In a new interview with Hot 97, comedian Lil Rel Howery takes time to discuss his upcoming Fox show Rel, airing on Sept. 9. During their conversation, Peter Rosenberg couldn’t help but ask a few questions about his breakout role inGet Outthat helped him bag his own TV series.
“What Get Out did was make things a little easier, and Jordan said it would,” Rel said. “I remember after the first cut he did he called me and was like ‘alright man, know your prices. You know what I mean, whatever you want you tell them a number.’”
Early on, Rel knew Get Out would be successful, but the first cut of the film also had another effect: It made him upset. “It was sadder. The first time I saw it, I couldn’t even sleep. I was so angry,” he explained.
In the film, after Chris, played by Daniel Kaluuya, manages to escape his evil girlfriend and her family, his best friend Rod, played by Rel, picks him up and takes him presumably to safety. But the original close to the Oscar-winner was more realistic. “It’s just the police coming to lock him up, and then I try to get him to tell me what happened, and my character, he’s like ‘whatever man, you know what it is,’” he said. “And that’s why I couldn’t sleep.”
Rel wasn’t the only person on set who felt sobered by the alternate ending. “When we shot it it was quiet on set. After we shot the jail scene, I remember the first few takes were really emotional,” he explained. “Everybody had to take a walk...I’m serious like literally had to take walks, cause it was sad. It’s such a reality.”
The comedian also went on The Tonight Show Tuesday night to talk about his new show, and explained how his main heroine is based off of Rel’s IRL best friend Tiffany Haddish, who he starred on The Carmichael Show with. Check out that clip below.
Rel airs this Sunday on Fox.
