What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedRole Models
David Wain · Film · 2008
If you loved Role Models, start with Workaholics (Adam Devine, 2011) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Role Models across media.
If you loved Role Models, you crave the specific comedic tension found in watching immature adults forced to navigate unexpected, humbling social responsibilities.
Books on the same thread
Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak · Book · 2009
Explores: Imagination, Anger Management, Adventure.
Like the reluctant mentors in Role Models, Max learns that managing wild behavior requires a surprising degree of emotional maturity and personal growth during his journey through the wild.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Steven Jay Schneider · Book · 2008
Explores: Film History, Classic Cinema, Cult Films.
If you appreciated the cynical humor and character dynamics in Role Models, this guide offers an essential deep dive into the cinematic history that informs such irreverent buddy comedies.
The Making of Dr. Truelove
Derrick Barnes · Book · 2008
Explores: Alter Ego, Insecurity, Relationship Advice.
Just as Role Models centers on the awkward process of finding oneself, this story features a protagonist navigating the insecurities of youth while attempting to reinvent his own identity.
The Bad Guys
Aaron Blabey · Book
Shares a thread with Role Models: Redemption.
This story mirrors the redemption arcs found in Role Models, as a group of societal misfits attempts to subvert their reputations through an unlikely and humorous journey of change.
Series on the same thread
Arrested Development
Mitchell Hurwitz · Series · 2003
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Wealth and Privilege, Family Business.
You enjoyed the dysfunctional personal dynamics in Role Models, and this series perfects that same brand of comedy by focusing on a family unit struggling to maintain their composure.
Workaholics
Adam Devine · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Role Models: Slacker Comedy.
This show captures the exact brand of slacker energy found in Role Models, highlighting the comedic friction that occurs when immature men are forced to exist within a workplace.
Master of None
Alan Yang · Series · 2015
Explores: Dating in the modern age, Existential crisis, Career aspirations.
Much like the characters in Role Models, Dev must confront the transition into true adulthood, balancing his career aspirations with the messy, often hilarious realities of modern life and relationships.
Party Down
Paul Rudd · Series · 2009
Explores: Hollywood satire, struggling artists, failure.
This series shares the cynical, workplace-based humor of Role Models, showcasing a group of talented but stuck individuals who find themselves in the same kind of humiliating, forced professional situations.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, unfiltered dialogue, lifestyle exploration.
If you connected with the unfiltered, conversational humor of the leads in Role Models, this podcast offers that same style of raw, candid dialogue regarding pop culture and lifestyle topics.
The Adventure Zone
The McElroys · Podcast · 2026
Explores: improvised storytelling, group dynamics, high fantasy satire.
The dynamic between these family members mirrors the misfit pairings in Role Models, relying on improvised, high-stakes humor and group chemistry to navigate a series of absurd, unplanned adventures.
Common questions
What leads to the legal trouble in Role Models?
In Role Models, the protagonists end up in legal trouble after they trash a company truck while on an energy drink-fueled bender. This reckless behavior results in their arrest and the subsequent court-ordered choice between jail time or completing a mentorship program.
How many service hours must the characters complete in Role Models?
The court requires the two salesmen in Role Models to complete 150 service hours with a mentorship program. This sentence serves as an alternative to serving hard time in jail for the destruction of their company vehicle.
Is the mentorship program in Role Models easy for the characters?
The mentorship program is not easy for the characters in Role Models. After spending only one day with the kids in the program, the two salesmen find the experience so difficult that they begin to consider jail a preferable alternative to completing their service hours.
What choice does the court give the salesmen in Role Models?
The court gives the two salesmen in Role Models a choice between two options. They must either serve hard time in jail or complete 150 hours of service with a mentorship program as a penalty for trashing their company truck.