Who Plays Emmett Fells On Blue Bloods?
In "Blue Bloods" Season 11, Episode 13, Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) and Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) investigate the murder of comedy club owner Elaine "Doc" Pressly (Deborah Fennelly). At first their lead suspect is a stand-up comic named Emmett Fells. During an interrogation, Fells even admits to murdering Doc, but Danny and Baez are never quite convinced that Falls is guilty. This hunch turns out to be correct — the killer, they find out, is actually another comic named Ricki Blanton (Ilana Becker).
Playing Fells in this "Blue Bloods" episode is real-life comic Ben Bailey. More than his work as a stage comic, most people familiar with Bailey likely know him for his job as the host of the long-running game show "Cash Cab." He debuted on the series when it premiered in 2005, and remained its host for hundreds of episodes until it went on a hiatus of sorts in 2020. While AXS TV revived "Cash Cab" in 2024, it's with a new host, meaning the gig that largely defined Bailey's entertainment career ended in 2020.
Bailey earned seven Daytime Emmy nominations for hosting "Cash Cab," and won awards in 2010, 2011, and 2013. To "Blue Bloods," then, he brought his considerable experience in comedy, lending authenticity to his character's career.
Ben Bailey remained an active comic even during his Cash Cab days
In an interview with Time Out, Ben Bailey revealed that he grew up thinking game show hosts were cheesy, and never thought he would become one himself. Understandably, then, Bailey never gave up on stand-up comedy even once he locked down his job hosting "Cash Cab." People who see him do stand-up, he recounted, are oftentimes surprised by his skill level. "I think they're like, 'Oh, wow, he's an actual comedian. He's not just some dude trying to cash in on his TV show,'" he said.
Before "Cash Cab," Bailey had already brought his stand-up act to TV, on shows like "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn." He also worked sporadically as an actor, on shows like "Mad TV," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "One Life to Live." After landing his "Cash Cab" gig, Bailey remained active in Hollywood, playing himself in an episode of "30 Rock" and guesting on two episodes of "Rachael Ray," among other minor roles. Of course, he's also branched out as a TV host, on "Cash Cab" spin-offs like "Cash Cab: After Dark" and "Money Grab in the Cab," as well as unrelated projects like "Who's Still Standing?"
So, even if dramatic acting like on "Blue Bloods" isn't quite his day job, Bailey is a genuine multi-hyphenate with experience in a numerous forms of entertainment.