Orry Lee has been seen often enough on screens the size of a smartphone. Now the South Carolina social media influencer is set to make the jump to the big screen after landing a role in an upcoming feature film.
Lee, known to fans online as the Cornbread Cowboi, will appear in the new film “Stranglehold,” a comedy-thriller that recently wrapped production.
The film from Yale Productions and writer/director Clark Duke — who you might recognize from roles in “The Office” and “Hot Tub Time Machine” — centers around a planned heist at an Arkansas strip club . Lee plays Dale, one of the “local town rednecks” who are regulars at the club. Lee told The State that he got the role after he connected with Duke online.
“He’d been following me on social media,” Lee said. “We talked a couple times, and basically he reached out to me for a cameo appearance. It was a small part in the beginning,” but the producers liked Lee’s audition so much, they beefed up his role into a more substantial part, complete with a character name.
“Stranglehold” stars Ashley Benson, Jake Lacy, Justin Long and Ron Perlman, according to media reports. It’s set in small-town Arkansas similar to where Duke grew up and where he set his 2020 debut film “Arkansas.” But Lee said that, for tax purposes, principal filming was actually done in New Jersey.
“It has the vibes of a ‘Fargo’ or ‘Pineapple Express,’ a serious but fun movie,” Lee said.
It’s a testament to the power of social media that Lee, who doesn’t have a professional agent, landed the role purely through his online connections and the strength of his posts and videos. Lee has built a sizeable following in the guise of the Cowboi, who dresses in vintage clothes and evokes a kind of small-town nostalgia while also poking fun at blue-collar, stereotypically Southern lifestyles and interests.
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His posts on Instagram and TikTok have earned the Barnwell County native more than a million followers by essentially playing an exaggerated version of himself. And now, it’s earned him a chance to live his dream of appearing in movies.
“This was my first experience in a SAG movie,” he said, referring to the Screen Actors Guild professional union that covers film and television actors. “I’ve had opportunities to do like small, weird things. ... But I saw this and thought ‘holy moly.’ This is my first time on the big screen. I got to deal with my first Hollywood movie set.”
When Lee got to the movie, he joined up with other actors who had worked with dialect coaches to perfect their Southern drawls, and were surprised that Lee’s voice was not put on for the cameras.
“They were asking me if I was from New York or LA, and I’m telling them I’m from a small town in South Carolina,” Lee said. “I was talking to Justin Long one day, and he said, ‘I wish you’d come and stayed with me, so I’d have picked up the accent.’ ... I could put a little South in their mouth.”
Lee’s crew in the film rally to their favorite strip club’s defense during the heist. He’ll appear alongside Chandler Duke, the director’s brother; pro-wrestler Ryan Nemeth; and Chris Candy, the son of the late John Candy.
“Stranglehold” doesn’t have a release date yet, but Lee hopes his work on the film leads to other screen opportunities. The social media star said he’s looking at another script that was sent to him now, and has spoken to a director about other roles.
“I’ve always been passionate about film,” Lee said. “People have asked me to do stand-up comedy, but what I really want to do is make my own short films. ... That’s where my passion has always been. And after I’ve shown it to the world, I hope it opens doors for me.”
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