Chris Tucker has been one of the most popular, highest paid comedians in Hollywood for the last decade — but he’s only made three films.

After the massive success of 1998s Rush Hour, his breakout action-comedy hit alongside Jackie Chan, Tucker had his pick of any number of major film roles. But instead he chose to lay low, pal around with Michael Jackson, and get paid $2o million-plus to star in two Rush Hour sequels.

In recent years he’s made headlines mostly for his tax troubles and the plethora of roles he missed out on, including lead parts in Any Given Sunday, The Pink Panther, Tower Heist and Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Django Unchained.

But now Tucker seems poised for a much-deserved comeback, with a supporting role in the Oscar-worthy new film Silver Linings Playbook, which opens in select cities this weekend. Film critics and fans have been constantly asking: ‘What took you so long?’

It appears that Tucker has chosen wisely, his part in Silver Linings Playbook, his first in five years, is earning some of the best reviews of his career.