Vacation Friends focuses on Marcus and Emily, a soon-to-be happily wedded couple played by Lil Rel Howery and Yvonne Orji. Their wedding is crashed by friends they met on vacation in Mexico named Ron and Kyla, portrayed by John Cena and Meredith Hagner. In the first few seconds of the Vacation Friends trailer, Howery and Yvonne’s characters are preparing to celebrate with their friends when suddenly a truck drives through the fence at their engagement party venue. Cena and Hagner’s characters step out of the car, pretending to be upset that they weren’t invited. While Marcus and Emily seem mortified that their vacation life is interfering with their regular lives, Ron and Kyla are solely focused on having a good time. The rest of the two-minute clip includes flashbacks of their partying in Mexico and plenty of chaos.
In addition to the four funny main characters, the rest of the cast features a group of funny and talented actors who play relatives and wedding guests.
John Cena plays Ron
John Cena’s character Ron sets up the plot of the movie when he shows up at the wedding event and calls Marcus and Emily his best friends. A running gag in the trailer is that Ron keeps tricking Marcus into trying illegal substances.
Cena gained fame as a professional wrestler before successfully transitioning into acting. In the last few months, he has starred in blockbusters The Suicide Squad and F9: The Fast Saga. He also appeared in the 2018 comedy Blockers and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck. Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Lil Rel Howery plays Marcus
Lil Rel Howery is used to playing funny characters in films like Get Out and The Photograph, but Marcus is a balance of comedy and sensibility. At one point in the trailer, Marcus is terrified after a drunk Ron shoots a glass bottle off of his head.
It seems like Howery is constantly filming movies. So far this year, he has appeared in Free Guy, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Fatherhood, Bad Trip, and Judas and the Black Messiah. Howery also had a role on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show and his own comedy series Rel.
Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Yvonne Orji plays Emily
When Ron and Kyla show up unexpectedly, Marcus and Emily have a quick argument about who accidentally invited the reckless couple. It seems like the blame lies with Emily, as she told the couple they would meet again. “I said it without meaning it like any decent person would,” she admits. Unfortunately, Ron and Kyla took her kind gesture literally.
Orji is most recognised for playing Molly Carter beside Issa Rae on the hit HBO series Insecure. She also appeared in the movie Night School and the 2020 horror comedy Spontaneous. Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Meredith Hagner plays Kyla
Meredith Hagner plays Ron’s equally funny partner Kyla. In one funny scene, she gets into a fight in a bar and has to be carried out by Ron.
If you are a fan of the comedy series Search Party, then you will definitely recognise Hagner from her role as the struggling actress Portia Davenport. She also had a role in the Netflix rom-com Set It Up. Hagner started out on the soap opera As the World Turns. Photo: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Andrew Bachelor plays Gabe
Andrew Bachelor, also known by his social media name King Bach, only makes a brief appearance in the trailer. He plays Emily’s younger brother named Gabe who attends the couple’s party and points out Ron and Kyla’s dramatic arrival.
Bachelor originally gained popularity from the defunct video platform Vine. He has appeared in the films Holidate, The Babysitter movie series, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and the Netflix series Sneakerheads. Photo: Leon Bennett/WireImage.
Lynn Whitfield plays Suzanne
Lynn Whitfield’s character Suzanne is presumably a relative of the soon-to-be wedded couple. “This weekend is all about you,” she tells Marcus and Emily. Clearly, she has not met their friends yet.
Whitfield currently stars as Lady Mae Greenleaf on the OWN drama Greenleaf. She has also appeared in multiple films like Eve’s Bayou starring Samuel L. Jackson, The Josephine Baker Story where she played the titular character, and Nappily Ever After. Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images.
Robert Wisdom plays Harold
Wisdom portrays Harold, Emily’s father. To Emily’s disbelief, Harold immediately gets along with Ron and the two go golfing together along with Marcus.
Wisdom has booked a variety of roles in the past few years. He recently appeared on the television shows Helstrom, The Alienist, Watchmen, and Ballers. He also had a role in the 2019 crime drama Motherless Brooklyn. He played Howard “Bunny” Colvin on The Wire and Lechero on Prison Break. Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic.
Tawny Newsome plays Emily’s sister
Newsome plays Emily’s sister who is in an unhappy marriage. She is a guest at Emily and Marcus’s party.
Newsome stars in the Netflix comedy series Space Force. Some of other acting credits include roles on the shows Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Brockmire, and voicing a character on Star Trek: Lower Decks. Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images.
Kamal Angelo Bolden plays a wedding guest
Kamal Angelo Bolden’s character is another guest at Marcus and Emily’s engagement party. He is shown introducing the engaged couple on stage before Ron and Kyla crash the event.
Bolden has landed recurring roles and guest spots on series like The Resident, Chicago Fire, Rosewood, and Insecure. He will next star in the show 61st Street from executive producer Michael B. Jordan. Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images.
Barry Rothbart plays Emily’s brother-in-law
Rothbart’s character is married to Emily’s sister. He makes a quick appearance participating in a family and friend group hug.
Rothbart is a comedian and actor. His most recognisable roles were playing Bart on the television series Kidding and Kevin on the ABC show Downward Dog. Photo: Greg Doherty/Getty Images.
Anna Maria Horsford plays Nancy
Two of Horsford’s most well-known roles were on the television series The Wayans Bros. and Amen. She also appeared in two Friday films as Mrs. Jones. She recently had a two-episode arc on Ryan Murphy’s Pose.
Photo: Robin L Marshall/Getty Images.
Chuck Cooper plays Larry
Cooper won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his character Memphis in The Life. He recently starred on the short-lived Apple TV series Little Voice. He also had a recurring role on the television show Power. Photo: Bruce Glikas/WireImage.
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