00:00Essence Fest, while I am longing to give back to New Orleans for a beignet and a second line
00:13with all of you in the 504, it is truly my pleasure to be here with you today virtually
00:18as your host for our 20th Century Studios panel as we give you an exclusive look at the film's
00:26Free Guy and Vacation Friends coming this summer 2021. Well, let's get started, shall we? I have the
00:35pleasure of introducing our very special guest for today's panel. Ladies and Jim, please welcome
00:42actor, comedian, entertainer, entrepreneur, Lil Rel Howery. Good to see you. Congratulations on
00:50everything. How you doing? Thanks for having me. I'm doing great. I wish I was doing as great as you
00:55are the list of things. Oh my goodness. How have you been? How are you holding up in all of this?
01:02I've been really good. It's been a solid summer so far. I have my summer with my kids, so them being
01:08here with me, especially after last year, and I was by myself for a long time. It feels good to have a
01:15house full of kids and laughter and joy. They're excited about the movies too. Tell us a little
01:20bit about your role as buddy in Free Guy. Free Guy is really cool because we're all video game
01:27characters who don't know we're video game characters, and there's so much heart in this
01:31movie. It's so funny. Ryan Reynolds was so much fun to work with. What I do love is that all the
01:38special effects you see was actually in person, so it's not all just, you know, green screens and post
01:45stuff. Like, it literally was a dude with a flamethrower and all this other stuff. So it's
01:49really cool to actually, like, to say that to people. Like, no, a lot of this stuff y'all see in
01:53there was actually there. I had a chance to watch Free Guy, and it was equally heartfelt as it is
01:59naturally comedic when you were involved. I want to show the folks the trailer. Let's take a look.
02:06My name is Guy. Sunday should be warm and sunny. Just a scattering of drive-bys. And I live in paradise.
02:15I've got a best friend. This is the greatest cup of coffee of our time.
02:18Ho-ho! Mondays. Am I right, Joe? You said it, guys.
02:21Yeah! And I work at the bank.
02:24Everybody down on the ground!
02:26I thought I had everything I needed. But then I met her.
02:31Everybody down on the ground. Everybody except you.
02:35Me?
02:35It's just us!
02:36Please, I have a cold fish.
02:37There's something inside you, Guy.
02:39I don't want something inside me.
02:40They expected you to just follow the rules, but you are so much more than that.
02:43Put these on.
02:44Okay.
02:45Fine.
02:45I don't know.
02:46Oh, my God!
02:49What are these, trick glasses or something?
02:52Guy, there is no easy way to say this. This world, it's a video game. You're not real.
02:58Waste that mother...
02:59And the guy responsible for this world is going to destroy it.
03:06You've met God?
03:07Yes, he's an absolute troll.
03:09Trolls exist.
03:10Buddy, if we're not real, doesn't that mean that nothing you do matters?
03:15I am sitting here with my best friend trying to help him get through a tough time.
03:19Now, if that's not real, I don't know what is.
03:22I know this world is just a game, but this place, these people, that's all I have.
03:26So I'm not going to be the good guy.
03:28Thanks, guy.
03:29I'm going to be the great guy.
03:31Well, enjoy your lifetime supply of virginity.
03:34Off you go.
03:35This whole good guy routine is ruining the game.
03:38Woo!
03:39Terminator.
03:40It's the first time I've ever driven a car before.
03:42I really wish you'd mention that.
03:44Yeah.
03:45Yeah.
03:46Why?
03:51That actually hurt my hand.
03:53We can save our world, but we have to fight together.
03:57I don't even know what's happening right now, but I love it.
03:59Time's up, bank teller!
04:07Whoa!
04:13Nope!
04:19I can't die!
04:21I'm never going to die!
04:23Woo!
04:29Rel, are there elements or themes, I mean, within Free Guy that might resonate as we begin to hopefully return to a normal life?
04:38It's a sense of community, right?
04:40And I think that's what's beautiful about Free Guys that you, and which we need, I think in our world, we need today.
04:47It's just a sense of community, especially in America, like, you know, where everybody wants to be looked at as the same, right?
04:52And that's what's interesting about, you know, the heart in Free Guy is, is bringing all these different people together, from video game characters to actually people in the real world.
05:00I think of you as the king of chemistry.
05:03In every film, you just light up and you make everyone around you shine.
05:08Your chemistry with Ryan Reynolds was also so good.
05:12How did you guys vibe?
05:14Where did you hit it off with Ryan?
05:16Ryan Reynolds was incredible to work with.
05:18Our chemistry is great because he's just a good dude.
05:21He's a great actor.
05:22He's always, to me, seemed like a very naturally nice guy.
05:27And by the time we met and we started doing the film, man, it was just like, he was just such a cool dude.
05:34All of our viewers, you can catch Free Guy in theaters August 13th.
05:40In addition to Free Guy, you're also starring in Vacation Friends with my girl, Yvonne Orji,
05:46and wrestler-turned-actor and former co-host of mine, John Cena.
05:51Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
05:53Yes, Vacation Friends is just a silly, fun, you can call it raunchy comedy, starring my homegirl, Yvonne Orji, who I love to death.
06:04This is our second time working together.
06:05We did in Secure Together, where I played a love interest on the show that, you know, just, you know, he just disappeared.
06:11I don't know why the brother didn't come back.
06:13But it was amazing working with her on this movie.
06:18Like, she was like, when I first signed on to do this, she was actually the first person I thought of that I wanted to play my fiance.
06:24So, it was cool to actually have that thought, be able to share my thoughts with the producers and the director, and they all agreed.
06:33And, man, you know, me and Yvonne got, like, naturally great chemistry.
06:36I just love working with her.
06:37And then John Cena, man, that dude is hilarious.
06:40Like, that's one of the things I didn't know that he was that funny.
06:43And he's like, he's open.
06:45Like, he's like, yo, what's your do?
06:46I'll do whatever.
06:47Let's do it.
06:48Whatever.
06:48Just say action a minute.
06:49Just let me know what you want me to do.
06:50You know, so just working with John and him, and you know what's great, because I did a lot of my own stunts in the movie, right?
06:55I did all my own stunts, actually.
06:56Really?
06:57You did your own stunts?
06:58I did my own stunts.
07:00But Cena kept telling me, like, dude, you don't have to do this, right?
07:03Wow, listen.
07:04I'm going to go do that in five seconds.
07:05Why are you running to this truck?
07:07I'm like, I don't know.
07:07I want to do my own stunts.
07:08Did he try to get you to eat the healthy, I mean, he has one splurge day a year where he eats pizza.
07:14Did he try to change your whole lifestyle?
07:17No, he didn't.
07:17Thank God he didn't.
07:18Thank God he didn't.
07:22Brother, you know he played the piano, right?
07:24Did you know that?
07:25I know, and he, yes, he is quite the character.
07:27But wait a minute, wait, wait, wait.
07:28Just a minute.
07:29I'm hearing some feedback.
07:30Rel?
07:31Yvonne, is that you?
07:34Little Rel.
07:36What do we have here?
07:39What are you doing?
07:40No, what are you doing, Rel?
07:41We were like, you know what we're not going to do?
07:43Go on vacation without each other.
07:44But here you are at Essence Fest just chilling with Tamron Hall.
07:48Girl, you look good, by the way.
07:49I love the cut.
07:50You popping.
07:51Chilling with Tamron Hall at Essence Fest.
07:54Acting like we didn't have a whole conversation about going on vacation together.
07:57It's cool.
07:57It's cool.
07:58It's cool.
07:58Because that's why behind every black man is a strong black woman who is gracious and kind
08:04and forgiven and filled with love.
08:06That's me.
08:07Okay, that's me.
08:08I'm the strong black woman.
08:09Matter of fact, you know what?
08:10Since you're just not about that life, let me do the honors.
08:14Vacation Friends is coming to Hulu when?
08:16August 27th.
08:17All right, so get ready for an unforgettable vacation.
08:21Mm-hmm.
08:22It's popping.
08:23Like I just popped my mouth.
08:24It's popping.
08:26Except for Rel.
08:27Rel's not popping anymore.
08:28Matter of fact, he's popping off my contact list.
08:30Because what are you doing?
08:32Rel, Yvonne, thank you so much for your time today.
08:35We are so looking forward to seeing both of you.
08:38Free Guy and Vacation Friends this summer.
08:42Make sure to look out for Free Guy in theaters near you, August 13th.
08:46And Vacation Friends on Hulu, August 27th.
08:50Essence Fest, it's been a pleasure.
08:51And thank you for having me.
08:53Until next time.
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