NBC describes Ordinary Joe as a “heartfelt new drama about the different ways that every choice can change your destiny.” If you too have wondered “what if?," Ordinary Joe might just be the nudge you need to explore your own life and think about how you ended up where you are. But since you’re here right now, keep reading to explore everything we’ve found out about Ordinary Joe.
What is Ordinary Joe about?
The series explores what everyone wonders: how life would be different—or the same—if you’d made different choices long ago. Specifically, the series “asks the question of how different life might look if you made your decision based on love, loyalty or passion,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show follows Joe’s life years after a timeline-shifting choice—in three very different life scenarios that run parallel to each other.
Who stars in Ordinary Joe?
You might be surprised to see some familiar faces in Ordinary Joe. And even though Joe is going to make different choices that lead to a wide array of outcomes, you’ll still be seeing the same main characters throughout the season. The actors will play different versions of themselves in Joe’s different lives. So, who’s up for the challenge?
James Wolk as Joe Kimbreau
You might remember seeing James Wolk on the HBO show Watchmen. He’s also been in The Crazy Ones, Tell Me a Story, Billions, Mad Men, Political Animals, Happy Endings and Shameless. So how hard is it for him to play, not three characters, but three versions of the same person? “In some ways, it is more challenging because you can’t just go and create three different characters,” Wolk told Rotten Tomatoes last month. “You have to really think about, in a nuanced way, how someone’s life can change in 10 years.” Wolk says that as an actor, the role on Ordinary Joe is a dream. “The most exciting thing about that is getting to really stretch as an actor and kind of play with the idea of how circumstances can kind of mold our personalities,” he told Entertainment Weekly in July. “There’s the question of nature vs. nurture — and nature absolutely plays a part — but then you have nurture and the environment you’re in and the people you’re around, the job you take and how that affects you.”
Natalie Martinez as Amy Kendalen
Martinez plays Amy, the gorgeous girl Joe meets on the day of his college graduation. Martinez’s casting was announced in March 2020, before filming on the pilot was delayed. She has appeared in the show Kingdom, as well as the Netflix show I-Land. She’s also appeared in shows like CSI: NY and the ABC drama Secrets and Lies.
Elizabeth Lail as Jenny Banks
Lail portrays Jenny, Joe’s best friend–and sometime wife, depending on which scenario is playing out. Lail is perhaps best known for her role on the Netflix stalker drama You. She’s also been seen in Once Upon a Time and the revamped Gossip Girl.
Charlie Barnett as Eric Payne
Barnett will be playing Joe’s best friend, Eric Payne. Barnett has been seen in Netflix’s Russian Doll, as well as in shows like Chicago Fire and Arrow. His casting was announced the same day as Martinez’s—he’d also worked with her on the show Secrets and Lies. The recurring cast will also include:
Teddy Sears
David Warshofsky
Adam Rodriguez
Jack Coleman
Christine Adams
Joe Carroll
Rushi Kota
Jason Burkey
Gabrielle Byndloss
When does Ordinary Joe premiere?
Ordinary Joe premieres Monday, September 20 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
What time is Ordinary Joe on?
Ordinary Joe airs at 10 p.m. ET on Mondays and is available to stream on Peacock the next day.
Is there a trailer for Ordinary Joe?
NBC released a trailer for the show in July; the clip outlines the basic premise and the major characters in Joe’s life. In one scenario, Joe is married to Amy and becomes a big star (who somehow seems more like The Boss than the Billy Joel he told her he wanted to be)—but it seems like they are having a tough time having kids. In another scenario, Joe is a nurse and marries Jenny and They have a special-needs son. In yet another scenario, Joe is a police officer who hasn’t yet settled down—and he meets Amy again.
Where was Ordinary Joe filmed?
While it’s unknown what city Ordinary Joe takes place in, Season 1 was shot in Chicago.
What kind of special needs does Joe’s son have in Ordinary Joe?
In one scenario, Joe and Jenny are married and their nine-year-old son has spinal muscular atrophy (or SMA). SMA is a genetic condition where nerve cells in the brainstem and spinal cord function improperly; as a result muscles become weakened. SMA is the number one genetic cause of infant mortality, according to Boston Children’s hospital. “We are so excited that a child with SMA gets to see someone like themselves on TV,” Wolk said in a 2020 clip he and Lail made for Cure SMA. “It’s an honor to play the parents of a child with SMA and dive headfirst into what those family dynamics are like.”
Is James Wolk single?
Let’s get this out of the way, before you develop a crush on the kind-eyed, big-smiled Wolk: He’s married. Not only is he married, he’s the kind of guy who read bedtime stories to his wife’s baby bump during her pregnancy. He has been married to wife Elizabeth Jae Byrd since 2015 and their son Charlie is now 4 years old. They also have a 2-year-old daughter.
Where can I watch Season 1 of Ordinary Joe?
Ordinary Joe will air on NBC on Monday nights at 10 p.m. The episodes will then be available for viewing on NBC.com and the NBC app, as well as Hulu the next day. Next, meet Our Kind of People, the New FOX Drama About the ‘Black Martha’s Vineyard’
