Craig Robinson joins “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” as Tracy Morgan's rival (exclusive)
- - Craig Robinson joins “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” as Tracy Morgan's rival (exclusive)
Sydney BucksbaumJanuary 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM
0
Jamaal Murray; Scott Gries/NBC
Craig Robinson; Tracy Morgan in 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins'
There's a new heated rivalry coming to our TV screens.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins has recruited Craig Robinson to guest-star, Entertainment Weekly has exclusively learned.
The actor-comedian will play Jerry Basmati, the longtime rival of disgraced football star Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan). The two athletes first butted heads when Reggie was the star player of the New York Jets, and Jerry still carries a grudge today. He'll do anything to prove he's better than Reggie, both on and off the field.
Meanwhile Jerry's glamorous, passive-aggressive wife Tisha Basmati (played by Saturday Night Live alum Heidi Gardner in two episodes) hates Reggie's ex-wife/current agent and business manager Monica (Erika Alexander) just as much as her husband hates Reggie.
"They come in and cause trouble," co-showrunner Sam Means tells EW of Jerry and Tisha. "We have a lot of fun with them."
Scott Gries/NBC
Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe on 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins'
Alexander says Robinson is "excellent" in his role.
"He's his own long-running joke," she adds. "He's a great nemesis and also version of what Reggie could have. I love the energy he brings — he's a master of his craft, a total legend. We spent our time in between scenes singing '80s love duets."
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins centers on the titular former NFL superstar who was banned for life from the league after accidentally revealing he bet on his own New York Jets games, resulting in the team's downfall. Reggie hires award-winning filmmaker Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe) to move into his home and make a documentary about his life and career in the hopes it will win back the respect of his fans, peers, and family — and ultimately help him achieve the impossible dream of getting into the Hall of Fame. But he'll have to own up to his past mistakes first.
The NBC comedy also stars Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, and Jalyn Hall. Other guest stars previously announced by EW include The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng, L.A. Law's Corbin Bernsen, and Pitch Perfect alum Anna Camp.
Robert Carlock and Means serve as co-showrunners, writers, and executive producers, with Morgan, Tina Fey, Eric Gurian, and David Miner executive producing.
After breaking out as a stand-up comedian, Robinson became best known for his role as Darryl Philbin in The Office and Doug "the Pontiac Bandit" Judy in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He executive produced and starred in two seasons of Peacock's comedy series Killing It. Other TV appearances include Mr. Robinson, The Cleveland Show, Ghosted, and The Masked Dancer.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
He has also starred in many films, including The Bad Guys franchise, Knocked Up, This is the End, the Hot Tub Time Machine franchise, and more. In addition to his stand-up solo acts, he also tours with his band, the Nasty Delicious.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins kicks off with a special premiere on Sunday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT or immediately following the NFL playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears. The series returns with two episodes (an encore of the pilot followed by the second episode) on Monday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, before moving to its regular time slot the following week on Monday, March 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Read more about the new series in EW's cover story.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
