Warning: SPOILERS for The Lovebirds.
The Lovebirds cast features talented actors and actresses with previous appearances in movies and shows like House of Cards, Marriage Story, and even The Wolf of Wall Street. Produced by Paramount and helmed by The Big Sick director Michael Showalter, The Lovebirds tells the story of a troubled couple whose relationship suffers an abrupt transformation when they get tangled in a murder mystery. Increasingly abnormal situations arise, but they learns to stick together to escape the mix-up.
The Lovebirds is one of several movies that was intended to release in theaters before the coronavirus pandemic forced theaters to close down. Following the example of most major productions, the film was later sold to Netflix in order to release on the streaming service instead of on-demand. The Lovebirds received mixed reviews from audiences and critics, but the charm of the cast is regarded as one of the strongest aspects of the romantic comedy.
Despite not having any A-list actors, The Lovebirds boasts a charismatic cast that takes the mystery plot to another level. From the eccentric Mickey Doyle from Boardwalk Empire to Kingo from the upcoming Marvel blockbuster The Eternals, every character contributes to the thrill of the movie with hilarious moments of dark comedy. Here's the cast guide for The Lovebirds and their most famous roles.
Kumail Nanjiani as Jibran
Kumail Nanjiani is most famously known for his comedic roles as Dinesh from the HBO comedy Silicon Valley and the cab driver Stu from Stuber. Nanjiani previously worked with director Michael Showalter in the romantic comedy The Big Sick as both screenwriter and lead actor, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Nanjiani's next big role will be as Kingo in Marvel's The Eternals.
He plays the stubborn documentary filmmaker Jibran, one-half of the decaying, leading New Orleans couple in The Lovebirds. While fighting with his partner Leilani (Issa Rae) after four years of being together, he drives over a cyclist and gets framed for a crime. The unexpected tragedy forces him to mend fences with his partner and find a way to escape the consequences of the murder they didn't commit, but their relationship issues keep getting in the way.
Issa Rae as Leilani
With a strong record as a TV producer in shows like The Choir and First, Issa Rae returns as an actress for The Lovebirds after her HBO hit Insecure, which she produces and stars in. She rose to fame in 2011 with her award-winning YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl, a show about the daily uncomfortable situations a call center worker has to go through.
Rae plays Leilani, the fiery female half of the problematic couple in The Lovebirds. Leilani works in an ad agency and believes Jibran's profession to be uninteresting. Even after the incident, she constantly finds herself in the need to fine-tune Jibran's childish personality - although she commits the same mistakes without realizing it. After countless unlikely situations and finally defeating "Moustache" (Paul Sparks), her relationship with Jibran is repaired.
Other Cast in The Lovebirds
Paul Sparks as Moustache Known for his roles as Frank Underwood's hired writer Thomas Yates in House of Cards and the ambitious mobster Mickey Doyle in Boardwalk Empire, Sparks portrays Moustache, the main antagonist of The Lovebirds, who runs over "Bicycle" and frames the couple.
Nicholas X. Parsons: "Bicycle", the cyclist that gets ran over by Moustache and causes Jibran and Leilani to embark on their unexpected escape. Parsons starred in the 2018 drama Power of the Air and played Stanzi Palmer in the USA Network comedy series Necessary Roughness.
Anna Camp: The Perfect Harmony actress portrays Edie, the undercover agent who kidnaps Jibran and Leilani and takes them to the cabin to torture them. In the Pitch Perfect movies, Camp played Aubrey - the co-leader of the Barden Bellas. She also had a minor role as Jolene French in the 2011 period drama The Help.
Kyle Bornheimer: Bornheimer plays Brett. Bornheimer played Lieutenant Teddy Wells in the popular comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine and had small roles in the 2012 comedy Bachelorette and the critically-acclaimed 2019 Netlflix drama Marriage Story.
Andrene Ward-Hammond: She plays Detective Martin, the operative that interrogates Jibran and Leilani after they're arrested in the mysterious ceremony. Ward-Hammond had minor roles in the Mark Wahlberg-led comedy Instant Family and in the biographical dramas Loving and Just Mercy.