The Let Go and Let God Lifestyle w/ Lil Rel Howery

Summary

Podcast Summary: Keep It Positive, Sweetie

Episode: "The Let Go and Let God Lifestyle w/ Lil Rel Howery"

Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett
Guest: Lil Rel Howery
Date: November 23, 2025
Podcast Network: The Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this uplifting and candid episode, host Crystal Renee Hayslett sits down with actor, comedian, and director Lil Rel Howery for a deep dive into his journey of faith, healing, career growth, and embracing the “Let Go and Let God” lifestyle. They explore Lil Rel’s roots, career milestones, the value of faith and therapy, family lessons, and his latest film, "Unexpected Christmas." The episode is filled with heartfelt laughter, wisdom, and memorable stories of resilience and spiritual growth.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Early Life, Roots, and Discovering Comedy

[03:12–06:56]

• Lil Rel credits Jordan Peele for the comedic timing in "Get Out" but highlights the importance of making the most of every moment, Bernie Mac–style:
  • "Whether it's one line or two lines, you just gonna bring it." (Lil Rel, 04:23)
• Realized his ability to be "performative funny" in high school, drawing his first big laugh from tough Chicago peers.
• Stand-up as a launchpad: Stand-up comedy set the stage for his acting and TV career.
• Inspired by legends like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart, and more.

2. Intentionality, Goals, and Breaking Through

[06:57–11:14]

• Lil Rel was intentional about checking off career goals, such as having a sitcom in his own name:
  • "Because of Red Fox, because of Martin...I need a show with my name in it." (Lil Rel, 07:31)
• His career took off after collaborative projects and building strong industry relationships.
• Discusses “prophesied” success: How faith and prophecy gave him clarity and purpose for his next steps.

3. Faith, Prophecy, and Personal Healing

[11:14–16:39]

• Grew up in the Baptist church—early seeds of faith were sown.
• Profound healing after his mother’s passing; moments of spiritual guidance steered him through grief and bad decisions.
• Shares an intimate encounter with God during a small church session that brought peace and forgiveness:
  • "We had a real conversation...she forgives me and I'm okay because it was stuff I really felt bad about." (Lil Rel, 14:13)
• Describes a “let go and let God” lifestyle that is rooted in reflection and gratitude for God’s grace.

4. Sobriety, Therapy, and Growth

[18:09–20:16]

• Marks nearly two years of sobriety; discusses the importance of owning his choices and understanding overuse:
  • "I don't think it's evil to drink...But if you're abusing it, your intentions is to take you out of stuff because you can't handle stuff." (Lil Rel, 18:44)
• Talks about the value of therapy and the cultural barriers to seeking help:
  • "Even just going to therapy...now I can explain why that's important." (Lil Rel, 19:45)

5. Redefining Faith & Personal Relationship with God

[20:40–22:53]

• Re-exploring faith as an adult, reading the Bible for himself, and questioning old narratives:
  • "I feel like I love Jesus in a totally different way now. And it’s not just based off what was told to me." (Lil Rel, 21:29)
• Growing in spiritual maturity and owning his beliefs.

6. Laughter, Grief, and Using Humor as Healing

[22:53–25:04]

• Draws inspiration from Richard Pryor’s life, learning to turn pain into comedy and recognizing the pain behind the laughter.
• Reflects on wishing he could have been a supportive friend to troubled stars like Whitney Houston.

7. Relationships, Marriage, and Blended Family

[25:15–38:32]

• Shares the importance of having God as the center of his marriage:
  • "We literally had arguments like, 'God, you heard what she said.'" (Lil Rel, 25:52)
• Talks about growth within his relationship and the patience required in fatherhood, especially with his blended family (seven children between him and wife Daniela).
• Emphasizes letting kids come to him and letting God guide those relationships.

8. Rest, Peace, and Self-Care

[34:28–36:48]

• Redefines the meaning of resting in God's peace, even amidst career busyness:
  • "God make moments for you when you supposed to just chill." (Lil Rel, 34:49)
  • "I started noticing I was getting tired in my blessing." (Lil Rel, 35:12)
• Practices self-care through sports, exercise, and intentional “chill” time.

9. Health Journey & Fitness

[38:32–43:54]

• Credits his inspiration to work out to Kevin Hart’s work ethic and the demands of filming multiple movies.
• Describes working out as a family and community experience, noting that real transformation began with therapy and spiritual work:
  • "It wasn't just physical weight...it was trauma attached to me that was holding weight." (Lil Rel, 42:54)

10. Embracing Leadership and Artistic Ownership

[49:59–54:11]

• On leadership: Had to grow into the role, moving from bravado and “fronting” to truly asking questions and seeking guidance.
• Shares learning moments from observing Tyler Perry and shifting from criticizing to appreciating fellow Black creatives.
  • "God is like, I'm giving y' all a prime example of somebody doing something through faith." (Lil Rel, 52:43)

11. Building Legacy: What's Funny Comedy Festival

[55:45–60:09]

• Started the festival out of a love for comedy and the belief comics should lead in the industry.
• Importance of collaboration and supporting the next generation of talent.
• Gained business acumen, understanding the importance of planning and delivering returns to investors.

12. Nurturing Community, Giving Flowers, and Collaboration

[61:30–63:18]

• Recently made a personal effort to send thanks to comedy peers and mentors, often moving them to tears.
• Stresses that the industry is big enough for everyone, and not to give in to bitterness or envy.

13. "Unexpected Christmas" – A New Kind of Holiday Movie

[63:18–67:09]

• The new film brings humor and heart with a fresh ensemble, a unique original soundtrack, and representation.
• Lil Rel advocated for himself as the lead and encouraged Black producers to stop pigeonholing themselves.
• "Let love lead. We're gonna have problems, we're gonna have disagreements. But if you let love lead and faith lead, promise you everything will work itself out." (Lil Rel, 69:08)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith and Prophecy ([13:31]):
  "Your first reaction usually is like, dang, God, that was just me and you talking. So for her to say it, I know this got to be you."

• On Rest and Blessings ([35:12]):
  "Because what I started noticing was I was getting tired in my blessing."

• On Addiction and Healing ([18:44]):
  "If you’re abusing it, you’re not doing it in moderation. Your intentions is to take you out of stuff because you can’t handle stuff."

• On Leadership ([50:30]):
  "I was so comfortable with the Persona leading away. So it was me acting like I knew what I was doing. I didn’t."

• On Business and Legacy ([59:42]):
  "I can’t ask for money and can’t tell people how they gonna get their return."

• On Supporting Others ([61:40]):
  "Some of them called back, like, in tears. I didn’t know they needed to hear what I was saying. Which is about giving flowers."

• On the Message of 'Unexpected Christmas' ([69:08]):
  "Let love lead...if you let love lead and faith lead, promise you everything will work itself out."

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Early Comedy Roots – 03:12–06:56
• Career Intentionality/Stand-up to Hollywood – 06:57–11:14
• Faith & Prophecy – 11:14–16:39
• Sobriety & Therapy – 18:09–20:16
• Faith Evolution – 20:40–22:53
• Grief/Laughter as Healing – 22:53–25:04
• Marriage & Blended Family – 25:15–38:32
• Rest, Peace & Self-care – 34:28–36:48
• Fitness Journey – 38:32–43:54
• Leadership & Artistic Ownership – 49:59–54:11
• Legacy & The Comedy Festival – 55:45–60:09
• Mentorship & Collaboration – 61:30–63:18
• Unexpected Christmas – 63:18–69:08
• Closing Reflections – 69:08–70:27

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Closing Reflection

Lil Rel Howery’s journey is one of intentional growth, honest reckoning, laughter through pain, and deep spiritual renewal. This conversation is a powerful reminder to let go, let God, give yourself and others grace, and use your platform—whatever it is—to uplift those around you. Promise: if you lead with faith and love, everything will work itself out.

"Laughter isn’t the opposite of faith. It’s proof of it." (Crystal Renee Hayslett, 70:32)

Transcript

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[Lil Rel Howery]

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[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Calling all my sweeties to the forefront. I'm your host, Chris Renee Hayslett, and this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Lilbe Howery has built a career that blends humor and honesty. He's an actor, producer, and writer who rooted in purpose, and he continues that legacy with his latest film, Unexpected Christmas, a story about love, family, and finding laughter in the chaos. Kids, family, please give a very warm welcome to Lil Rel Howery. Rel, thank you so much for coming today. I know you had a busy schedule. You are promoting your new film, Unexpected Christmas. We're gonna talk about that, but first, I want to get into Lil Rel Howery. You're from the west side of Chicago. Everyone knows you from your breakout role, get out, which you stole the. You stole the movie. Not the show. You stole the movie. Like, everybody really took to you in that movie. And it's crazy because you were, like, in small parts, but were you very intentional about how you delivered? Because you really, like, were memorable in that movie.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I mean, a lot of credit goes to Jordan Peele. He knew where to slice in comedy in the very intense moments.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But it's also one of those things, like, you know, from, like, the Bernie Mac school of performing, where whether it's one line or two lines, you just gonna bring it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You did want to be memorable.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

You know what I'm saying? Yes. Yes, you were. And the rest was history. Yes. That's awesome. When did you know that you were funny?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I knew I was funny early, but I knew I could be performative. Funny was really my senior year in high school.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Really?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I did a play my senior year, and the teacher let me write my. The lines, my comedic lines. And so I went to a hood school on the west side, crony high school. And I throw that out there because them kids don't laugh at nothing. Like, they mostly heckle you. It's like the toughest. Like, they, like people coming to give, like, a speech to tell us we gonna be somebody, but, man, shut up. No, I'm not. Like, they heckle anybody.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so, like, to impress them was a big deal. So my first big laugh came from my peers. And I remember being like, okay, I can actually do this if I'm making these group of students laugh. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's amazing. Yeah, I hear that Chicago is a tough crowd.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's not. It's not a tough. It's a real crowd. It's not necessarily tough. Cause there's a lot of funny people there that don't do comedy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Just funny.

[Lil Rel Howery]

They're just funny people. So imagine if it's already funny people. You gotta make those people laugh.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's true. Yes. So what was that journey like getting from the high school, when you realized in high school that you were funny, to getting the get out role? What was that journey like for you?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I mean, Stand Up. Stand up is where I started right after high school.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Really?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yep. And I wasn't doing it all the time because I was still working and I was still going to junior college at the time. But, yeah, Stand Up Stand up created the life for everything. You know, I'm a big standup comedy fan. Like, for real, for real. Like, Richard and Eddie was literally who I looked up to. And then, like, you know, watching Def Jam and Comic View, I'm in this very beautiful place now where I kind of, like, been reminiscing in a way. Kind of like replaying my own journey in my own head. And I'm like, wow, I was influenced by so many great comics, you know what I mean? Watching Comic View, watching Ricky Smiley, watching Earthquake, watching rnasj, watching Tony Roberts, watching Rob Stapleton. And it's like very specific bits of people doing stuff that, you know, wow. Like, I mean, even watching Kevin Hart on Comic View. And it wasn't that he was just so hilarious on that. We just looked like we was the same age. And so I was like, if he can. If he doing this, I definitely can make it on tv.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right?

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. No, I love that it's funny because I just had funny Marco on and he was talking similar things about where you are and reflecting on how far you've come. How do you feel now that you are one of the people on that list where people like, oh, I'm inspired by Lil Rel along with the greats as well.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It feels great, you know what I mean? Because that's been very intentional.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And I was just telling somebody that because I've never really said it out loud how intentional I was about doing what I saw my heroes do.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

So, you know, me having a sitcom called Real on network tv, that was a real checklist. It's like, you know, because of Red Fox, because of Martin.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? Like, it's like, oh, I need a show that's with my name in it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yep.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it has to be a sitcom, you know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah, no, for sure.

[Lil Rel Howery]

The stand up specials I've done, you know, even the movie stuff. Now, a lot of the movie stuff that, God surprised me. I mean, it was prophesied to me, but it was more or less a surprise to be like. It was a surprise and not a surprise because when I started seeing my friends, like Tiffany Haddish and Gerard Carmichael, I remember I saw Jarrod and Tiff in a trailer I went to see. I forgot what movie I went to see. And she was in a trailer for Keanu at the time, and he was in a trailer for Transformers.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But I remember sitting in that theater like, oh, I'm close.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Come on.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, these are my friends.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Oh. Oh, this is about to happen then.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes. That's so good that you saw that. Because sometimes people can see that they're close or not realize how close they are and be jealous of the ones that got it before they did. The fact that you were able to say, okay, I'm close to this. This can happen for me.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it came right after I was rooting for them. Like, I was seeing them like, oh, this is amazing. And it was like, oh, I'm close.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes. That is so important. That's so important. Now, you said you had your own show and that was something on your checklist. What was that process like? Because a lot of people don't understand getting a show greenlit in Hollywood can be hard. But was it easy for you or was it a lot of hoops that you had to jump through?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah, it wasn't that complicated. So. But. And that's interesting because I think I. I think people love telling this is so hard story. But the great thing coming from Stand up is relationships. And, you know, that wasn't my first series. The first series I did was a sketch series called Friends of the People that was on TruTV, but I did that with my friends, we all create a show together. We were all stars of the show, executive producers and writers.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Amazing.

[Lil Rel Howery]

So that was the first time getting all those checks at the same time. But that's how I started. Can you imagine that? Like. And so my start was very interesting.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And that came because of the. You know, I got cast on the unliving color reboot that never came out, but that changed. I'm telling you, I've been. Us having this conversation is very interesting because I've been replaying everything.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because I'm like, how did this happen?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because even with that, nobody in LA really knew who I was for real. Outside, you know, the Robbie Reeds and stuff like that. Shout out Robbie Reed, man, who told me, like, I can see you being a star. And, you know, Keenan Ivy Wayans, whatever stamp he has. Can you imagine? The show never came out.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I felt like I was a basketball recruit. So I would leave the 11 colors set and it'd be agents lined up in the lobby waiting to take me to dinner or buy me a drink. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

We talking about uta CAA W. All of them was there. And I ended up satin at the time, the uta, which I'm still with. But it was. I've done them twice.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Crazy. But, yeah, it was. Man. Just watching Keenan hand pick me is one of my heroes.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, you gotta understand something. The way. Like, the way God maneuvered a lot of this stuff was thoughts from a little kid. And then, like, I'm talking about, like, even just meet my hero. Like, the only person I haven't sat down and talked to yet, like, had a real sit down yet, is Eddie Murphy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Everybody else I've talked to, he's the only one.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Okay. It's gonna happen.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And I haven't talked to you. Like, I just want to just sit down and just. Just have a. Just a casual great. Like. Like I've had with Robert Townsend, I've had with Keenan, everyone. Like, I've had those conversations with her. I just can't wait to have that with Eddie.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love that you speak about certain things were prophesied over you. Did you grow up in the church?

[Lil Rel Howery]

100%. But it's funny. I grew up in a traditional Baptist church. So, you know, it wasn't necessarily about anybody. Like, they always had the one old lady, you know, Mother Johnson. She said. But it wasn't until later on where I started understanding, you know, being prophesied, you know what I'm saying? And that happened after my mother passed.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Really wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And when I was going through that craziness in my life and just struggling with grief and was in so much pain and didn't know what to do with it, I was doing stupid stuff and putting myself in crazy situations and. But it wasn't until, like, I was on those crutches and I went to get a haircut from a random female barber who started just saying, you know, God. God wants you to. She was speaking. Speaking a word to me, like, well, I want you to come to my church. It's not a real church. It's at a business center in a hotel. And that's why I met Pastor Katara, who to this day is. Is. I think everybody should have a prophet in a, you know, in their life that they trust.

[Ryan Seacrest]

If you can.

[Lil Rel Howery]

If you can, you know.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No, for sure.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But she. Everything she prophesied to me that first service get out was in that prophecy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Carmichael show was all of it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

And how does it feel when you start to see those prophecies reveal themselves in real time?

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's just. I was happy that it didn't go one ear after the other, because a lot of times you can get a word spoken to you, but, like, you know how people keep running to get a prophecy? It's because they haven't taken in the first thing they got. So now they want one every week, Right?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I need a word. I need a word now. Like, you ain't even, like. Especially when you first get the first word.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah, it's.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's long.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

It's very. Who you telling? I had to. Do you ever record yours so you can go back and listen to it? No, because I was at the time.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I didn't miss it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I didn't know it was happening.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It just stuck. It stuck? Yeah, it literally stuck. And. And so because I believed it, I'm like, only because, you know, if you're. If it's truly what it is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Your.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Your first reaction usually is like, dang, God, that was just me and you talking. So for her to say, I know this got to be you.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. Exactly.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Nobody else knew.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Nobody in that. Oh, my goodness. I sit in awe when I. When that happens. I'm just like, is my phone tapped? Did you hear me? Like, what now know it was just me and God. So, like, you know, it's true. It's like, okay, I'm on the right path. I love those kind of moments.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I. And it's funny because I didn't even know I was in the right. I just Needed healing. You know, that became. I remember that first year was one of the most healing years of my life. That's why I think I'll never forget that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, once again, we wasn't. We was at a business center. It was only like six or seven of us in there.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And just what. She was so just on it. And, you know, I just want to have my moment of. It's funny, I kind of put it in my show. I mean, Fox didn't know this, what I was doing. But my mama episode, when I had her show at the Bennigans and she was already passed away, but we did it in the show, and then we had that conversation that was a version of what really happened. And the real version was I was in church one day, and we were praying, and she came and just sat next to me, and it felt like everybody left.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And we had a real conversation. The conversation is basically what I put in the show about, you know, she forgives me and I'm okay because it was stuff I really felt, like. Felt bad about.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Were you living with guilt at the time of her passing?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah. Because I couldn't see her in the hospital. I didn't feel comfortable. So I didn't come to the hospital as much as I should have. And she had left a journal, and she talked about that, but she said she understood. But I felt so good. I literally was taking road gigs and shows. Like, the time I did go see her, I was like, I don't think I could come back in here. I remember telling my brothers that, like, I'm not comfortable.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Is it just seeing her in that state? Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it wasn't even that bad. It was just seeing her in there, and you look, you. Ultimately, I know we all want miracles to happen, but, you know, some of the stuff you kind of just own. You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Dang. And I don't. But it was a lot at first, and so I felt really guilty about it. I think that became a lot of a part of a lot of the pain I was going through. But, man, when she said and talk to me, and I never. I'll never forget. And when it was over with and I literally saw everybody sitting there again, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. But that was part one, I think, of, like, of the healing process where I can go forward a bit. But it was always these little steps. Like, where I'm at now, to me is after all of these steps since 2009. And it was A lot I've been through and a lot of craziness and a lot of ups and downs. But now it all makes sense.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

It always does. I love the after effect where you're sitting looking at everything that's happening. You're like, okay, now I get it. It's always comforting to know that it was for a reason. It wasn't in vain.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's a beautiful moment when and when you get to this place I am in because I'm in my. I was like, I call this my let go and let God lifestyle. And once again, it was a moment of replaying everything. Good and bad. Yeah, good and bad. I think I was on my balcony one day and I was just crying like, God, you so good man. Like you could have easily given up.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

He is.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I made so many mistakes in the blessing.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Talk about that. That is so true. I was praying this morning and just giving thanks for God's grace, you know, even when I didn't deserve it. I look back, I'm like, God, you have continued to bless me even when I mess up. And I was reading about the Israelites and how I was in Judges and it's like they went against God and started worshiping other idols. And then they started begging God, please forgive us. And he came back and then they did it again and he came back and I'm like, God, you are a merciful God. And I was like, it's crazy how he just continues and it will bring you to tears when you think about his goodness.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Well, you realize God never leaves you. Right? That's the maturity of growing in your faith. It's like God has never. All God is doing is just waiting on us with everything. It ain't like God showing up. Well, God show up right now. Like that's why like even you know, you, when you mature, your prayers change.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I'm not asking for stuff. Yeah, it's already. It's already what it is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And so like I'm extremely living that part of my life now. And it's. It's really fascinating. I think, I think know when I. It's about to be two years of me not drinking.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Good job they did. Let's see how many months. March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. Been seven months for me. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But I had to because I had to own and this was wise levels to it. Like I had to realize how much I was Abu. Like cuz I don't, you know how People stop doing stuff and they're like, well, cuz that's. This the best. No, that's me. I abused it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Come. Yeah. On it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Right. You know what I'm saying? It ain't. I don't think it's evil to drink. I don't. But if you're doing that, you know, if you're abusing it, you're not doing it in moderation. Your intentions is to take you out of stuff because you can't handle stuff. And all this other stuff. I had to own it. And I'm like, yo. And then you start learning, like, what else have I abused?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

My goodness.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And so like, you just start learning like, you know, God wants you to stop.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Uhhuh.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because you didn't. You abused it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes. Yeah. For me it was understanding like what it evokes to me, like the behaviors that happen when I start drinking. You know, I was like, I gotta just get control of this. And it's so freeing to be sober minded. I love it here.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah, it's great. I mean, look, I wish I would have understood more about this early and I didn't.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? Like, even when you think about it, it's. I mean, we can go deep, but it's like it's just some things that couldn't be taught to you because nobody had real understanding of stuff.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Certain things. You know what I'm saying? Even just going to therapy and now I can explain why that's important. And I think sometimes we tend to get in a place where we get better at something we start. You need to do. That's not. That's not it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's not it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I had to own that too. Like, what, they can function this way, right? That ain't me.

[Annabe Sofas Advertiser]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Our pastor just preached on that Sunday. He was like, I can listen to this because it's not gonna make me do something. He said, just because that's your issue doesn't mean that somebody else's. That's real.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's real.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. That is real.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I mean, that's why I love. You know, I laugh like sometimes if I go out and I have like some Walter Hawkins playing. They like, man, we going to the club like, and what that's gonna change.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right? Right?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah. You might hear Project Pat right after Jelana Adams song. Right.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

You never know what's in rotation.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's just what it is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love it. You said that faith has always been your foundation. Even when the world gets loud. How has your faith shaped and grown through your success?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Man. You know, it's. I love that I've rediscovered everything, more or less, in the last few years. It's like rereading the Bible and not just going with somebody telling me. I'm like, I'm smart. I'm a smart guy. Like no other part of my life, I'm listening to everything somebody tell me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so. And it's. And it's okay to disagree with certain things, and then you got to learn to go directly to the source. I enjoy the way I've. I feel like I love Jesus in a totally different way now. And it's not just based off what was told to me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes. Based on what?

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, is what I like, is what I. When I'm reading. This is what I'm reading.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because, you know, this is gonna sound terrible, but it's like. Like some of the stuff we listen to people who's preaching over the years and just growing up, but, like, some of them not even really educated. So if you could barely read and comprehend anything else, I'm gonna, like, take whatever you like. That's crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, that's crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Crazy. Let me know for myself and work out my own salaries.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Figure this out. That sound crazy. Fam. I love you. I'll be here next Sunday. But.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Annabe Sofas Advertiser]

Right.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

But I don't know.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I don't necessarily agree with that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. No. That's so true. It's funny. Our pastor, he did, like. You know how, like, they'll start a scripture and people will finish it. And he, like, see, that ain't even what it said because we've been taught wrong. So we had to go through a whole season of unlearning false doctrine and things that we had been learning all our life. That was wrong. And I'm like, dang. Just because we've been listening, he's like, you gotta get in your word.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Well, also, too. You know, you give grace in it, too. Right. I feel like just think about just as black people. We're the most educated we've ever been.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

We are.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it was a town. It wasn't even a city. Accessible. You know what I mean?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so, like, I get it. And so a lot of that was them winking it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, literally. But you do. You are supposed to grow. Grow.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. And there's a responsibility.

[Lil Rel Howery]

There's responsibility to, like, to. You should go to school.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You're gonna be a pastor. Like, go, like, learn everything, right?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No, for sure. You often Use humor to talk about pain. We talked about your grief with your mom. When did you realize that laughter can actually carry you through the hurt?

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, son, reading Richard Pryor's Prior Convictions. Prior Convictions and Other Life Sentences. I read that book when I was 16. Actually, I stole it from the library because I have a lot. But I was reading the book, so.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I went to the.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I was a library guy, and I didn't have a library card at the time, so I tried to take all the senses out the books, and I forgot a page, and. And I walked out with this old lady, and I grabbed her. She like, I ain't stealing no books. And I kept running. Watch out. Grabbing me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

He waited till the old lady was walking down. He was like, I'm gonna walk out with her.

[Lil Rel Howery]

She's like, wait a minute. I ain't never stole no book. I was just running. That was crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That is crazy.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But that book was so important, and what they did in that book, that was brilliant to me was like, it would be real things, facts about his life, and then the joke that matched the real fact. And so you just like, dang. This brother lived in so much pain, but he was able to make it funny. But also, it made me feel bad for him. Like, when I think about it now, it's interesting. Like, a lot of our stars, I feel. I wish I could have been their friend.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I mean? I wish they had a friend like me in the industry type of thing. Like, people I looked up to just to have conversations with them. You know what I'm saying? And. And understand y. Nobody's judged you. You've been through this. This is what it is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

You know what I'm saying?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I think about that a lot with, you know, I think about Whitney Houston all the time.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And, you know, once again. And this is. This is a faith question, part two. I tell people all the time, I thank God I'm not God. And when you have that mindset, it's like, because I'm not. I can't. I don't want to. I don't want to make those decisions.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so. Because I don't want to make those decisions, my only job here is to just love on people for who they are, because I don't ultimately make the decision about whatever their consequences. That's not on me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No, it is not.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah. So, you know, it's. And faith, you know, plays a big part in that, you know, for me. And, you know, I even just think about, like, you know, me Meeting my wife and just shout out, your wife.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

She is beautiful inside and out, just stunning.

[Lil Rel Howery]

She's amazing.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And I, I enjoy our journey together. We have some really deep conversations, man.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it's interesting, like we've got to this beautiful place of like, I remember was a time, you know, especially like, you know, thicket things in a relationship where you just irritate each other. Right. I can't, I don't want to hear your voice. And I like that now we can disagree and have those moments and it doesn't change anything.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

So that's, that's growth though. But that's why it's important too to bring God in the middle, you know, I mean we joke about it all the time because we've literally had arguments like God, you heard she said. See, this is what I was talking about earlier, Taylor, you know, so you bring God in the middle, they keep it 100 is a different. You know what I mean?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love that. Keep him in the center always. That's key. That's a major key.

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[Chris Renee Hayslett]

You've said that God's timing often shows up in unexpected ways. Can you think of a moment in your career where you felt like things were off, but then God revealed something you were like it was in his divine timing.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Man, it ain't even just timing. It's like growth. It's times I feel like I was. I remember for one of the movies I felt like, oh, you know, I I didn't like. I ain't like the way they was moving. Look, I'm big on standing up for myself and I do it all the time.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Good.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But it sometimes is deeper than that when it ain't just about you.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And I had a moment where like, it was all about me at once. You know, I I kind of made it about me. I'll never forget. I did this movie and we was doing reshoots and I was mad at them because they didn't send me the music that, you know, I'm like, dude, I just shot another film. I don't remember any of this stuff. I told y' all to send me this stuff ahead of time if you want me to do it again.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right?

[Lil Rel Howery]

And they didn't do any of that. So I was like, I ain't performing. So they was like, action. I was just standing there. I'm like, I'mma show them.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Uhhuh.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And, you know. You know, it put a bad taste in their mouth. And, you know, they tell other people difficult to work with and all that other stuff, which is fine. I was like, I own that. But I know the truth. You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But here we go. This is the deep part about that fast forward. I'm on this journey of just rediscovering everything myself, reading My Word, and I'm at. I met the premiere of that director's movie for a newer movie. This is recently, maybe like a couple months ago. And I asked a question. I didn't ask God at all. I said, God, was I wrong? I feel like I was wronged. But I said, but, God, I had a moment. I was sitting there quiet, like, was I wrong?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And God was like, yeah. You didn't think about all those other people that was there. Wow. That showed up that day that was excited to be in this film. I know you was taking a stand.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it's another way you could have did it, but you were wrong.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I was like, dang. I guess I ain't never asked.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I ain't want to know the answer.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. Yeah. Sometimes I wanted to be right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I wanted to be on my side, guy. Cause they were wrong.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But it's a bigger. You know what I mean? And I was like, wow. And I remember telling wifey, right? We were sitting there. I'm like, babe, I just asked God this question. She's like, wow. I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna apologize to him after the screening. He don't even know why I was saying I'm sorry.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's funny. He don't know a lot of things. He don't even know that I know what he said to other people about me. You know what I mean? But I can understand his side of that. You know, you gotta think about everybody's.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And, you know, sometimes we can be really selfish and, like, this is about me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I'm taking a stand for me. But it was deeper than that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And I just wasn't in a mature place to understand that at the time. But now I get it. So it's things I'm replaying now that I'm owning that I'm like, yeah, I could have did that different. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

And that's good. Especially for the position you're in now as a director working on the other side. So these are the lessons that you learn now. You can walk into that when I.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Tell you, directing this feature, I've done a bunch of movies. I. I'm actually almost. I think I made like 50 movies since 2018, which is crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No. Every time I turn around, you're in another movie.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it's not just cuz I'm saying yes to stuff. It's like, these are stuff I want to do. Right. But man, directing this movie and I got a chance to talk to everybody at every different part of the crew.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it was such a great experience. And that's when I realized, like, oh, wow, I'm helping all these other people. Dreams come true. That's helping me.

[Coca Cola Announcer]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so when you're having these conversations, when you're having. You ask them how their day is. Asking on some collabs. So what would you do if you shooting this?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I mean?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It just was a great. One of the greatest experiences in my career. Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

And this is the haunted heist that we're talking about. Your directorial. Debut.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Directorial debut. And it was beautiful and it was so much fun. And I'm like, wow. And I'm like, wow. I guess I didn't look at it. I'm in this different place where you. I'm not in this. I'm not letting the Persona run things anymore.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. And you can't.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's tough. Cause it gets you where it gets you far. You create this thing so nobody won't hurt you or whatever the case may be. But once I let that go and just started truly experiencing everything for what it is, it changed the game.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No, that's so good. And that takes me to protecting your peace, you know, and the cost of protecting your peace. What does peace actually cost when you're juggling family, faith, and fame all at the same time? And have you been able to manage that?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Man, I'm in such a great place. You know why we hear people say, oh, you know, God wants you to rest. I'm. I. I sit in the rest so well. And the thing about it is I get where, like people hear rest and they think, oh, that means I'm being lazy and I'm not being active. Especially if you're an active person. You want to make things happen. You want to strike the iron wires hot.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Stuff. But God make moments for you when you supposed to just chill.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it doesn't mean you don't do anything. It's just. You just do everything in a chill. A chill version of it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, so if I'm writing instead of, like, sitting in the office and sitting at home being intense, it's like, no, I'm gonna go get a blanket and sit on some grass.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And pull up my laptop and happily write. And I'm not forcing anything.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because what I started noticing was I was getting tired in my blessing.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Sometimes talk about that real. My goodness.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because I was like, because of the hustle part of everything. I'm over grinding, and I'm trying to do as much as I can before God show up for me. Me. Instead of doing things on God's timing. Sometimes I was tired when I was being blessed.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so I got tired of that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so now I. I feel like I've been experienced. I'm. I'm still really busy, but I'm not tired in it, though.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. That's good.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because I've learned the rest. And that, you know, that's comes with peace.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah, it does.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so I do whatever I like to do peacefully for myself. I love sports. You know what I mean? Like, I truly love sports. I love watching tennis. I'm taking tennis lessons.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I'm doing the most peaceful stuff. Right. That I like to do.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? I put on my mic dicker sweater to watch the Bears play. That is just what it is. That is what I like to do. If I miss the Bulls game, guess what? I find time to watch the replay. Like, I'm a scout. I do all the things that I like to do.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? I put stuff in my house. I love working out. So I have all that equipment there. I get up in the morning, I get it in, you know, I make my playlist. Even if I want to sit and just praise God. Like, it's just. I'm just. I'm in such a chill.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Chill place.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I feel it. Your energy is so you v in. It was just, like, calm, you know, like you can feel energy when people enter a room. It was like complete peace and calmness about you. I feel that you live in it, brother. You live in it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's Wisdom, man. Like, you know, how you start to become that person. Person in your family. I had to own that too. Like, I'm. That. I'm the wise guy now. So when everybody. I'm like, you're done. Okay. This is what we going to do.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I could sit in there and it doesn't change my energy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right? Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because some people just got to get whatever they got to get out. But when you become that person in your family now, you. You just, you know.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Yeah. You figure it out. I love that. Now, speaking of family, you have a blended family.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

So seven children total between you and your wife. Is it Donella or Daniel?

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's perfect. Daniela.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Daniela. I got it right. Danella, how. What has fatherhood taught you about patience?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Ooh, a lot, man. Yeah. Especially, like. And that's. It's interesting you say we just talking about the rest, like when you. And we still. It's still happening now, but, like, you know, especially with the girls, I know what I can offer them as far as, you know, my dad energy and dad aura. But you gotta wait on them to want to receive it. I can't force it. I don't want to.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But I'm in my let go and let God lifestyle. I truly let go and let God. Like, God, whenever you're ready for me to say, like, it's been good too, because it's like, it's moments when I want to say stuff and God's like, no, it's not time yet. Like, all right, cool.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yep.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And so you just. You just move a little more peaceful like that. You know what I'm saying? And so it's really interesting and I'm enjoying the relationships getting better and just growing, but it's not forcing anything.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You got things. Let things naturally be what it is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No, that's true. That's true. You look amazing. You just talked about you have a gym in your home now. What really made you fall in love with working out and just really taking on as a lifestyle?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Man. First I needed energy. I was actually inspired by Kevin Hart. Right. Because he works a lot.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

He does.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so I started doing, like, for me to be at 50 movies, that means I'm doing like four or five films a year.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And I was doing them back to back, and we was do. We got great at negotiating stuff I could do at the same time and under the. But I was so tired. And honestly, it helped, you know, fast. One of it was a clear fast that helped a Lot. But then just being active again. And most men, honestly, it's a lot easier for us to lose weight.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

If we truly put the work in, for sure. I know it may seem crazy to say, but it's. No, it is a lot harder for y'.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

All. It is. Oh, I know.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because I got so much more going on.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But man, boxing, you know, I like, God, just do the divine connection. Like, I go to Mayweather's gym and I remember the first time I started going. My trainer Sloan, before he was my trainer, he was just some random dude. I was like at the class one day, he's like, come on. Come on what, brother? Okay, come on. We ain't done yet.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

You, like, I'm done.

[Lil Rel Howery]

What the hell you talking about? But I appreciate it. He became my trainer. So when we, you know, when the shutdown happened, he was. And I didn't even know. I was inspired of the people. Like my cousin Rashida. I didn't know she had. She was going through some health things too, and she started seeing me meet up with him, come to the house.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

So when the shutdown happened, we could all just only meet at the park. So we would meet him at the park and so it'd be. It turned into workout Sundays. I have my gospel playlist, and we'll be working out to every Sunday. And we did that for like a year and a half.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's fire.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And just watching where she's at and just. Just everything. Like, I. You. I didn't even know she needed that. And that's one of those things where you start learning that it's bigger than you.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It became my own thing. But it honestly. And then I had to tell people this all the time. It wasn't just physical weight that was on me. Once I started going to therapy and. And rechanneling my journey in my faith and building my relationship, it lit like, I never forget. And then when I stopped drinking, that's when the six pack popped up.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Come on now.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, seriously. It was. It was crazy because I, I, you know, I dropped weight and I started toning and all that stuff. But then the six pack showed up when I stopped drinking, which was crazy. Yeah. I ain't think I was like, I'm just got his dad body forever, whatever. But no, it was. It was crazy. And so, like, now where I'm at. And it's interesting because you have people that like, you know, especially people that work out. Like, you could be swollen, brother. I don't want to be like, y' all can have the swolleness, right? I don't want swoles.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I like being tone. I like being lean. I don't want to be swollen.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I don't want to drink all the swole juice. I don't want to take the swole pills. Leave me alone. I'm not going bigger than 25.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I like tone.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I'm good. That's why I put everything in my house, because I know you'd be at the gym. Everybody, like, you can go. You're not listening to me. I don't want to participate in this. I'm. I love where I'm at, Right?

[Wreaths Across America Narrator]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Leave me alone.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That is so true. My trainer is an ex NFL player, and this man trains like we're getting ready for the combine. You can go heavier, and I have a really good poker face, so a lot of times it's hard, but I'll push through with a straight face. And he's like, oh, that's not heavy enough. And I'm like, no, it is. Just don't add anything else onto this plate.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's why I don't. My boxing guy is my only guy that I like. I don't mind because he's participating in it with me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But I don't necessarily need nobody to do this, do that. I mean, which is why, like, I got the peloton. Peloton was such a huge.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Especially during COVID man. Is that when you really got into me, too?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yep.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Same. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it's crazy because you know what's funny? People don't notice, but your body has to catch up with how committed you are to the this. You ain't going to lose no weight to your body. Believe you, that's real. Your body be like, you just doing this for a week, right. We going to stay chunky.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. It's like, are we doing this?

[Lil Rel Howery]

But if you're committed to it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Then it just start. You know what I'm saying? And it. But it was interesting. It was like. It was things attached to me. It was trauma attached to me.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That I didn't realize that was holding weight. You know what I'm saying? And once all this stuff started shedding.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I could feel it in a fast one day.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

What kind of fast did you do?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I would. I forgot which one we did. I did it with Cali worship, which is where I go to.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And when I. It was when I first started going back there regularly. It's literally the fast was happening right after, like, hey, I just got Here. Right, right. You wanted to fast and so you know, we didn't do any sweets, any treats, any meats. And, and man, those conversations with God. So clear, crazy clear. It was. And I've done fast before, but it was a different commitment because once again I'm looking at things differently.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And you know, it just, it made me even like see Danella in a lot of. In a lot of different ways too. Like, I love the way I see her now and more understanding of her.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And having real conversations with God about her. You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's powerful. Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so it's, it's, it's. I don't know. I'm lucky in that aspect of it. Like I really feel like I think about that all the time. And I guess now like once again it feels different now that we're husband and wife and we can say that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

We both talked about this. Cuz we both been married before. But this time I feel like it was really our choice.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? I'm not saying the first time it wasn't that, but it was other factors in that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

This one was like, I mean, I ain't got to do this, but I.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Want to do this.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I want to do this.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's good.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. That's so good. Because I think any. Every couple you want to be with somebody that wants to be with you. Not like I have to be with this person. Like I want to be here.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah. I mean it's interesting how like when you want to be there and want to experience and want to talk and wanna. And it was. It's been a beautiful journey with that because I mean even to like just even my journey with her was big for me. Even just to change my ideal of like just even just colorism in a way. Because for a long time would even date a light skin really. Because I didn't want nobody to think because I made it. That's what I did.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Other stuff and it wasn't, wasn't just. Yeah, yeah. It was mostly that. And I had to stop all that and just let love be love.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And owned it. I'm like, dude, but real. You ain't these dudes that you don't want to look like. That ain't who. Who you are.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so just loving on her in every way I can and just this is beautiful dope black woman who's a great mom and a great partner. You know, watching her just, you know, open her salon and just the way she's just thriving right now.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, it's just. She's just amazing. And I look forward to whatever our future is together.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

How we continue to build wealth for our children and children's children, our children's children's, children's children.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Come on, generations. Yes. That's important.

[Lil Rel Howery]

What a matchup we got, y'.

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[Lil Rel Howery]

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[Annabe Sofas Advertiser]

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[Lil Rel Howery]

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[Chris Renee Hayslett]

We talked about you being a director now, but you've literally said in every single seat, what does it feel like being a leader? You're a leader in your household, but what does it feel like when you walk on set and you're the leader of all those people? That how you said you're making their dreams come and helping them create their own dreams?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Man, it's next level. I had to graduate to that. You know, when I had my show, I was so comfortable with the Persona leading away. You know what I'm saying? Yep. So it was me acting like I knew what I was doing. I didn't.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I would be in that writer's room giving out notes and instructions and then go in my office like I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. But I'd rather, you know how crazy it is. Just I'd rather front instead of asking questions about things and stuff like that. And that sometimes I believe that's part of our culture, you know, because, you know, you get certain opportunities, you don't, you don't want to look like you don't belong.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's so true.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And I heard Shonda Rhimes talking about this the other day. She said one of the greatest things she did was just ask questions.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes, I saw that too. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And that's so. I'm like, dang, I wish I'd have thought that early. But you know, sometimes hip hop is a part of that too. Right. The people I looked up to, you know that time, looking at the Dane Dash, snapping at everybody like, that's a boss.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's not.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's not it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's not leadership.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And no diss to him, but, you know, how is he supposed to know too? A lot of us are first generation to. Whatever we're doing, say it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's so true.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? So, like, how do you know what to do if nobody's really telling you? And then sometimes, you know, especially being black. Especially being black men in our business, we tend to wanna act like we know everything and just act like, you know, just. Just bravado. Which is crazy that I'm even talking to you. Like, I had to own. And this is just real talk. And I've said this a couple times. It's what you hear is great. Like, I had to own. Like, how, How? Like how I was wrong about anything I've ever said about Tyler Perry. Like, I was like, wrong. And a lot of that came from, I guess, the locker room version of our industry.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, we just like, well, that's not how you do stuff. And da da, da, da. And you start to learn. Like with art. With art, it's whatever that person's voice is. Whatever. It's art.

[Annabe Sofas Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I don't even think we supposed to be judging art the way we judge art.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Be quite honest with you. Like, even just critics, it's like, I don't. Why do that exist?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And so, like, I had to own that. And it. He became actually one of my newer, bigger inspirations.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because I had to. And. But that's God stepping in and hearing God.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

God is like, I'm giving y' all a prime example of somebody doing something through faith.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Wow. And I want to talk crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yep.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Cuz everybody else is doing it. You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. It'd be our own people.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Be our own people. So it's like, no, like. And so I had to own that. And I'm so. I see it. I see him now in this bigger light. That I. It's kind of crazy. I'm like, dang. I guess I never paid attention like that before.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know how smart of a businessman his brother is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Man.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, like, right. Literally, right now, like, my top people, I'm, like, really inspiring to, like, be people I'm really inspired by is Tyler Perry, George Lucas, Ava DuVernay, Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes. So it's so many, though. I mean, yeah. Quentin Quinta Brunson, Gerard Carmine. Like, there's so many people I look up to.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Donald Glover, Quest Love.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Oh, yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

The way he's getting these documentaries out, man, he's figured out a great way to get people their flowers, and I think we got to do such a better job at this. Yes. You know, losing d' Angelo was like. And watching a video of him kind of like, you know, I think he. He was mad about. Way somebody probably posted something on social media for one of his performances. They're like, man, they know what's coming. And he felt like. He felt like. I almost felt like. He didn't know he was getting love until his manager showed him, like, people showing love.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And that's. That made me sad because that means so many people don't know how loved they are. And artists we be in our head.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

We do. Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But I think we just got to do a better job as black entertainers giving our flowers to our legends.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Absolutely.

[Lil Rel Howery]

They don't. They don't know it. There's no way we. You know, we haven't honored Loretta Devine yet. We haven't even honored Marla Gibbs. For real.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Not for. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You understand what I'm saying? That's crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

She's in her 90s now.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

She is. We essence women of Hollywood honor her this year at our luncheon. But, like, on a higher level.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

It definitely needs to be bigger. No, for sure. Like, that's like, that. I'm saying.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Network.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Honor Marla gives.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes. Literally. Yeah. Lifestyle.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Two and a half hours.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. No, seriously. Yeah. That's the only time I've really seen her get any flowers. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it's funny. Like, I was thinking about that now to the point where I'm like, all right, let me figure this out.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Because it has to happen.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right?

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, and she's such a blessing. I mean, she did my show. She did Carmichael Show.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

We did a movie together. And I threw a birthday party one year. My best birthday party.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Really.

[Lil Rel Howery]

The best birthday party ever. First person at that party. Guess who it was. Marla Marla Gibbs.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Are you serious?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Came in there, we got a dance on, she got a drink, and then she left. Now she ain't stay right. But she showed up.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I know that's right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

She literally was like. And then she was gone. And I respect that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

First person at the party.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

My favorite party ever. Marla Gibbs kicked that party up.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love that she showed up. I love that. You recently launched, or not recently, but you launched what's Funny Comedy festival in Chicago. Was this about legacy frustration or just a love for home?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Oh, wow. Well, it was first. It's a love of comedy. Yeah. It was kind of birthed from somebody else approaching me, wanting me to help them with their festival, But they didn't seem as serious as I was about it, and so I kind of declined it, Which I think that's probably why me and this person ain't talking, because they like, you gonna do a festival after that? Like, yeah, because I want to do it the way I want to do it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I want to do it. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And what it really represents, too, is that as an artist, as a standup comic, that we need to be in more boss positions. I know this. I love it. So why wouldn't I start a festival? Why I'm gonna keep letting all these other people do these festivals, and they're not a comedian. I know exactly what we need. I know exactly what the opportunities, I know what the shows will look like. And when I tell you, it's been one of the biggest blessings of my career. Wow. You know, we just finished year two and we're already planning year three. But, like, watching how. And the first year we did it was when, like, the Beast was happening, you know, at the Cat Said what He said. And so it was a lot of tension.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so to have, like, everybody loving on each other every single day, God. Blew my mind. Cuz I was nervous, right? You know, I mean, I'm like, God, I ain't never did this before. I want these shows to do well. And when I tell you every night was crazy. It was sellouts. But the comics was so happy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes, I'm sure.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But it was crazy because I was like, God, how can I be the one to lead this? You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, at first I was like, shouldn't it be people who have more money than me and this and that. It's like, no, you, you.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love when he says, no, you, you, you. Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And year two was even crazier. Even better.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's getting better. And better.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

And.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It'S. It's not necessarily about legacy. It's about what's right. But it's kicking off everything else. All of this is a part of my random workout session I had while fasting. And guys started listing things. This is what's interesting. Like, you know, I talked about it was prophesied to me, but now things prophetically happen for myself. I don't have to have nobody tell.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Me, because God going to tell you directly.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I hear it clearly.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so it's been a list of things. And God just been having me walk into my boss season a lot differently. And so I've been like, everything's been about business. Like, when we was on strike, that was my prayer. I was like, God, can I understand why the CEOs don't want to give us this? I don't want to keep begging for stuff.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, because it can't be just because they all evil.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Some of this gotta just be business. And so I asked, and God started putting me around some very powerful and wealthy people. And they were saying, really? You know, rich people love to talk about how they got rich.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

They do.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I mean? And so, like, listening to a lot of the stuff was just business thing. You start to learn too, even in our business, that a lot of these executives are not necessarily about entertainment. These are corporations. Yeah. And so all these people that are investors, they only care about their bottom line.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

They hired these people to make sure their bottom line is good. So with us learning the business too, of it, they do need some of us in there, though, there are creators that can do both, that understand both.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, which is why, like, you know, even just, you know, not with the what's Funny Comedy festival, I learned how to raise money. With the movie, I learned how to raise money.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

With my special Real Talk. You know, I did that independently and became Tubi's first original special, but we did it on and I co directed that. And so. But what I learned was, more than anything is I can't ask for money and can't tell people how they gonna get their return.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Listen, artists love money for my movie. And they'd be like, yeah, maybe it's gonna go on Netflix. You don't even know. Nobody over there come up with a real business plan before you ask for this money. Yes. At the least, you should get people the money back they invested into you.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Literally.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so once you understand all that stuff, you know, I mean, like, I've been Like, I've been learning a lot of business stuff and sharing as much as I can.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

When I tell you that festival is what kicked it off. Because it was like. God was like, just do it. And what it did was it literally kicked out. That's when I ended up directing the movie. That's when, like, it's a string of things.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like pop, pop, pop. Like real. Just do it. You're not crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yep.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Take this stuff. These divine connections, this information. Yeah. Just do it. Sometimes we overthink.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Sometimes we just need to do it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That is so true. I'm an overthinker. We just got to do it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Just gotta do it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love that. For young comics coming up, what is some advice you would give them? Because you talk about doing things independently, and when you're starting off, it's just you.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

What advice would you give them?

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know, something truly, I do believe. Learn the business of the business. But don't forget that this is a fun job.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I think things can get really serious at times and we forget how fun it is. Which is why, like, collaboration is so important. Collaborating with your fellow comics. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm hoping in this next season that is more collaborations. Like, I did something maybe like a month ago for. For no reason at all, but I went and decided to, you know, let me tell you what happened. This is. This is real tough. I was thanking God right when I was thanking God. And God challenged me to thank some people that helped me along the way.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Whether directly or indirectly. So I went through my phone, leaving voice notes and text messages to just some of my comedy OGs.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Uhhuh.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Some of them called back, like, in tears. I. I didn't know they needed to hear what I was saying.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Which is about giving flowers. You know what I'm saying? Once again, whether it was directly, indirectly.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I mean, I squashed a beef, like, you know, shout out to Corey Holcomb, you know, I mean, like, man was kind of, you know, at odds, but I hit him up. I said, look, let me say this to you, man. I don't necessarily like anything you said. I don't agree with it, but, man, thank you for opening doors though, bro. I know. Whatever got murky and it's a part of the grind, and we all got the same dream, which is. That's the honest God truth. A lot of the crab in the barrel comes from. We all have the same dream.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And it kind of can Come with animosity if you see somebody and then that's when you love to make up something. Like, well, they only got it because they did. Like, because everybody, every time you do well, you got to sell your soul. Nobody ever just say so, I just can't be blessed.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. I had to sell my whole soul.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I worked really hard and I'm blessed.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

We was at time the same. Same showcase, same festival, same audition.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Same everything. You know, maybe it's a mindset.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Also, what's only what's yours is yours.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You're not going to get everything.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And owning your success. We're all successfully different, right?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

All of us are.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

As long as you don't, you know, you don't have this bitter thing about you because you're watching everything like I should be. No, don't do that.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, that's the one thing I can. I hate the fact that we got all these rich black comedians now and people bumping heads and it's like, why?

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You're all doing well in different versions of it. We're not gonna do the same exact thing.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And it's okay.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. That's good. I love that. Your new movie, Unexpected Christmas. I watched the screener the other day. I had a red eye from LA to. From LA to Atlanta. I told you about it. And I was literally in the airport cackling. And I kept looking at my manager. I said, this is so funny. I was like, this is so funny. She's like, I gotta watch. I was like, no, you have to watch this because you see Christmas movies and a lot of them kind of have like the same storyline. I love this one. It was so funny. And a lot of stuff I didn't know it was unexpected. I was like, I didn't expect that. So tell me, what brought this together and what made you want to say, I want to do this?

[Lil Rel Howery]

Well, it was the script first, right? Great script. Yes, it was funny. They offered for me to play the uncle. The offer came.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Really? No, the uncle's.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But I was like, but who? Playing the lead? Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so I saw that Tabitha was producing it, so I called her love tab. Who playing the lead? Right. Because if they ain't gay that much, why they ain't offer that to me first? Right.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And we end up, you know, calling Trail the producer and we talked and, you know, it was more or less like they wasn't sure if I would want to do anything, like, because they didn't have the money, wasn't big, but this is what I learned. And this is such a beautiful lesson in this. Stop pigeon holding yourself. Black producers just ask.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

White producers could have $20, and they'll ask Eddie Murphy if he do the work for $20 and just take the no.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right. What's the worst that can happen?

[Lil Rel Howery]

All is just. Hey, man. No. All right, cool.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

All right, cool. What about unk? We play unknown.

[Lil Rel Howery]

But see, that's the problem. I think sometimes we like to look like we don't like to look like we're less. You know what I mean? Like, whatever that mindset is, is ridiculous.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so one of the biggest things with. You know, when I saw Jumped on for real, I'm like, yo, we can make this a bigger movie.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Wow. Because you know what value you bring to the projects.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I know what Tabitha brings. I know who. And guess what. You know, making these calls. It was a collapse. It was. What Phil and Trell is doing is something very special. Even just where we at now. Even with this movie going to theaters, in a way, it is. When I tell you this is real talk, and maybe I will you tell me. That's the camera. Honestly, y' all don't look at things just on the surface. Like, God is like, literally cleaning the house in so many places. Evil people be thinking they doing evil stuff. And a lot of times they don't even know they working for God.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Come on.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It is some things happening where, like, this is a wealth season. A lot of us can sneakily get wealthy really fast if we pay attention and don't fall into the group of complaining and like, this is so hard. No. It's some doors open.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

A lot of these movies ain't doing well. I can't wait for this movie to go in theaters and surprise people.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's all about giving the audience what they want. Yep. Cool. If you don't want to give me distribution, let's build our own relationship with these theaters.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Let me shut up. But it's.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That's good. No.

[Lil Rel Howery]

For the secret black meeting.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right, Right. We're gonna hold the meeting.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Know that we know stuff.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Listen. I love that. That is so good. So the film drops November 7, right before the holidays. And the soundtrack dropped. This week. You got songs by Toni Braxton. October London. Like, look, look. Let me crazy.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Tamar. Tamar Bracken.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Tamar Braxton.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

I don't want them arguing.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Right.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Watch episode of the show. Like, wait a minute. But I'm joking.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Tamar.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Tony want all my shot right but no, that's what makes this movie unique, too. Like, it's been a long time since we had an original soundtrack, too. This is crazy.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

The soundtrack is so good, and it matches the movie. I like when you can listen to a song. You're like, oh, I know what scene that is. You know, that's what this is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love it.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Like, you know, October London and then Tamar Braxton. I mean, look, this is gonna sound crazy because I. I listen to soundtrack maybe more than most people. So, you know, KC's on there. KC1.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Really?

[Lil Rel Howery]

From Casey and Joji? Yeah, I think that's him. There's one song that sounds so old school, it's hysterical. I mean, it's. It's a good song.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

You're like, this a 90s movie.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's so funny. Cause you can hit the Raspberry Voice. Come on. Christmas time is this. It is hysterical. But it's good.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I'm gonna have to check this out.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah, it's number nine, I think.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Do you have a favorite song on the soundtrack?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I love oh, Unexpected Christmas. The theme song, October London is amazing. But it's a song called I Believe it's. I'm not. I'm a I Don't Want to Be alone or I'm not alone song. It's the alone song, and I think it's by Tay. I think his name started with a T, but it's so good.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Okay, I'm gonna check it out.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's so soulful. But all the songs are good.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

All the songs are good.

[Lil Rel Howery]

My two favorites.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Okay. It's being called the New Black Friday. How important is representation, especially with holiday movies?

[Lil Rel Howery]

I mean, it's so important, especially, like, with also seeing a new group of actors.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

For a long time, we've seen the same group do all these Christmas movies. Yeah. But you almost don't know the difference sometimes.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so us being a new, fresh group with Tabitha, with me, with Dominique Perry.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. Shout out Dominique. Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Gomez. I mean, like, Rico Ross.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yes.

[Lil Rel Howery]

It's so. It's so how we build. It's such a great group.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

And so, like, just having all this. Oh, shout out to Cece. So it's a lot of. It's a lot of great. It's just a good ensemble group.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

It is.

[Lil Rel Howery]

You know what I'm saying? And it's a theater lab. I've enjoyed watching and hearing people laugh in the theater together.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Oh, yeah.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That's a lot of fun. That's a good thing.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Yeah. No, for sure. What Is the message that you hope families take home after watching this is.

[Lil Rel Howery]

That at the end of the day, let love lead. We're gonna have problems, we're gonna have disagreements. But if you let love lead and faith lead, promise you everything will work itself out.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

For sure it will. I love that. Laurel, thank you so much for sitting down with me today.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Thank you for having me. This is literally one of my favorite podcasts.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Thank you.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yes.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That means a lot.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Seriously, it really is.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Thank you. No, I was honored when we got the call and I was like, yes. I literally just wrapped a film last Thursday, and I planned on taking the week off just to rest because I had been filming for a month. When they said you were coming, I was like, light it up, let's go.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Oh, well, I appreciate it.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

No, for sure. Anytime you want to come back by, you got another project, please come by and talk to us. Tell us about it. If there's anything you want to let us know that we can stay tapped in for you on.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah, man. Make sure y' all watch Real Talk on Tubi. It's one of my best specials and I'm proud of myself. So many things about this special is amazing. Outside of co directing it and financing it with, like, two people from my church.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Wow.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Who I meant to their son, and that's how that happened. But just being so comfortable in my own skin in so many places, even with me just wearing that vest, I got the arms out because I'm proud of my work I put in, you know? So just, just, just go watch Rel talk if you need a good laugh. It's a perfect, perfect, perfect special on Tubi.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

I love that. All right. Thank you so much.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Thank you.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

Absolutely.

[Lil Rel Howery]

Yeah.

[Chris Renee Hayslett]

That was such an amazing conversation with Lil Rel. I remind you that laughter isn't the opposite of faith. It's proof of it. Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with someone who could use a little encouragement today. As always, stay blessed, stay encouraged, and remember to keep it positive, sweeties. I'll see y' all next time.

[Lil Rel Howery]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Lil Rel Howery]

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They look so comfy, Running out of.

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[Lil Rel Howery]

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