twitch streamers and TikTok stars. They are all, in some way, descendants of Ruby Rhod. He lives for the "clicks" before clicks existed. He is obsessed with his "commercials." He understands that in the future, attention is the only real currency.
When he’s screaming "Bzzzzt!" at people, he’s not just being weird. He’s branding.
- He understands the power of the catchphrase.
- He knows how to pivot a narrative in real-time.
- He manages to be the center of attention even in a room full of monsters.
People often forget how much technical skill Chris Tucker put into this performance. The dialogue is fast—insanely fast. If you try to read the script for the Fhloston Paradise sequence, it’s a wall of text. Tucker delivers it with the timing of a machine gun. It’s impressive. It’s exhausting. It’s perfect.
Misconceptions About the Character
A lot of people think Ruby is just comic relief. That’s a shallow take. Ruby represents the "civilian" in a world of cosmic stakes. While Korben and Leeloo are fighting for the fate of existence, Ruby is the guy who just wants his show to go well. He’s us. He’s the person who would be screaming in the corner if a bomb went off.
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There’s also a common belief that Tucker improvised everything. While he certainly added his own flavor, Besson’s script was very specific about the rhythm of the character. The "green" speech—where he keeps asking if things are "green"—was a specific directorial choice to show how the language of the future had morphed into something bizarre and coded.
The Cultural Impact of The Fifth Element
When you watch the movie now, Ruby Rhod feels like he belongs in 2026. He’s the ultimate avatar for a world that is always "on."
The legacy of the character shows up in weird places. You see his influence in the character designs of The Hunger Games. You see it in the way musicians like Lil Nas X or Janelle Monáe approach their visual storytelling. Ruby broke a barrier. He showed that you could be a flamboyant, gender-bending, loud-mouthed character in a blockbuster action movie and still be a hero. Sorta.
I mean, he does hide under the table for most of the fight, but he’s there!
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you’re a writer or a character designer, there is a lot to learn from how Ruby Rhod from The Fifth Element was constructed.
- Contrast is King. If your protagonist is "the straight man" (Korben), your sidekick should be the embodiment of chaos. It creates natural friction and humor.
- Visual Storytelling Matters. Don't just tell us a character is famous; show us by their clothes, their entourage, and how people react when they walk into a room.
- The "Prophetic" Element. Great sci-fi looks at current trends and turns the volume up to eleven. Ruby Rhod took 90s celebrity worship and pushed it to its logical, absurd conclusion.
To truly appreciate the character, you should re-watch the scene where he first meets Korben on the shuttle. Watch Tucker’s eyes. He is never not "performing." Even when he thinks no one is looking, he’s in character. That is the mark of a legendary performance.
For those looking to dive deeper into the making of the film, track down the "Search for the Fifth Element" documentaries. They show the screen tests where Tucker was figuring out the voice. It’s a fascinating look at a master of physical comedy refining a character that could have easily been a disaster but ended up being the most memorable part of a cult classic.
Go back and watch it tonight. Look past the screaming. See the craft. It’s green. It’s super green.
Next Steps for the Sci-Fi Fan:
Check out the Jean-Paul Gaultier archives specifically for The Fifth Element. Many of the sketches for Ruby's costumes were never produced but show an even more radical version of the character. You can also look for the 1997 Cannes Film Festival footage, where the cast appeared in character—it was one of the first times a film used "in-universe" marketing at such a high level.