Why Jason King From Resort To Love Looks So Familiar
Summer is the perfect time to watch romantic comedies. There's just something about the warmer weather and joie de vivre of the mid-year that sets hearts aflutter. Whether you plan to rewatch your favorite romantic comedies for the 100th time, or to check out some forgotten rom-com gems, you can always find something heartwarming to enjoy.
One of Netflix's newest romantic comedies, produced by Alicia Keys, has sparked a bit of controversy due to the plot's similarity to Keys' personal life — but despite this bit of negative attention, "Resort to Love" is an endearing movie that any rom-com fan will surely love. "Resort to Love" follows a singer named Erica Wilson (Christina Milian) who agrees to sing for events at a tropical resort, only to find herself booked to perform at her ex-fiancé Jason King's wedding. It's a hilarious movie with plenty of intense chemistry and emotional moments, making it a great summer rom-com watch.
The man who plays Jason King is an accomplished comedian in his own right, and you've likely seen him in a number of different shows and movies.
Jay Pharoah started out doing stand-up comedy
Jay Pharoah is a successful comedian who got his start doing voice impressions and stand-up comedy. In an interview with Bust, Pharoah confessed his first inspiration for delving into comedy: impressing a crush when he was six years old with an impression of Iago, the parrot from "Aladdin." He went on to act in local theaters but struggled with his confidence from a young age. "I looked in the mirror and I hated myself. It felt like s***. I didn't have a reprieve — everyone said harsh things to me. My sister was my one light."
Like many other notable comedians, Pharoah was able to use comedy as a form of escape. "I started doing standup at 15 and I got my confidence back," he told Bust. "I still didn't go to prom — but I was cool. Depression is very dark and in order to survive it, you have to make light of life. I was lucky to have comedy to exorcise those demons."
Since then, Pharoah's gone on to tour with other successful comedians including Corey Holcomb and Charlie Murphy (per The Washington Post) — and he shot to fame once he landed a coveted spot on a prestigious late-night comedy show.
Jay Pharoah landed a spot on Saturday Night Live
In 2010, Jay Pharoah made his debut on "Saturday Night Live" alongside fellow newcomers Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, and Taran Killam (via NBC). On the famous series, Pharoah became known for his uncanny vocal impressions of stars like Will Smith, Jay-Z, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Kanye West, and Denzel Washington — though one routine that often went viral online was his Obama impersonation. Pharoah was listed as number 55 on Rolling Stone's ranked list of "SNL" stars, where he was also dubbed "The Jimmy Fallon of 2 Chainz impressions."
Pharoah's time on "SNL" came to an end in 2016, when NBC chose not to renew his contract. In 2017 he spoke to Hot97 about his departure, saying "You go where you're appreciated. If you have multiple people on the cast saying things like, 'You're so talented and you're able and they don't use you, it's unfair and it's making us feel bad because they don't use you and you're a talent...' They put people into boxes and whatever they want you to do, they expect you to do. And I'm fiery. I'm not a yes n—-" (via Variety).
Pharoah also revealed that he'd gotten pushback several times for his refusal to stay quiet about things that concerned him on set, including a lack of diversity. Thankfully, despite the unfortunate end to Pharoah's well-received stint on "Saturday Night Live," he and Lorne Michaels don't have any bad blood between them, with Pharoah saying: "Lorne, I respect the hell out of him [...] there ain't no beef with Lorne."
Jay Pharoah has also had several film and TV roles
After gaining recognition on "SNL," Jay Pharoah went on to appear in numerous movies and television shows. He played the role of Randy in the romantic comedy "Lola Versus," then he had a small role in "Ride Along" alongside Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. He was also in the 2018 psychological horror film "Unsane."
In 2017, Pharoah starred in Showtime's "White Famous," which was based on the life of Jamie Foxx. He played a man named Floyd Mooney, a comedian who attempted to balance his personal credibility with the ramifications of becoming "white famous." Pharoah related his character Mooney's career trajectory with his own, and told Bust that, "I definitely see myself in this part. Floyd is hot on the underground and wants to cross over. He's trying not to lose himself. I'm the same way."
Pharoah is currently hosting the Nickelodeon game show "Unfiltered," which has panelists attempt to guess celebrities' identities as they're hidden behind animated filters and voice changers. Two seasons of "Nickelodeon's Unfiltered" are currently available to watch, and it seems like the series is going strong.