Entertainment

Here's why Billy Eichner Belongs In 'Neighbors 2'

by Katherine Cusumano

The cast of Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, the sequel to Seth Rogen's frat-bro comedy, just got a whole lot funnier. Billy Eichner has joined the ensemble of Neighbors 2 , and he joins a cast of returning stars like Zac Efron, Rogen himself, Rose Byrne, and Dave Franco, as well as a list of newcomers to the series like Chloe Grace Moretz and Kiersey Clemons. The script, written by Andrew Jay Cohen, Seth Rogen, Brendan O'Brien, and Evan Goldberg, has been pretty tightly guarded — the only thing that's been revealed is that there will be a sorority (we could have gathered that from the title), and that Moretz will be its leader, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

For someone with a pretty short list of film credits, Eichner has quite a reputation. Aside from his burgeoning film career (he'll also appear in an Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell vehicle that currently has no title but was previously called The Home), Eichner is an established face in the TV comedy arena. He made his name with his eponymous show Billy on the Street, a Funny Or Die game show in which he quizzed passersby on hot topics. (I can't wait to see what, if anything, his subjects will have to say about the papal visit.) His quite charmed comedy career has catapulted him onto screens everywhere, and it's high time he started getting film gigs, too. He previously had bit parts in Penguins of Madagascar and What Happens In Vegas, but it's likely, given the recognition he's cultivated at this point, that he'll have a meatier role in Neighbors 2.

Despite his familiar face, Eichner's name might not be quite so recognizable. He has more credits for his appearances on talk shows and comedy specials than he does narrative parts in television and film, but he brings his trademark biting humor and wit with him everywhere he performs. These roles have also proven an adeptness with humor of all sorts that he'll fit right in among the Rogen-curated cast of Neighbor 2.

Playing Craig Middlebrooks In Parks & Recreation

His recurring role as Craig Middlebrooks was one of the best things about Parks & Recreation. Whether it was his endearing earnestness or his secret talents as a sommelier, it'd be tough to pick a favorite Craig moment over his 17-episode story line. Eichner's exaggerated, aggressive delivery of his lines and his overly emotive expressions honed on Parks & Rec will adapt beautifully to the college humor of Seth Rogen's screenplays.

Who Is Hosting The Emmys?

As an opening sketch for the 2014 awards show, Eichner took to the streets again, this time with Seth Meyers in tow, to see how much your average New Yorker cares about the Emmys. (The answer is, apparently, not much.) The bit is both a riff on Eichner's own work and a self-deprecating sweep at his reputation — while nearly all of his sidewalking targets recognize Meyers instantly (except that poor mope who called him Seth Macfarlane), not one was particularly excited about Eichner getting in their space and grilling them about the nominees.

Eichner Meets His Match In Difficult People

Eichner knows what works for his humor and comedic timing, and it has made Difficult People an early hit. It was just renewed for a second season, and it stars Eichner and the show's creator Julie Klausner as two cynical New York-based comedians. One early line, "Our lives are garbage and it’s the world’s fault," is reminiscent of his Parks & Recreation character, and cements Eichner as a guy who knows his range, and knows what he likes.

Would You Have Sex With Paul Rudd?

He builds his Billy on the Street sketches around questions like this one, "Would you have sex with Paul Rudd?" It kind of makes me wish Rudd were going to make a Neighbors 2 appearance as well, because he's adorably confused for most of it, but when two old crones tell him they'd have sex with him for free, his response: "At the same time?"

Eichner has cultivated a persona that translates equally well in fiction and when he's appearing as himself. In Billy on the Street, he's ostensibly playing himself, but it's a caricaturized portrait that gives him more of a personality than an actual presence. And it's hilarious. It also means that he's been typecast to some extent, reinforcing what a great addition he'll be to Neighbors 2. Both his celebrity persona and his screen roles have the same frantic quality that show he's got the presence to take on the big screen.

Images: Giphy (2)