ALBUM IS CALLED "HUMBLY VULNERABLE," PLEASE WELCOME, THE
STAR OF "FREE GUY," LIL REL HOWERY.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> James: LOOK AT YOU!
I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME FOR US BECAUSE AYOU I THINK
MIGHT BE THE BUSIEST MAN WORKING IN SHOW BUSINESS AT THE MOMENT.
YOU ARE -- YOU'VE BEEN IN SO MANY MOVIES THIS YEAR YOU'RE IN
FREE GUY, VACATION FRIENDS, BAD TRIP, FATHERHOOD, TOM AND JERRY
SPACE JAM JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH.
>> I WRAP AND START ANOTHER MOVIE TOMORROW.
>> James: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
>> James: WHY ARE YOU HERE?
>> I DON'T KNOW!
>> James: WELL, WE'RE SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE.
I'M SO THRILLED.
WE LOVE IT EVERY DIME YOU'RE HERE.
I MEAN IT IS -- EVERY TIME YOU'RE HERE.
IT'S INCREDIBLE THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU'RE DOING.
WE WERE TALK BTION DATING JUST NOW THE TOP OF THE SHOW, YOU'RE
SINGLE AT THE MOMENT.
HOW'S THAT GOING?
DO YOU HAVE DIME TO DATE AT THE MOMENT?
CAN YOU EVEN SQUEEZE THAT INTO THE SCHEDULE?
>> I'VE BEEN TRYING TO.
AT FIRST I WAS FOCUSING ON DATING WITH INTENTION, I'M
DATING TO MEET MY NEXT WIFE.
I'M GOING TO NEXT WEEK I'M BACK ON THE STREETS!
SO -- (LAUGHTER)
>> SO I'M BACK.
I'M OUT HERE.
>> James: THAT'S IT, JUST STRAIGHT BACK, STRAIGHT BACK.
YOU'VE JUST RELEASED THIS BRILLIANT COMEDY ALBUM IT'S SO
GOOD, HUMBLY VULNERABLE.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE?
>> YOU KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I WENT ON STAGE IN A YEAR
AND A HALF.
PROBABLY THE MOST NERVOUS I'VE BEEN --
>> James: YOU DIDN'T DO ANY SHOWS LEADING UP TO THIS?
YOU RECORDED THE AUDIO OF THE FIRST TIME BACK ON STAGE?
>> IT WAS LIKE ME VENTING, WHATEVER I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT
DURING THE PANDEMIC QUARANTINE I TALKED ABOUT THAT.
IT WAS CRAZY THAT -- I'M ACTUALLY SURPRISED, IT WAS MY
BEST WORK AND I DIDN'T REALLY PRACTICE.
>> James: I THINK AUDIENCES CAN FEED OFF THAT.
WITH HAD SOMETHING FEELS COMPLETELY NATURAL AND ORGANIC.
LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT GOING TO CHURCH ONLINE, LIKE ZOOM CHURCH
WHICH MY PARENTS DID, BUT I NEVER DID.
WHAT IS ZOOM CHURCH LIKE?
>> EVEN WHEN I TALK ABOUT AN ALBUM, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY.
PEOPLE SAY ANYTHING IN THE COMMENTS EVEN IF IT'S CHURCH.
>> James: LIKE WHAT?
>> MEAN STUFF.
ONE PREACHER WAS REALLY REACTING ON THE COMMENTS.
HE WHEREAS LIKE, SAY TOILET MY FACE!
I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW LARRY, 34 FIVE, QUESTION MARK.
ZOOM CHURCH WAS HILARIOUS.
I WAS CRACKING UP.
AND LIKE ONE TIME I WAS LIKE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE ZOOM WHICH IS
EVEN SADDER.
HE KEPT WAITING, AIN'T NOBODY COMING IN HERE MAN.
LIKE -- >> James: I THINK WHAT YOU
GET FROM THIS ALBUM IS YOU ARE SUCH AN ACCOMPLISHED STANDUP
ALREADY.
AND I THINK GETTING BETTER WITH EVERY PASSING YEAR.
BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW YOUNG YOU WERE WHEN YOU FIRST DID
STANDUP.
IS THIS RIGHT?
YOU WERE UNDER AGE AND YOU SNUCK INTO A COMEDY CLUB.
>> I DIDN'T EVEN SNEAK IN.
I GOT THERE REALLY EARLY.
I WENT SO THEY WOULDN'T CHECK MY I.D.
I LITERALLY SET THE CHAIRS UP SO >> James: AND PUT YOUR NAME
UP?
HOW DID IT GO?
>> THAT FIRST TIME WAS TOUGH.
I'LL NEVER FORGET.
EVERYBODY REMEMBER WHEN THEY BOMB BUT I AIN'T HAD NO FACIAL
HAIR.
LITTLE BABY UP THERE CURSING, YOU KNOW?
AND THAT'S A TRUE STORY.
AND I WAS BOBBING SO HARD, DAMON WILLIAMS WAS HOSTING, HE PLAYED
SOMEONE PLEASE CALL 911 WHEN I WAS ON THE STAGE.
>> James: NO?
>> THAT'S THE SADDEST WALK OFF THE STAGE, LIKE A SHOT I CAN'T
GOOD HOME NOW I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
HE BUMPED SO HARD, HE PLAYED PLEASE CALL 911.
>> James: WHAT WAS THE TIME FRAME BETWEEN GETTING BOMBING
THAT NIGHT AND GETTING BACK UP AGAIN?
>> THE NEXT NIGHT HI A REALLY GREAT SET.
I USED TO RECORD MY SETS ON CASSETTE TAPE.
I HAD MY BROTHER MATT LISTEN TO THE TAPE, HE WAS LIKE DUDE, WHY
ARE YOU GOING BACK?
HE WAS DYING LAUGHING AAT ME, BOMBING, IT'S HYSTERICAL.
ONCE YOU GET THAT BUG WITHSTANDUP IT DOESN'T GO AWAY.
I TRY OTAKE A BREAK SOMETIMES, I WALK INTO A CLUB, IT'S A RAP.
COMEDY SAVED MY LIFE.
LIKE STANDUP NO MATTER WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH IN MY LIFE STANDUP
HAS ALWAYS HAD MY BACK SO I'VE ALWAYS LOVED STANDUP.
>> James: I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A REAL PROGRESSION FOR, THAT'S
REALLY YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
CONGRATULATIONS ON FREE GUY.
WHICH HAS BEEN A MASSIVE HIT.
THERE IS ALWAYS TALK OF A SEQUEL.
EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
WHAT DO YOU PLAY?
>> WE MAKE THIS VIDEO GAME, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WE'RE VIDEO GAME
CHARACTERS BUT DS A FUN MOVIE AND IT'S NOT HARD FOR ME TO TALK
ABOUT IF YOU AIN'T SEEN IT, SO MANY COOL THINGS HAPPENING BUT
IT'S JUST A LOTS OF FUN WORKING WITH RYAN BUT IT'S A RIOT.
IT IS FUNNY, A LOT OF HEART IN IT, A LOT OF ACTION.
THE COOLEST THING I'M HEARING FROM AUDIENCES IS THEY ARE
REALLY SURPRISED ABOUT ALL THE LITTLE MESSAGES THAT'S IN THE
MOVIE.
MAN FREE GUY, IT'S CRAZY HOW GOOD IT'S DOING AND RYAN
REYNOLDS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARKTH.
I HAD SO MUCH FUN -- ACTORS, I HAD SO MUCH FUN WORKING WITH
THAT GUY HE'S SO DOPE.
>> James: TV SHOWS, HOSTING, STANDUP.
WHAT IS THE NEXT THING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DID?
IS THERE A SPECIFIC CHARACTER YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY, A
SPECIFIC GENRE OF ARE MOVIE YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY?
>> I DO WANT TO PLAY A VILLAIN.
I'M ALWAYS THE HERO, FINE, I GET IT, I'M SAVING PEOPLE, A COOL.
I LIKE TO BE A BAD GUY.
AUDIENCES ARE USED TO SEEING ME BE A GOOD GUY.
BUT EVIL, I WANT TO THROW PEOPLE OFF WITH THAT.
THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE BUSINESS.
I WANT TO OWN AN NBA TEAM, I KNOW IT SOUNDS CRAZY BUT I
COULD, I WANT TO BE AN OWNER, I TRULY DO.
>> James: IF YOU PICK A TEAM RIGHT NOW WHO ARE YOU GOING TO
OWN?
>> A TEAM THAT'S NOT THAT GOOD, ONE THAT I COULD AFFORD FOR ME
TO INVEST IN, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE SACRAMENTO KINGS.
>> James: I THINK COULD YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
>> I THINK ABOUT IT A LOT ACTUALLY.
IT'S LIKE WEIRD.
I'M SUCH A HUGE BASKETBALL FAN, THAT'S WHAT I DO IN MY OFF TIME.
ME AND MY BROTHER, YOU'D THINK WE HAD A PODCAST, LISTENING TO
US TALK ABOUT BASKETBALL, I LOVE THE N BMPTA.
I WOULD BE A SCOUT.
>> James: I THINK YOU WOULD BE A GOOD ONE.
>> I KNOW WOULD I.
>> James: I THINK THERE'S A VERY REAL CHANCE THAT IN LIKE
EIGHT YEARS TIME YOU'RE GOING TO BE UNVEILED OWNING 25% OF THE
SACRAMENTO KINGS AND THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY THIS CLIP AT THE
PRESS CONFERENCE.
>> SERIOUSLY, I HOPE THAT HAPPENS, ACTUALLY.
>> James: I HOPE IT DOES TOO.
BUT I ALSO HOPE YOU KEEP IN STANDUP AND KEEP IN MOVIES.
YOU'RE SO RIDICULOUSLY DANLTED.