Why Jordan From Fatherhood Looks So Familiar
Netflix's new comedy-drama "Fatherhood" is a strong showing from everyone involved, and definitely not the kind of movie you've come to expect from comedian Kevin Hart. Hart plays Matthew Logelin, whose wive (Deborah Ayorinde) dies after childbirth, and who now has to grow their daughter, Madeline (Melody Hurd), by himself.
Luckily, he's not completely alone in his endeavors. To cope with the situation, Matthew starts a blog, and quickly draws widespread attention. What's more, the movie has a robust supporting cast of quality actors, whose characters offer backup to the main character — in one way or another. Though Hart and Hurd are obviously the heart and soul of the movie, a viewer quickly notices some incredibly talented performers in their orbit. Many people are quick to notice that Matthew's mother is played by Alfre Woodard of "Captain America: Civil War" and "Empire" fame, and his good friend Oscar is brought to life by Anthony Carrigan (NoHo Frank in HBO's "Barry").
Matthew's other best friend, Jordan, also seems awfully familiar, even though you might not immediately be able to point out where you've seen him before. Let's correct that right now, because the actor is Lil Rel Howery, and he's very much worth knowing. Here's why Jordan from "Fatherhood" looks so familiar.
Lil Rel Howery is Rod Williams in Get Out
Lil Rel Howery has a background in comedy, but he has branched toward other genres — including horror. In 2017, he appeared in fellow comedian-turned-horror luminary Jordan Peele's highly esteemed and successful "Get Out." In this particular movie, Howery doesn't appear in the middle of the horrifying events, though. His character, TSA officer Rod Williams, is a good friend of Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya), who ends up in a supporting role as Chris tries to make sense of his girlfriend's (Allison Williams) increasingly creepy family. He also pops up at the very end of the movie to rescue the protagonist.
In a recent interview with Looper, Howery shared how he feels about being a part of this iconic film, and he's just as blown away by it as everyone else. "'Get Out' is so unique just because they're studying it in film schools now, which I think is crazy," he said. "I'm like, 'Oh, wow. I'm in a classic movie.' I think about that all the time. I have friends who have done a bunch of movies, but not everybody can say they at least got one classic under their belt, and 'Get Out' is a movie classic. I was just watching it on a plane again recently, and it's weird when I watch it now, just from a fan perspective — and I'm always blown away, like, 'Wow.'"
Excitingly, Howery has continued to work with some of his "Get Out" castmates. In 2021, he played the part of undercover agent Wayne in "Judas and the Black Messiah," which also features his "Get Out" co-stars Kaluuya and Lakeith Stansfield.
Lil Rel Howery is Charlie in Bird Box
In 2018, Lil Rel Howery appeared in "Bird Box," the Netflix horror thriller about strange monsters that cause the deaths of everyone who see them. Though a design of the movie's creatures does exist, the film itself is notorious for not showing them, or even revealing all that much about their true nature. As such, the audience is at the mercy of the various theories that the movie suggests. Howery's character, Charlie, is a grocery store worker who's responsible for one of the more exciting beliefs about the "Bird Box" monsters. According to him, they're demonic entities that are driving people insane in order to feast on their souls.
This being a horror movie, many of the characters die, and unfortunately, Charlie is no exception. Still, at least he goes out on his own terms. When his co-worker, Fish Finger (Matt Leonard), tries to let the creatures in the supermarket they're in, Charlie's heroic sacrifice saves the others — but leads to his own demise.
Lil Rel Howery hits the road with Eric André in Bad Trip
In 2021, Lil Rel Howery hit the road with fellow comedian Eric André in "Bad Trip," the Netflix prank comedy that sees the pair channel the spirit of "Borat" in the very best cringeworthy ways the genre allows. Chris (André) and Bud (Howery) embark on a road trip in a cool, pink vehicle they've "borrowed" from Bud's criminal sister Tina (Tiffany Haddish), who is hot on the pair's tail as they make their way to New York in an attempt to impress Chris' old crush, art dealer Maria (Michaela Conlin).
If you're familiar with André's work, you know that things get delightfully awkward for everyone involved, and Howery more than proves his mettle in the game of punkin' bystanders. Still, in an interview with Okay Player, he revealed that the shoot was far from easy, and that it took him a while to get in the groove. "At first, it was scary, right? The first day we almost got murdered," Howery admitted, though he was quick to note that he ended up thoroughly enjoying the process. "After a while, what I liked about it most was that, and I truly mean this, was the character work. I liked that we had to dive into whatever this world is."