queenpins real characters
110 minutes Cast Kristen Bell Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Paul Walter Hauser Vince Vaughn Joel McHale Bebe Rexha as Tempe Tina Dayo Okeniyi Nick Cassavetes Michael Masini Paul Rust Eduardo Franco Marc Evan Jackson Lidia Porto Greta Oglesby Jack McBrayer Annie Mumolo Director Aron Gaudet These are free item coupons,' Police Sgt. Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. But lets be honest: its hard to feel too sorry for the corporations in this instance. It's not a seamless fit. The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. Queenpinshits theaters on September 10th and will be available to stream via Paramount+ on September 30th. When we're with Connie and JoJo, the tone of "Queenpins" is upbeat and sit-com-y, with Dolly Parton on the soundtrack telling us everything is going to be all right. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, playing the lead roles, are as spectacular as ever. Upon realizing that they could get a coupon for a free item sent to them just by complaining to the manufacturer, they come up with a plan to smuggle and steal cases of those coupons, to then sell to people. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Now that theyve done their time and are working to pay off their debt, the women appear to be trying to put the incident behind them. That's one reasonbeyond saving moneythe scam was so successful. And it seems like the makers of the movie share this sentiment. You know what, I bet if a better actor were playing Ken Miller, thered probably be a little fine tooth combing involved with the world of loss prevention. She is also known for her appearances in Killing Eve and Cruella. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Bud is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and an industry veteran. David Lake of the Phoenix Police Department. Queenpins' true story is based on the couponing scam designed by three Arizona women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. One local law enforcement official at the time told the news: The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. Instead we have LPOKen Miller (Paul Walter Hauser), a dedicated but comically awkward stickler for the rules, who is eventuallyjoined by an investigator from the USPS (Vince Vaughn, nailing just the right mix of exhausted irritation and integrity). Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. The postal inspector tells Connie it's 1 year for every $100,000 earned fraudulently and that she's looking at 40 years. Which brings us to Queenpins, a based-on-a-true-story comedy about the suburbanite besties behind the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. A look at what really happened with the characters of Andrew Dominiks 2007 Western epic. Queenpins is Rexha's first major acting role. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. This film wasn't deep, and at times it stretched credibility, but it was fun and engaging. From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Ba. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Joel McHaleas Rick Kaminski- McHale plays Connie's husband who is worried about their growing amount of debt. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. That would be too prestigious for Hauser's wannabe-cop Miller (Hauser borrows from his 2019 performance in Richard Jewell). "You've got yourself an eighteen-karat run of bad luck, kid.". Counterfeit Coupon Ringleader Pleads Guilty - Coupons in the News, Woman spends $600 on SavvyShopperSite.com fake coupons - Jill Cataldo. The pair are currently starring as crooked coupon buddies in the crime comedy "Queenpins," written and directed by husband-and-wife duo Aron. His character represents the law enforcementin charge of tracking down the women responsible. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. They'd then sell them on eBay and a website, SavvyShopperSite, for a profit. 'They're buying bunches, and they're redeeming them in bunches.'. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). Lets break it down. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. After he retired from the force, he took what he had learned from this case and others like it to found the Center on Shadow Economics, which works to mitigate the economic impact of black market crimes like counterfeit couponing. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. Postal Inspector lead the investigation into their activities, encountering multiple humorous setbacks along the way. The cruelty-free sacred oil that will anoint Charles as King: Monarch breaks Coronation Day tradition with 'I have nothing to say to you': Father of Mallory Beach - who was killed in a boat crash while Alex Murdaugh's Alex Murdaugh is seen with his prison buzz cut as he starts two life sentences without parole for killing his Family 'mortified' after being thrown out of Mother Goose panto for bringing their baby with them, after venue Is this Britain's most despicable man? She lives with her mother and is trying to be an entrepreneur with a series of YouTube videos featuring tips on saving. Visitors to the Savvy Shopper Site website could buy high-value coupons offering free items like detergent, diapers, pet food and more, for pennies on the dollar. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. I went to the detectives and I said, we have what appears to be a large multimillion-dollar, maybe hundreds of millions of dollars, theft affecting over 240 victims, the now-retired Lake told Coupons in the News. Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. Bell plays former Olympian and bored. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. HBOs Rain Dogs Finds Humor, Despair in the Working-Class Mum at its Center, Berlinale Highlights, Part Three: Hummingbirds, Concrete Valley, Afire, The Oneness of All Things: On Sofia Alaouis Animalia, New York International Childrens Film Festival Opens Window to the World. However, everything that's built onto this premise in the movie is almost entirely fictional. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. She has also worked on soundtracks for movies like Abominable and, most recently, He's All That. [1] It was released on September 10, 2021. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. People who purchased coupons on the site could use them for an item and even get cash back if the value of the coupon exceeded the item's price. Though most of their fraudulent earnings have been confiscated, the pair have hundreds of thousands of dollars from their illegal activities stashed away, and JoJo starts a relationship with Earl and relocates to Montenegro, a non-extradition country, where the pair can immediately restart the scam upon Connie's release. After six months, the pair figure their money is safe to use, but because the money is dirty, they need to spend and clean it. The Coupon Information Corporation got wind of the scheme, and brought it to the attention of investigators, which is how it eventually landed on the desk of Phoenix Police Sergeant David Lake. They enjoy their newfound wealth, only to have their criminal enterprise crumble when they are investigated, raided, and arrested. The FBI has crooks who commit moremanly crimes to track down. But thats just Connie and Jojo. In the wake of the bust, all three women pleaded guilty. Queenpins Cast And Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From, Worth Cast & Character Guide: What The Real People Look Like, Free Guy Cast, Characters & All Cameos Guide, Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. -Investigative Consultants. I have never purchased coupons from a clipping service or an auction site." The crime comedy is based on a counterfeit coupon empire that shocked law enforcement. She spends her free time drinking coffee and trying to resist the urge to buy any new books before reading the many she already owns. The character mainly functions to forward the plot and as the other half of the "buddy-cop" duo with Ken Miller (Paul Walter Hauser). Because at Coupons In The News, we believe an educated consumer is the best couponer! Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. "I'm saving money!" Howell-Baptiste previously worked with Bell on Veronica Mars and The Good Place. Queenpins tells a comedic story of two down-on-their-luck Phoenix women who discover their path to prosperity by concocting a $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme that all comes crashing down when they get caught. After multiple, very expensive fertility treatment failures, she and her IRS auditor husband (Joel McHale, given nothing to do) are estranged and deeply in debt. They were a part of a fast-rising category referred to as "pink collar criminals," "nice" suburban women who commit non-violent crimes, mostly fraud or embezzling from businesses or from community organizations like the PTA. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. That is the basic premise of Queenpins, a comedy reuniting The Good Placeco-stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two leads. She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. Bell plays Connie, whose life is smaller and sadder than she expected, following her early success as a gold-medal-winning Olympic athlete (but in a low-profile event, race-walking). In 2012, investigators found millions of dollars worth in forged coupons. But the coupons were high-quality counterfeits. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. It isvery pleasurable in the moment but likely to leave you feeling empty and a little queasy. The idea started just as a way for their two families to make ends meet as they struggled to pay the bills. Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). The Phoenix Police Department conducted undercover operations in which they purchased the counterfeit coupons. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center.