After success as marketing associate Charles in eight seasons in black-ish and about a dozen films, as well as being the hype man for Old Spice products, alongside actress/comedian Gabrielle Dennis, Chicago native Deon Cole is adding another series to his resumé.
The primetime heartthrob known for making audiences laugh returns to television starring as Joe Washington in BET+’s new dark comedy “Average Joe.” Set in the Hill District of Pittsburgh and inspired by the life of creator Robb Cullen, the series is an intense one-hour ensemble.
“Average Joe” follows blue-collar plumber Joe Washington (Cole), a Roseland community native, who discovers his recently deceased father lived a secret, second life and stole millions from a group of dangerous Russians just before he died.
And they are committed to creating disruptions to Joe and his family members.
Joe’s father had worked for the Russian mob as a drug mule, and he steals the money and a Lamborghini. But he dies before he can enjoy either, and that doesn’t sit well with the mob. They want revenge by any means necessary.
A bloody and violent confrontation triggers a chain of events that force Joe and his close-knit circle of family and friends out of their very average and mundane lives into a life-or-death race against time to find the truth and the millions.
“Average Joe” is filled with suspense and gritty scenarios, with a bunch of levity strewn in. It’s like a simple plan with heads severed from bodies. Bodies dripping out of a hardware store family station wagon, and Joe with a mangled left hand that he is hard pressed to explain to his wife, Angela, played by Tammy Townsend.
The daughter, Jennifer, played by Ashley Olivia Fisher, has fallen in love with the son of the Russians and can’t believe that he ends up dead. As well, Joe is again swimming against the tide while trying to convince Jennifer that the short love affair was just a ruse.
Cynthia Kaye and Malcolm Barrett play cousin/friends Cathy and Leon Montgomery who are swept into Joe’s web of discovery—but they are not unwilling accomplices because they want a piece of the pie.
Cathy delivers a great speech about chopping up bodies and smearing them with peanut butter, before the crew dumps the bodies in the forest.
I think it’s a nice testament that this series depicts the Hill District in Pittsburgh, the same setting for August Wilson’s legacy of plays about Black family life—even though Cole and his family members’ roles are much more sinister. He is in an entirely different element in this series—and he delivers the darkness expertly.
“Average Joe” hit the streaming service BET+ in late June, and a new episode is playing weekly on Wednesday nights.
Cole truly does it all. Coming off his recent Netflix Special, “Charleen’s Boy,” which earned him several NAACP nominations, he returned to his roots of standup. It’s there that he connects with audiences and unites under a shared mission of laughter and joy.
He shocked the world when he appeared in Jeymes Samuel’s critically acclaimed film, “The Harder They Fall,” opposite Idris Elba, Regina King, Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield. He was nearly unrecognizable in what would be his debut to the world of drama, revealing the versatility and range he has acquired as an actor.
He has also written for late-night television shows and starred in “The Barbershop” franchise and “You People,” opposite Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy, among other films.
Cole is currently playing ‘Alfonso’ in Amblin/Warner Bro’s. “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule, opposite Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins, Colman Domingo, Danielle Brooks, Aunjanue Ellis, Halle Bailey, and musician H.E.R.
Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., is the Entertainment Editor for the Chicago Crusader. She is a National Newspaper Publishers Association ‘Entertainment Writing’ award winner, contributor to “Rust Belt Chicago” and the author of “Old School Adventures from Englewood: South Side of Chicago.” For info, Old School Adventures from Englewood—South Side of Chicago (lulu.com).
