Lloyd Vogel

"You hired me as an investigative journalist. I don't do puff pieces."

- Lloyd Vogel to his editor Ellen

Lloyd Vogel is the protagonist of the 2019 drama film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. An embittered Esquire journalist with repressed wrath towards his philanderous father Jerry for abandoning his family, Lloyd is assigned to profile children's television host Fred Rogers for a magazine issue about heroes.

Lloyd initially seeks to lie about and destroy Rogers's reputation as he has done with his other interviewees, but instead learns about kindness and has a change of heart after Rogers learns of Lloyd's abusive behavior towards his father and compels him to confront his inner anger. Rogers's influence on Lloyd's life inspires him to forgive his father, become a more present father and husband in his family, and see the world in a kinder lens.

Based loosely on journalist Tom Junod, Lloyd is portrayed by Matthew Rhys, who also voiced The Conductor in Infinity Train.

Veneration
Lloyd first appears in the film during a national magazine awards ceremony, in which he has earned an award for his writing. He speaks of journalism as the only way to live life, as he believes it allows anyone who pursues it to expose a flair of truth that nobody else gets to uncover.

Lorraine's wedding


Lloyd, his wife Andrea, and his newborn son Gavin attend his sister Lorraine's third wedding, although he is hesitant because his father Jerry -- with whom he holds a grudge -- is also attending.

At the wedding reception, Jerry attempts to reconnect with Lloyd, who becomes annoyed at Jerry calling Andrea a "doll" and poking fun at Gavin. Jerry jokes about his ex-wife and Lloyd's mother Lila, enraging Lloyd into punching him in the face and starting a chaotic fistfight. Another patron at the wedding breaks Lloyd's nose and causes it to bleed, and Lloyd, Andrea, and Gavin leave the reception. Andrea accuses Lloyd of losing control, but Lloyd refuses to accept responsibility for assaulting Jerry.