Sterling K. Brown's Insecure character is beyond different from Randall

Insecure fans were shocked to see This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown appear on the series again. But his latest guest spot confirmed that his character is no Randall Pearson.

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Surprise! Sterling K. Brown is back on Insecure for another memorable guest appearance. The Emmy-winning This Is Us star first appeared on Issa Rae’s hit HBO comedy series earlier this month as Lionel, a marketing consultant trying to romance Molly (Yvonne Orji). While it seemed as though Brown’s guest spot would be a one-time deal, he unexpectedly turned up once more, and the divisions between Lionel and Randall have never been more apparent.

In Sunday night’s episode, Sterling K. Brown popped up without warning (just as he had in his previous episode) as a pity date for Molly’s parents’ vow renewal. She initially blew him off because, although he’s perfect on paper, there was no spark. Feeling like she needs to capture the rock-solid relationship of her parents, she invites Lionel as her date, but the chemistry between the pair is non-existent. Molly ends up blowing Lionel off — again — for her childhood friend Dro. Could you imagine anyone ever doing that to Randall Pearson?

Come on, you can’t help but make comparisons to Sterling K. Brown’s characters. Lionel and Randall are both professional types with an air of confidence about them. However, it’s true that they present themselves in dissimilar manners. Randall leads with honesty and sincerity, while Lionel’s much more smooth and slightly arrogant.

But it’s wild to watch Sterling K. Brown play the character who isn’t the endgame dream guy. The way Beth interacts with Randall on This Is Us compared to how Molly practically ignores Lionel on Insecure provides such a humorous paradigm shift in perception. Who would have thought that anyone could turn down Sterling K. Brown not once but twice?

Next: Surprise! Sterling K. Brown popped up in HBO's Insecure

Even though Brown’s first appearance on Insecure felt like a one-and-done deal, we shouldn’t expect his latest turn to follow suit. Molly ditched Lionel again, but she could always call on him for another date or could return for hopefully hilarious closure. They say all things come in threes, and we’re hoping to see more of Randall Pearson’s polar opposite in a third episode!

Catch Sterling K. Brown on Insecure Sundays at 10:30/9:30c on HBO. This Is Us returns for Season 2 on Tuesday, Sept. 26 on 9/8c on NBC.

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Sterling K. Brown’s Insecure character couldn’t be more different from Randall

By Reed Gaudens | Aug 21, 2017

Insecure fans were shocked to see This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown appear on the series again. But his latest guest spot confirmed that his character is no Randall Pearson.