"Can't split from a family member": Jason Bateman explains how his Black Rabbit character Vince "takes advantage" of his brother 

Black Rabbit is a Netflix limited crime thriller series that premiered on September 18, 2025. The show mixes family drama and suspense, creating a dark, intense narrative that keeps viewers hooked.

One of the main characters on the show is Vince Friedken, played by Jason Bateman. Vince is Jake Friedken’s troubled older brother who returns to New York with heavy baggage — gambling debts, addiction struggles, and chaos that disrupt Jake’s carefully built life.

Recently, on an episode of “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Jason Bateman argues that in Black Rabbit, Vince uses his brother Jake in ways that no buddy could.

He said,

"We all have family members…they can get away with a great deal."

This mainly pointed out how family relationships make us tolerate more, which Vince takes advantage of.

More about Jason Bateman and Black Rabbit

On a recent episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jason Bateman spoke freely about his role as Vince in Black Rabbit and the delicate relationship his character has with his younger brother Jake.

He explained that Vince is constantly pushing the boundaries and relies on Jake for moral, financial, and emotional support. However, Jake continues to step in to assist even when he clearly should not because they are family.

He further mentioned,

“I’d do things for him that I’d never do for a dirtbag friend.”

This mainly showed how strong and sometimes unhealthy family loyalty can really be. To make the matter even more challenging, Bateman not only acted in Black Rabbit, but he also directed the first two episodes.

It helped him have a different insight into the inner world of Vince and the general atmosphere of the show. Bateman imparts depth and reality to Vince with a career that has had critically acclaimed roles in such series as Ozark where he played equally morally complicated characters.

In the series, Vince takes advantage of Jake in multiple ways. Financially, Vince drags Jake into his debts, putting Jake’s thriving restaurant and VIP lounge at risk.

Emotionally, Vince leans on Jake’s compassion and guilt, knowing Jake cannot turn his back on him. This creates constant tension as Jake tries to balance his love for his brother with the growing danger Vince represents. Vince’s actions ultimately push Jake to confront difficult choices about loyalty, family, and survival, making this relationship the beating heart of the show.

Cast of Black Rabbit

The Black Rabbit cast has a heavy cast of good actors who make the dark and drama world of the show reality. Jude Law is a responsible younger brother of Jake Friedken, who owns the restaurant and VIP lounge called Black Rabbit.

Jake is consistent, serious, and wants to leave a legacy that he can be proud of and the reappearance of Vince is going to ruin all his hard work. Jason Bateman stars as Vince Friedken, a disturbed older brother of Jake who has a history of addiction, gambling, and having a loose grip, lures both brothers into a dangerous situation.

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Minor characters make the story interesting. Cleopatra Coleman is an interior designer, Estelle, who is related to both the social and business life of Jake. Amaka Okafor plays the role of Roxie, the head chef of Black Rabbit and a person with ambition, whilst Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrisan stars as the role of a musician and entrepreneur who invests in and shapes the success of the restaurant.

Troy Kotsur portrays Joe Mancuso, a local crime boss and bookie who was associated with previous debts of Vince. Abbey Lee stars as Anna, a bartender whose character development gains emotional weight, and Odessa Young portrays Gen, the estranged daughter of Vince, giving him some personal investment in his character development.

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