Deon Cole brought the jokes — but “Average Joe” is playing for bigger stakes
Mister funny man and part-time DJ Deon Cole stopped by Tamron Hall to spill on everything Average Joe — from the show’s growing audience to where Season 2 takes his very-not-average leading man next.
The appearance was part of the Sept. 28 “Why I Went Viral” episode, where Cole discussed the latest chapter of the dark action-comedy along with dating rules and another venture he has in the works. And while Cole will always know how to turn a couch conversation into comedy, Average Joe has also become one of the clearest examples of just how far his screen career has stretched beyond punchlines.
In the series, Cole stars as Joe Washington, an ordinary working man whose life goes completely sideways after the death of his father. What initially looks like grief and family fallout quickly becomes something much messier when Joe discovers his father left behind ties to dangerous people — and a very expensive problem that suddenly belongs to him.
The first season built its tension around Joe learning that his late father had stolen millions from the Russian mob, pulling Joe, his family and his friends into a dangerous scramble involving money that was never supposed to become their problem. The setup let Cole work in a lane that sits somewhere between crime thriller, family drama and dark comedy — without asking him to stop being Deon Cole in the process.
Season 2 pushes the story well beyond Pittsburgh. The new run takes Joe and his crew to Cape Town, South Africa, after a threat against his family drags the story into a larger and more dangerous chapter. Cole has spoken about the dramatic side of the role as something that lets him access a different part of himself than stand-up normally does, while still keeping the dry timing and unpredictability audiences know him for.
That range is part of what makes Average Joe such an interesting fit for him. Cole’s career has long moved between stand-up, writing and ensemble comedy, but here he gets to carry the center of a story where the consequences keep escalating around him. The jokes are still there, but the series gives him room to play panic, loyalty, grief and survival right alongside them.
So yes, Cole showed up ready to be funny. But the bigger takeaway from the visit is that Average Joe has given him a vehicle where “funny man” is only part of the job description now.
Deon Cole Talks “Average Joe” Season 2 on Tamron Hall
Watch Deon Cole discuss Average Joe, dating and what he has coming next during his Sept. 28 appearance on Tamron Hall.
Sources: Tamron Hall Show; BET; Blex Media.
