Mike Epps in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins David Lee/Courtesy of Universal

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Mike Epps, a stand-up comic and actor known for his wisecracking roles in such films as Friday After Next, All About the Benjamins, The Honeymooners, and Roll Bounce, reprises his slacker shtick in Malcolm Lee's new family film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, about the title character's return to his humble Southern hometown after a successful run in Hollywood. In it, Epps plays Reggie, the sketchy cousin who is always looking to take Roscoe down a notch or, at the very least, score a dollar or two off of him.

PREMIERE: How did you get involved in Roscoe Jenkins?
MIKE EPPS: Malcolm Lee, who is the director. I did a movie with him called Roll Bounce. After I did that movie with him I built this relationship with him and he called me and told me he was thinking about doing [another] movie with some comedians. So, we talked. About a year went by and the script came back up. My guys called me up and said "Malcolm Lee called" and I said, "For real?" And I was like, "Come on with it. I'll do it."

What'd you think of the story initially?
I loved it. I come from a big family like that, so when I read that story, it hit right home for me.

Where are you from?
Indiana.

Where did you go after Indiana?
I moved to New York, then I moved to Los Angeles.

What were you pursuing initially?
Stand-up.

Does your personal story resemble any of the characters' stories?
Yeah. All the characters are very, very relatable to me and I'm pretty sure [they are] to other people that watch it. My character was relatable to me because I've been that kind of guy before — a quick hustler always trying to hustle somebody, always trying to get something for nothing.