Lil Rel Howery
A relaxed Chicago storyteller who turns family memories into sprawling physical reenactments.
6 specials · 2013–2025
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Watching Lil Rel Howery do standup feels like catching up with an enthusiastic friend who refuses to tell a short story. He doesn’t just recount an interaction; he embodies both sides of it. He drops his register to play a disgruntled uncle, then shifts into a frantic pitch for a bewildered bystander. He paces with a heavy step, occasionally pausing to sing an old R&B chorus just to set the mood of a bit. He will stretch a single anecdote about organizing a family funeral over ten minutes, walking the audience through the posture of every relative in the room instead of rushing a punchline.
Specials
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Hometown storytelling and high-energy impressions from the Chicago Theatre.
HBO · 61 min
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Amy Schumer Presents: Parental Advisory with Christina Pazsitzky, Jaye McBride & 4 more
A quick-moving showcase of family-centric stand-up from the Hollywood Palladium.
Netflix · 57 min
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Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents
Character-driven stories about toddlers, technology, and fights at Chuck E. Cheese.
Comedy Central · 30 min
On stage
After playing the grounded TSA agent in Get Out, Howery became a steady presence in film comedies. Yet his standup remains tethered to Chicago. He makes a living on screen playing the regular guy who points out when a situation is crazy, and he brings that exact same skepticism to the stage. He is visible enough to pack theaters, but casual enough that crowds still talk to him like they know him.
His material pulls from pop culture nostalgia, therapy, and the dynamics of his extended family. Because he prefers a comfortable pace, his sets can occasionally lack structure. He sometimes lets an anecdote drift and fade out without a hard ending, coasting on sheer warmth to keep the room engaged. He will even tell audiences he likes to end a show quietly rather than closing on a massive joke. People do not buy tickets for tightly coiled wordplay. They go to watch him physically recreate the way his older neighbors walk down the street.
Turning points
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Release of Debut Hour Special RELevent
Executive produced by Kevin Hart and filmed as a homecoming show at Chicago's Vic Theater, RELevent established Howery as a national headlining standup.
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Breakout Role in Horror Hit Get Out
Howery starred as TSA officer Rod Williams in Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed film Get Out, winning an MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Comedic Performance and launching his mainstream acting career.
At a glance
- Born
- , Chicago, Illinois
- On stage
- since 2001
- Style
- storytelling, observational
- Breakout
- Kevin Hart Presents: Lil Rel: RELevent
- Influences
- Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Damon Wayans, Ellen DeGeneres, Bernie Mac, David Alan Grier
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Wikipedia
Fans also like
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Jerrod CarmichaelHowery co-starred for three seasons on The Carmichael Show and later teamed with Carmichael to executive produce his semi-autobiographical Fox sitcom Rel.
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Tiffany HaddishBoth comedians emerged through urban stand-up circuits and shared notable comedic chemistry as ex-spouses on The Carmichael Show.
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Jermaine FowlerHowery and Fowler developed a close creative partnership after being cast together on the In Living Color revival and co-creating sketch material on Friends of the People.
Podcasts
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Keepin' It Rel with Young Wayne · co-host
Lil Rel Howery and longtime friend Dwayne 'Young Wayne' Young engage in good-natured debates, roasts, and unscripted discussions on sports, culture, and mental health.
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All-In w/ Lil Rel Howery · host
Lil Rel Howery hosts candid, free-flowing conversations and comedic sit-downs with leading figures in stand-up comedy.
Also on screen
- 2015–2017
- The Carmichael Show
- Get Out
- Insecure
- 2018–2019
- Rel
- Uncle Drew
A clip to start with
A clip of Lil Rel Howery