Lil Rel Howery Knows You Have To Define Your Own Success.

In this episode of If You Knew Better , Amber Grimes sits down with Lil Rel Howery for an inspiring conversation about building a lasting career in entertainment through persistence, purpose, and creative evolution. Rel reflects on the moment he realized he'd truly "made it" in film and television [00:46] , then looks back to the high school performance that first showed him he could win over even the toughest audiences [02:04] .

He shares how directing became part of his journey after encouragement from Bobcat Goldthwait [03:29] , the lessons he learned making his directorial debut [06:19] , why collaborating closely with every department shaped the experience, and how casting friends and fellow comedians—including support from Tiffany Haddish—helped bring his vision to life [07:56] . The conversation also explores his love of horror-comedy [11:00] , how comedy continues to evolve alongside audiences [13:46] , and the way grief and personal experiences have informed both his work and perspective [16:47] .

Rel also discusses the importance of inspiring the next generation to understand the many career paths available in entertainment [19:10] , the values instilled by his parents through community service and mentorship [22:46] , and the filmmakers who inspired his own creative ambitions, from Steven Spielberg [27:08] to the lessons he drew from Sylvester Stallone and Rocky [29:04] . He explains why studying the business has been just as important as mastering the craft [30:37] , the unique challenge of acting while directing [32:34] , and how he now defines success through personal milestones like Get Out and his Chicago Theatre special [33:54] [36:36] .

Closing on a reflective note, Rel shares how he stays grounded and present [43:53] , the wisdom and healing that have shaped this stage of his life [47:07] , and previews his new horror-comedy Haunted Heist , arriving in theaters on July 24 [50:50] . Follow Amber Grimes on Instagram: @ambergrimes Follow Lil Rel Howell: @comedianlilrel Get Amber's Newsletter on Substack Watch This Episode on Youtube Thursday at 6pm ET Follow Amber's Book Club Get Amber's Book Club Merch Read Amber's Favorite Books See for privacy information.