-You're gonna have a big Sunday this Sunday, man. It's exciting.
-This is -- This is fun -- Like, and it --
Like, to kind of do your show and was in the intro over here.
It's kind of cool.
-Dude, thanks for doing the beginning -- the beginning, too.
We've known each other for a little bit because...
-Yeah.
-...I met you at Comics Come Home in Boston.
It's a charity Denis Leary does
for the Cam Neely Foundation. -Yes.
And he's like -- he said, "You know Lil Rel?"
And I go, "Yeah, I know Lil Rel a little bit."
And he goes, "I've seen him."
So he goes, "Have you ever seen him do stand-up?"
I go, "I've seen a little bit."
He goes, "Watch this guy." -Wow.
-"Watch him." And I was like, "All right."
So I went and made sure I was with my dad,
and you crushed the Garden, dude.
-[ Laughs ] -You crushed it.
I was like -- I was like -- When you walked off,
like, you were, like, floating off the stage, like,
"Yeah, that's right. That's how you do it, yeah,"
and just kind of floated out, and I go...
And it was so good, and I was like, "Oh, man."
It was a pleasure to see you.
And then, after "Get Out," it was just giant,
and now you have this big sitcom on Fox.
-Yeah. -I'm just happy for you, buddy.
-Thanks, man. -And I -- And I just love
that you still do comedy, too,
'cause it's great that you still do stand-up.
-Well, you know what's crazy --
you didn't have a suit on that day.
I just never see you with a regular outfit.
[ Laughter ] -It's weird.
It's like seeing your teacher at the grocery store, right?
It's like... [ Laughter ]
..."You don't -- You don't -- You don't buy stuff."
Yeah, I didn't have a suit on -- you're right.
-"What you doing eating? You're a teacher."
[ Laughter ]
-The new sitcom -- tell me about "Rel,"
because I read somewhere
that you described it as "Martin" meets "Seinfeld."
-Yeah. -And I love both of them.
I mean, Martin Lawrence -- genius.
-Well, that's where, like, you know,
I'm doing a different extra character every week --
you know what I'm saying?
So besides playing, you know, the main character,
I, you know --
you don't know -- you never know
who the other person will be I'm gonna be doing.
So I'm in prosthetics and doing all that stuff,
and it's been fun.
Like, and every episode,
literally, is a different character,
'cause I -- what I want to do with the first season is --
knock on wood, if I get a second season --
but I want the audience to pick out who they kind of like,
and that's who I would bring back.
-And how -- how is it like "Seinfeld"?
How would you say the show is like that?
-It -- You know, one thing I love about "Sein--"
it's -- the "show about nothing" theme was --
even though they called it that,
but I like that it just seemed like
regular observation and conversations, right?
It was built off what they was annoyed about, right?
And, like, I didn't realize until I became a grown-up
how much George Costanza and, like, Larry David
is a lot like me.
Like, this... [ Light laughter ]
...black kid related to these two Jewish guys...
[ Laughter ]
...'cause I -- 'cause I get annoyed by the smallest things.
And, like, you... -Like what? Like what?
-In the show. Like, for instance, in the show,
you know -- it's -- it's --
look, it's a couple things, right?
Like, women with loose boots drive me crazy, right?
I know that don't sound like anything.
-Loose -- Loose boots? -Loose boots.
Like, I think if you're gonna wear a sexy boot, it should fit.
Like, I should see your heart beating in the boot.
That's how tight it should be.
[ Laughter ] -A loose boot.
-I can't stand when you got extra leg room in it.
Like, I can't take the focus off it --
just see your leg go across the boot.
[ Laughter ]
[ Laughing ] It's too much. It drives me crazy.
-Really? -I hate loose boots.
-You hate loose boots? -And it --
I mean, like, for real. Like, I didn't, like...
-I love that that's the things that bother you --
like, you were saying that you get mad at people texting.
-I hate when people text and, like, don't look at their phone.
Like, people that's just that good,
where they can just... [ Laughter ]
-Dude, that's what makes... -Now, you're a maniac.
You know what I mean? -That's what...
[ Laughter ]
-That's what makes you different than anyone else.
And then, the -- the -- the friend or the love interest,
or we don't know yet? -Yeah.
-The female character.
-Well, 100%, it's not a love interest, right?
'Cause I got tired of shows --
every time a man and a, you know, a woman,
like, are friends, they end up hooking up and being --
Like, no, this -- we'll never hook up.
I wanted to just show a platonic friendship
between a man and a woman without having them hook up.
-Well, good for you. -Yeah.
-Yeah, that's something different.
-Yeah. [ Cheers and applause ]
-And it's -- it's loosely based on your friend Tiffany Haddish,
who... -Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Tiff -- Tiff is one of my -- my best friends, actually.
And it's based on, like, really, her and a bunch of my homegirls
that I'm just cool with
that I never, never tried to do anything with --
you know what I mean?
Like, we're just straight-up friends.
-Just actually friends, yeah. -And it's so --
'Cause there's something fun about that,
thinking a lot like -- like,
those homegirls you got like that
really are like one of the guys.
Yeah, they might be gorgeous, and the dudes love them,
but, like, I get the chance to know them as a friend.
Like, it's -- it's stuff the boyfriends don't know.
Like, "Oh, she's actually really funny, but, all right."
-Yeah, yeah. [ Laughter ]
"Don't bother to ask, yeah." -[ Laughs ]
-But what a great year both of you guys have had.
-Yeah. -Is it -- I mean, is it fun --
Does she, like, see you and root for you,
and then you root for her? -I'll be -- I'm like --
I remember she hosted, you know, the VM-- it was not --
No, the Movie -- the MTV Movie & TV Awards.
-Yes, that's right. -And we're at the after party,
and, like, to see all these celebrities
lined up to meet my friend
was the most weirdest... -Wow.
-...thing in the world.
Like, yo, like -- And it was --
'Cause there was a time when I used to bring Tiffany out.
People be like, "Man, like, you're bringing Tiffany out?"
'Cause Tiffany was so fun.
So, like, and it's messed up telling this true story.
But, like, most of the -- some of the homies would be like,
"Hey, man, why you bringing Tiffany?
She makes the girls too comfortable."
Like, they have these girls in the VIP section --
they just want them sitting there, quiet.
-Yeah. -Tiffany would show up.
All of them started dancing and having a good time.
[ Laughter ] And they would get mad at me.
They're like, "Why are you bringing Tiffany?"
I'm like, "First of all,
she was my ride everywhere I need to go."
[ Laughter ]
You know what I mean? I'm staying on her couch.
You know what I mean? [ Both laugh ]
-This -- This Sunday, after "NFL on Fox"...
-Yes. -It's a big night for you, man.
I love it. Couldn't happen to a better man.
-Thank you so much for having me.
Lil Rel Howery! [ Cheers and applause ]
-Thank you. Thank you. -Lil Rel Howery!