In my humble opinion, Jillian Bell truly stole the show with her captivating performance as Mercedes in “22 Jump Street.” Her knack for delivering witty lines and bringing out the humor in even the most mundane situations was nothing short of remarkable. It’s almost as if she was born to play the role of a quirky, quick-witted character!
In general, remakes of old TV series and sequels to unexpected box office successes often fail to impress. However, the 2014 comedy “22 Jump Street,” directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller along with screenwriters Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman, remarkably defied all expectations, given its status as a sequel to the 2012 film “21 Jump Street.” This movie, based on an ’80s sitcom that launched Johnny Depp’s career (who made a peculiar appearance in the movie), has left audiences amazed and some even claiming it might be funnier than its predecessor. So, let’s catch up on who starred in this hilarious film and what they have been doing since.
In the follow-up to “21 Jump Street,” titled “22 Jump Street,” original stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, along with supporting actors Nick Offerman and Ice Cube, reprise their roles. Unlike the initial film which was set in a high school, this time around the story unfolds on a college campus. The sequel also introduces some fresh characters to the mix. Here’s a rundown of who played whom in “22 Jump Street” and what they have been up to since its release.
Channing Tatum (Jenko)
In the film “21 Jump Street,” Channing Tatum’s character, Officer Jenko, undergoes a significant change when he finds himself bonding with the “nerds” rather than the popular group. Alongside his partner, Officer Schmidt (portrayed by Jonah Hill), they go undercover as high school students. In the subsequent movie, the situation reverses again when Jenko joins the football team at MC State University as an undercover freshman. He develops a friendship with fellow player Zook (Wyatt Russell) and seems to leave Schmidt behind, but when he discovers crucial information about their mission – tracking down the source of a drug called “WHY-PHY” (meaning “Work Hard? Yes, Play Hard? Yes,” pronounced like “WiFi”) – he collaborates with Schmidt once more to dismantle the entire operation.
By 2014, Channing Tatum had already established himself as a major player in Hollywood. His semi-autobiographical hit “Magic Mike,” directed by Steven Soderbergh, was released two years earlier. Subsequently, he climbed up the Hollywood A-list with movies like “Magic Mike XXL,” “Foxcatcher,” and “Hail, Caesar!” Nowadays, Tatum frequently produces films such as “Dog” and his upcoming 2024 release “Spaceman.” He also acted in “Blink Twice,” directed by his real-life partner Zoë Kravitz, and the sequel to “Magic Mike,” titled “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” which brought Soderbergh back to the franchise. And who could forget that we discovered, through the 2014 Sony leak, that Tatum is just as charming off-screen as he appears?
Jonah Hill (Schmidt)
In the movie “22 Jump Street,” Jonah Hill’s character, Schmidt, who was once the cool kid in high school, even dating Brie Larson, experiences a significant role reversal. When Jenko and Schmidt split up to investigate the “WHY-PHY” supplier, Jenko joins the football team, while Schmidt finds himself among an artsier crowd after a mishap at a slam poetry night. He meets Maya (Amber Stevens West), a beautiful art student, with whom he shares a night of intimacy. However, Maya insists they’re not in a relationship, causing Schmidt pain just as his friendship with Jenko hits a major roadblock. The movie humorously portrays this situation: Schmidt is seen walking shamefully alongside other girls on campus, expressing his desire to return to bed and watch “Friends.” Later, both characters discover that the supplier was hidden right under Schmidt’s nose all along.
Jonah Hill, who received his initial Oscar nomination in 2011 for “Moneyball” and followed up with another nod in 2013 for “The Wolf of Wall Street”, went on to collaborate again with Brad Pitt in “Hail, Caesar!” as well as “The Lego Movie” and “The Lego Batman Movie”. He has also been part of high-profile productions like “Richard Jewell” and “Don’t Look Up”. In 2018, Hill ventured into directing with the film “Mid90s”, and in 2022 he directed the documentary “Stutz”. Consequently, it can be concluded that Hill has kept himself quite occupied since his days as Schmidt.
Ice Cube (Captain Dickson)
In the “Jump Street” films, Ice Cube consistently plays his character Captain Dickson with a persistent irritation towards Jenko and Schmidt, yet this works because he’s incredibly amusing. In the second movie, “22 Jump Street,” he gets to deliver more humorous lines, poking fun at how the duo are repeating their previous actions (from “21 Jump Street”), but with everything being larger and costlier this time around. For instance, Captain Dickson’s office is noticeably sleeker in the sequel.
Most people know that Ice Cube first rose to promience as a rapper with the group N.W.A. — there’s a joke in the movie about how Mrs. Dickson is “straight outta Compton” in case you forgot — but ever since he started acting in 1991 thanks to John Singleton’s “Boyz n the Hood,” he’s also been a big-screen staple. After “22 Jump Street,” Ice Cube produced the N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton,” appeared in the sequel to “Ride Along” (the first film came out in 2014 alongside “22 Jump Street”), and even lent his voice to the animated hit “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” Watching him verbally abuse Jonah Hill, though, is a pretty singular pleasure.
Nick Offerman (Deputy Chief Hardy)
As a gamer, I gotta admit, Nick Offerman’s screen time in the “Jump Street” movies might be minimal, but man, he always brings a refreshing vibe whenever he pops up. In both flicks, he’s Deputy Chief Hardy, a guy who seems to think Schmidt and Jenko are two hopeless dimwits. He dishes out their assignments before they link up with Captain Dickson, played by Ice Cube. In “22 Jump Street,” this tired-looking Hardy basically tells these lovable goofs that all they gotta do is repeat the same trick they used last time: go undercover and sniff out the supplier.
Back in the day, I was still a regular cast member on “Parks and Recreation” when I popped up in both of those “Jump Street” flicks. The show wrapped up in 2015, which gave my grumpy-yet-lovable character Ron Swanson a fitting farewell – managing a beautiful, tranquil National Park. Since then, I’ve been keeping pretty busy. On the silver screen, you can catch me in films such as “The Little Hours,” “Bad Times at the El Royale,” and “Dumb Money.” I’ve also been diving deep into television, making appearances on shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” portraying myself on “The Good Place,” and joining forces with Noah Hawley in the second season of his anthology series “Fargo.” Fast forward to 2023, and I was finally awarded my first Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for an exceptional, tear-jerking performance in one episode of “The Last of Us” titled “Long, Long Time.
Peter Stormare (The Ghost)
In the film “22 Jump Street,” Jenko and Schmidt predominantly pursue the elusive drug dealer called “The Ghost.” However, Peter Stormare’s character doesn’t make an appearance until later in the movie (since he has a partner working at MC State University). To be frank, The Ghost isn’t particularly complex; he’s more of an over-the-top villain caricature. Nevertheless, Stormare seems to relish his role in this absurd film. It’s worth mentioning that Stormare is an esteemed character actor in Hollywood, and you’ve likely encountered him in other productions.
Born in Sweden, Stormare embarked on his acting career in the 1970s within his native country. He later transitioned to Hollywood roles, starring in the critically acclaimed film “Fargo” (1996) and the cult favorite “The Big Lebowski” (1998). More recently, Stormare played the antagonist Abram Tarasov, and he’s been featured on shows such as the “Yellowstone” spin-off “1923,” detective series “Tracker,” and the adaptation of “American Gods.
Wyatt Russell (Zook)
In simpler terms, Wyatt Russell is often called a “nepo baby,” given his famous parents Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, as well as his step-siblings Kate and Oliver Hudson. However, it’s limiting to only define him by his family ties, especially when you consider that he’s incredibly funny. In the film, Russell plays Zook Haythe, a charming yet dim-witted football star who quickly forms a bond with Jenko (and finds Schmidt somewhat puzzling, given his quirks which can be strange and off-putting at times). When Jenko and Schmidt suspect Zook due to a conspicuous tattoo, he’s momentarily a suspect, but they later discover that he’s merely buying WHY-PHY, not supplying it. Throughout the movie, Zook’s primary role is to create tension between Jenko and Schmidt as he grows closer to the former (although Jenko eventually realizes that he finds it dull to spend time with someone who’s identical to him).
Apart from “22 Jump Street,” you might recognize Russell in various roles such as a chilling character in Season 3 of “Black Mirror,” on the AMC+ original series “Lodge 49,” in the biting social media critique “Ingrid Goes West,” and sharing screen time with Glen Powell in Richard Linklater’s comedy “Everybody Wants Some!!!” Russell is also well-known for portraying John Walker, the new Captain America, in the Marvel TV series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” In 2022, he collaborated with Andrew Garfield in the true crime miniseries “Under the Banner of Heaven.
Amber Stevens West (Maya)
Although Amber Stevens West’s character Maya Dickson is always charming on-screen, it’s also accurate to say that her role primarily serves as a plot device for the character of Schmidt. After watching him spontaneously discuss his deceased roommate at a poetry night, who died from an overdose of WHY-PHY, Maya unexpectedly takes Schmidt back to her dorm. The revelation that she is Captain Dickson’s daughter creates a massive divide between the captain and Schmidt (admittedly, it’s quite amusing). So, what has West been up to since her appearance in “22 Jump Street”?
From 2014 to 2019, I had the pleasure of portraying Joy Struthers on the TV series “Criminal Minds.” I became a frequent face in Season 10 and later returned as a guest star for subsequent seasons. In addition, I was fortunate enough to join the main cast of several short-lived shows such as “The Carmichael Show,” “Ghosts,” and “Happy Together.” Fast forward to 2023, I made an appearance in a single episode of the reboot of “Frasier” on Paramount+.
Jillian Bell (Mercedes)
In the film “22 Jump Street,” there are numerous hilarious characters, yet it’s worth noting that Jillian Bell’s portrayal of Mercedes steals the show. Following an overnight rendezvous between Maya and Schmidt, Schmidt is startled by Bell’s character, who was privy to their entire encounter. Mercedes swiftly deduces that Schmidt appears far too old to be a college freshman, delivering a series of witty remarks. One of her most memorable lines during this scene is when she looks squarely at Schmidt and deadpans, “Tell me about the war. Any war.
Bell gained significant recognition for her role as Mercedes on “Workaholics,” but since then, she has consistently landed roles in various TV shows such as “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Eastbound & Down,” “Portlandia,” and “Bob’s Burgers.” The success of “22 Jump Street” is believed to have ignited her film career. Following her role on “Workaholics,” she went on to act in films like “Office Christmas Party,” “Rough Night,” the anticipated sequels like “Bill & Ted Face the Music” and “Good Burger 2,” and even led the heartwarming comedy “Brittany Runs a Marathon.
Keith Lucas & Kenneth Lucas (Keith & Kenny Yang)
In the movie “22 Jump Street,” the real-life twins named Kenny and Keith Lucas make a short appearance as Keith and Kenny Yang, Jenko and Schmidt’s college roommates. However, they are also the ones who secretly give the cops baked goods laced with WHY-PHY without informing them. They share an amusing scene where they complete each other’s sentences simultaneously, a trick that the undercover duo of Jenko and Schmidt, despite pretending to be brothers, fail to replicate accurately.
The Lucas twins often perform together and have appeared in shows like “Crashing” and movies such as “Babes”, but their most significant recent achievement is co-writing and producing Shaka King’s acclaimed 2021 film “Judas and the Black Messiah”. This work gained them a screenwriting nomination at the Oscars, and the movie won an award for its star Daniel Kaluuya. Notably, they are the only Oscar-nominated individuals on this list (although Channing Tatum or Nick Offerman could potentially achieve that status in the future).
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2024-10-14 19:00