Owasso actor, impressionist boasts dynamic repertoire

Musician. Actor. Performer. Impressionist.

Kevin Randell wears a wide range of hats that showcase his many talents.

“I’m a Swiss army knife of entertainment,” Randell said. “You never know what you’re going to get.”

The 50-year-old Owasson’s knack for theatrics has led him to receive both statewide and national acclaim through various outlets such as movies, TV shows, stage performances, studio recordings and more.

Randell’s time in the spotlight began at an early age when he first performed in an elementary school play, which then grew into a passion for the creative arts. It wasn’t long until he started honing his humorous side by adapting the personalities of his favorite comics from popular movies.

“I’ve been doing comedic entertainment all of my life,” Randell said. “Artists like Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams started doing theatrical roles like ‘Austin Powers,’ ‘The Nutty Professor,’ and that inspired me because I could imitate them.”

He landed a career in sales and banking with degrees in developmental psychology and sports administration while continuing to pursue acting and voiceover work. Transitioning to his current job as an Uber driver in April 2023, however, allowed him to fully express his hidden talents with others.

“I realize I’m these people’s first impression into Tulsa, so I talk with them and I kind of gauge them, and I’m able to do a 5- to 15-minute skit,” said Randell, whose route has led him to not only entertain his customers but also chauffeur different performers.

“It’s a great networking tool. I have picked up fellow comedians; I’ve picked up movie stars; I’ve picked up musicians and bands and I’ve picked up people who perform at the PAC in the Broadway musicals. That’s opened up opportunities.”

Whether it’s working on the set of Sylvester Stallone’s “Tulsa King,” performing at the historic Tootsies Orchid Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee, or impersonating over 60 actors and cartoon characters,” Randell boasts a dynamic repertoire.

His latest role as a stand-in for the character Larry in Stallone’s recent hit series on Paramount+ — his most notable cinematic role to date — follows others on the big screen, including a background role as a law office partner in “A Christmas…Present” with Candace Cameron Bure and an extra in four of six episodes of the Pure Flix film, “A Thousand Tomorrows.”

Additionally, Randell made the first round of interviews to be a contestant on “Press Your Luck” as well as the final round of interviews to appear on “Deal or No Deal.” He also auditioned for a speaking role on Hulu’s “Reservation Dogs.”

“The great thing is, is the experience,” Randell said about his time spent on the backlots of Hollywood. “I’ve learned so much about the industry, a lot of things that happen behind the scenes.”

When he’s not gracing the film spotlight, Randell can be seen — or heard, rather — perfecting his nearly five dozen impressions, which include the likes of Shrek, Darth Vader, Matthew McConaughey, Sean Connery and more. He also dabbles in various accents that span the globe, from English and Scottish to German and Russian.

This has also led him to land different voiceover roles and run the microphone for commercials and PA announcements on local radio stations such as Glenpool’s KXOJ-FM — all packaged with his same signature humor.

“I love being a light in the world,” he said, “hopefully maybe being that moment where somebody’s having a really, really bad day and maybe something I say or I do or the voiceover, the accents, causes them to laugh.”

Randell doesn’t limit his voice to just the airwaves, however. He even uplifts others through musical numbers accompanied by an acoustic guitar as his instrument of choice.

Aside from performing at the aforementioned Tootsies Orchid Lounge in Nashville, he has also taken the stage at the town’s associated Ryman Auditorium, performed the national anthem at Tulsa Drillers games and been named a finalist in the U.S. Country Showdown, to name a few.

His musical highlight, however, is recently recording a new country song, “Home,” out of Drapp Studios in Broken Arrow about his experiences with overcoming grief that he hopes to officially release in the coming months.

“This came at a time when I was at a dead end, I was unemployed, I had a couple of friends that had passed away and I was mourning their loss; I was rock bottom,” Randell said. “I want to use this (song) as a platform to share my faith.”

That message, paired with Randell’s multi-ranged talent and humor, is paving the way for him to pursue more lofty goals such as finding an agent, getting signed and even singing The Star-Spangled Banner at an NFL game.

More importantly, he wants to continue enlivening people’s spirits through the art of comedy.

“I want to be remembered as the guy that made people laugh,” Randell said. “Knowing that I’m using the talents God gave me with a purpose, that is my biggest motivation.”