The characters in Average Joe, a new series coming to BET+ on June 26, are like a lot of us. Their lives are mundane, rote—average. The series begins with Joe Washington, a blue-collar plumber played by Deon Cole, dealing with the loss of his father. But nothing about these characters’ circumstances stays average for long.
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams plays Cathy Montgomery in the series, the wife of one of Joe Washington’s best friends, a hardware store owner played by Malcolm Barrett. As the stakes get higher, Cathy’s devotion to and knowledge of true crime podcasts proves essential to the group’s survival.
Although McWilliams was born in Berlin, Germany, she was primarily raised in Kansas City, Kansas. Since graduating from the Theater School of DePaul University, she has become one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors. Average Joe isn’t just a show about family, it straddles the line between comedy and drama, which won’t be a problem for an actor with McWilliams’ background.
Out of college, she first booked a supporting role in The Lake House, with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, before moving on to Prison Break on Fox. But perhaps what she’s best known for is BET’s NAACP award-winning comedy series The Real Husbands of Hollywood, in which she played Trina Shaw alongside Kevin Hart.
In addition to Average Joe, McWilliams can be seen alongside Samuel L. Jackson in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, and heard as the voice of Gamora on Marvel’s series What If…?
Average Joe premieres June 26 on BET+ with new episodes released weekly.