Is ‘Average Joe’ Based on a True Story? The Real Life Behind Robb Cullen’s Crime Drama

Viewers who discovered ‘Average Joe’ on Netflix or through its BET+ debut tend to walk away with the same question. The show’s premise, a plumber whose late father secretly worked for the Russian mafia, sounds far too outrageous to be real life.

The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. The series was created by Robb Cullen and is described as a loose adaptation of his own life, complete with dramatic flourishes added along the way.

The True Story Behind ‘Average Joe’

According to BET’s own website, the series is described as loosely based on real events from Cullen’s life, though the network has stopped short of confirming exactly which parts are fact and which are fiction. Cullen has said the storyline draws from his true life story, while acknowledging the events have been reshaped for television.

The clearest window into what actually happened comes from an interview Cullen gave to Variety. In that conversation, Cullen explained that the skeletal structure of the show stems from a real situation involving his own father. He described his father plainly, saying his dad was a con man, the same way he joked most record producers are.

Cullen recounted that his family moved around before landing in New York, where his father befriended a man Cullen refers to only as the Russian, who served as muscle for a criminal family. Cullen told Variety that shortly after his father died, he received a call from that same man, who said he would love to talk about his father. The meeting that followed, held at a Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, became the emotional seed of the entire series.

In the show, that real world tension gets fictionalized into a much larger conflict, with Joe Washington’s father accused of stealing ten million dollars and a Lamborghini from the Russian mob rather than the more modest scenario Cullen has described from his own past. The dramatic scale of the fictional debt suggests the series leans heavily into invention once the true emotional core is established.

Robb Cullen’s Real Life Inspiration

Cullen was born in Philadelphia, though the series itself is set roughly five hours away in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. That geographic distance is one of several clues that the show functions as an interpretation of Cullen’s history rather than a literal retelling.

In the fictional version, Joe Washington’s father Teddy is portrayed as a simple, family loving man who ran a tow truck company, a far cry from the record producer background Cullen has described for his own father. The choice to swap professions further underlines how much creative distance sits between Cullen’s biography and ‘Average Joe’ as written.

BET’s own materials note that while Cullen has been open about serving as inspiration for the story, he has remained tight lipped about the specific details, which has fueled ongoing speculation among fans about what really happened. That ambiguity appears intentional, allowing the show to function as both a personal reckoning and a piece of entertainment.

‘Average Joe’ Cast and Season Details

‘Average Joe’ premiered on BET+ on June 26, 2023, and later arrived on Netflix on August 15, 2024. The series was renewed for a second season, which is set to premiere on Paramount+ on August 19, 2026.

Deon Cole leads the cast as Joe Washington, a plumber whose ordinary life is upended by his father’s hidden criminal ties, with Tammy Townsend playing his wife Angela, a diner waitress dealing with her own pain disorder alongside a strong moral compass. Cole has spoken about the role as a departure from his comedic reputation.

Cole explained that taking on the part meant stepping away from broader comedy in favor of a more dramatic performance, adding that he did not perform stand up while filming because the emotional weight of the character stayed with him even after the cameras stopped rolling. He said he was drawn to Joe Washington specifically because of the character’s loyalty to his family and his willingness to go to any length to protect his wife and daughter.

Is ‘Average Joe’ Season 2 Continuing the True Story

Season one ended with Joe securing the stolen money after a violent confrontation with the Russian mob, only to return home and discover his wife had left with their daughter. That cliffhanger set up plenty of unresolved threads heading into the follow up season.

Filming for the second season wrapped in South Africa, with the cast and crew expressing gratitude for the experience on social media. The location shift suggests the production expanded its scope for the new episodes, even as the story remains rooted in Cullen’s original inspiration.

Whether the new season pulls further from Cullen’s real biography or leans deeper into invented mob drama remains to be seen once episodes begin airing. Given how carefully Cullen has guarded the line between memoir and fiction so far, fans should not expect a full confession of which scenes actually happened to him anytime soon.

With ‘Average Joe’ season two now premiering on Paramount+, how much of Joe Washington’s family history do you think mirrors what Robb Cullen actually lived through, and would knowing the full truth change how you watch the show?