Deon Cole Not Abandoning Comedy Despite Acclaim in Serious 'Average Joe' Role

Deon Cole won't let fame and notoriety for his less humorous roles kill his comedy drive ... even though he's getting plenty of acclaim for his new dramatic project.

We caught the comedian ahead of the premiere of his new BET+ series "Average Joe" ... which has already been drawing comparisons to "Ozark" for its dark, suburban storyline.

Deon tells us turning over a new leaf in his career doesn't mean he's burning down the forest he built on stand-up comedy -- that's still his bread and butter, and he says don't expect him to bite his tongue in future comedy bits.

He says he learned from Tom Hanks secondhand and credits his cast -- which includes Tammy Townsend, Malcolm Barrett and Michael Trucco -- for elevating his drama chops.

But Deon also tells us the series' directors saw the depth of his acting ability, and gave him the shot of a lifetime!!!