Bishop Gorman grad steals ‘22 Jump Street’
“22 Jump Street” is a bit of a mixed bag. Some of its gags are borderline genius. Others fall remarkably flat.
But, as I mentioned in my review, some of the biggest laughs come from Jillian Bell, who plays Mercedes, the roommate of Jonah Hill’s love interest.
She’s a breath of hilariously hostile air as she riffs, improv-style, about how much older Hill’s undercover cop looks compared to everyone else on the college campus. Then she trades punches with him in one of the silliest, weirdest fights you’ll ever see.
I left the screening raving about her.
I just had no idea she was a Las Vegan until an alert reader left me a voicemail. (Sorry, Jillian.)
A 2002 graduate of Bishop Gorman High School, Bell was voted “most likely to be famous.” Then, seeking to become just that, she moved to L.A., joined the legendary improv troupe The Groundlings and spent a season writing for “Saturday Night Live” before landing the recurring role of Jillian Belk on Comedy Central’s cult favorite “Workaholics.”
She’s also appeared in “Bridesmaids,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” the final season of HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” and her own Comedy Central digital series, “Idiotsitter.”
And now she’s stealing “22 Jump Street” out from under Jonah Hill, largely by repeatedly punching him in the face.
Above is a brief look at some of her work in the movie.
