EW Exclusive: Nick Cannon on his busy career, his goals for the future, and his life with wife Mariah Carey

Nick Cannon firmly believes in the power of positive thinking. Ask the 29-year-old how his various achievements came about—successful stand-up comic at 15 years old, staff writer for Nickelodeon’s All That and Kenan & Kel at 17, CEO of his own production company Ncredible, chairman of the TeenNick cable network, host of NBC’s hit America’s Got Talent and a daily radio show, and loving husband to Mariah Carey—and he’ll tell you that he willed them to happen by telling the universe what he wanted. “I truly believe in speaking things into existence,” says Cannon. “Not to get all Tony Robbins, but you speak it, and it can definitely happen to you.” Cannon sat down with EW for an exclusive interview on his growing career and his high-profile marriage to superstar Mariah Carey.

On his film career: “They started throwing every movie [at me] and I chose bad. I didn’t understand that you had to be strategic. I was like, ‘A couple million dollars?! I get to shoot a gun?! Let’s go!’”

On his marriage to Mariah: “There were people who were for it and there were more people who were against. You have to ask the question: Is your heart more important than your career? Absolutely. I was like, If I don’t do anything else ever again in the entertainment industry, I’m in love with this woman.”

On his five-year plan: “First and foremost, to have a happy family and have some little Cannons running around. And then career-wise, I feel like I’m in that stage where people are taking me serious as a man right now. I wanna be a billionaire in five years. It can happen! I’m speaking it into existence!”

On raising children in Hollywood: “Me and my wife talk about it all the time. As much as there are private jets and champagne everywhere, I want them to understand that’s not what life is about. I’ve met quite a few grounded people who were born into situations like this. We look at those type of examples. I always admired the Kardashian family. They are normal. They’re a family that really loves each other. Or the Osbournes.”

On Mariah’s pet peeves: “She hates when I’m messy when it has to do with her nice stuff. Like, I can’t throw my jacket on the Marilyn Monroe piano—but I do. She hates that I wear suits. She likes me in, like, Timberlands with the fitted cap and T-shirts.”

For more from Nick Cannon, including how he and Mariah spend a typical night at home, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday.

Photo Credit: Matthew Salacuse for EW