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Cedric the Entertainer

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Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric in 2023
Born
Cedric Antonio Kyles

(1964-04-24) April 24, 1964 (age 60)
Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S.
EducationSoutheast Missouri State University (BA)
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • television host
  • producer
Years active1987–present
Spouse
Lorna Wells
​
(m. 1999)​
Children3
AwardsSix NAACP Image Awards
One Gotham Award
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Comedy career
GenresObservational comedy, blue comedy, surreal humour, insult comedy
Subject(s)everyday life, pop culture, self-deprecation
Websiteiamcedric.com

Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian, actor and television host. He hosted BET's ComicView during the 1993–1994 season and Def Comedy Jam in 1995. He is best known for co-starring with Steve Harvey on The WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, as one of The Original Kings of Comedy, and for starring as Eddie Walker in Barbershop. He hosted the 12th season of the daytime version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2013–14 and starred in the TV Land original series The Soul Man, which aired from 2012 to 2016. He has also done voice work for Ice Age, the Madagascar film series, Charlotte's Web, Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue. He currently stars on the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood. In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Cedric was born on April 24, 1964, in Jefferson City, Missouri, the son of Rosetta (née Boyce), a schoolteacher, and Kittrell Kyles, an employee of The Missouri Pacific Railroad.[2][3] He has a younger sister, Sharita Kyles Wilson, a communications professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.[4][5]

Cedric was raised in Caruthersville, Missouri, but after junior high school he moved to Berkeley, Missouri, a northern suburb of St. Louis. He is a graduate of Berkeley High School.[6]

Cedric majored in mass communication at Southeast Missouri State University[7] and worked as a State Farm insurance claims adjuster and substitute high school teacher before becoming a full-time comedian. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Career

[edit]

Cedric's stage name came about when he felt that his real name, Cedric Kyles, sounded too formal. Inspired by an entertainer named Kodak, he came up with the name "Cheerio", but received a cease and desist letter from General Mills over their cereal Cheerios. He settled on his stage name when someone introduced him as "an entertainer, Cedric the entertainer" and the name stuck.[8]

In 1995, Cedric moved into acting, auditioning for and receiving his first-ever role as The Cowardly Lion in the 1995 Apollo Theater Revival of The Wiz. He expanded his career by playing Steve Harvey's friend Cedric Jackie Robinson on The Steve Harvey Show.[9][10]

He began appearing in films, including Barbershop,[11] Barbershop 2: Back in Business,[12] Ride, Serving Sara, Johnson Family Vacation, Code Name: The Cleaner, Intolerable Cruelty, Man of the House, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Be Cool. He was the subject of controversy when his Barbershop character made unpopular remarks about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.[13] These comments were spoken in character, as part of the script; he has never apologized for them. In Madagascar, he voiced Maurice the aye aye. In October 2005, he joined the Champ Car auto racing series as a part owner.[14] He appeared in the film Charlotte's Web as the voice of Golly the gander.[15]

While his acting career grew, Cedric continued to perform stand-up comedy and traveled the country as one of the Kings of Comedy headliners with Steve Harvey, D. L. Hughley and Bernie Mac. The act was later made into a Spike Lee film, The Original Kings of Comedy.[16] Cedric had his own sketch comedy show, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, but after being renewed for a second season, it was canceled by Fox before the season began. He took time to write a book, Grown-A$$ Man.[17] He appeared in the 2003 video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. A more recent HBO Comedy Special was Cedric The Entertainer: Taking You Higher.[a] He recorded comedic interludes on two Nelly albums, Country Grammar (2000) and Nellyville (2002) as well as on Jay-Z's The Black Album (2003).[18]

In the 2007 comedy film Code Name: The Cleaner, Cedric plays Jake, a janitor with amnesia who may be a secret undercover government agent involved in an illegal arms conspiracy. He starred in the 2008 films Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Street Kings.[19][20]

Cedric appeared as the lead comedian at the White House Correspondents Dinner, but jokingly remarked that he was unprepared because he thought that he would follow a humorous speech by President George W. Bush. He instead followed First Lady Laura Bush, who called him "hilarious" and "probably the funniest person" she had ever met.[21][22]

Cedric has won many awards, beginning with $500 in the Johnny Walker National Comedy Contest in 1990 and coming in first in the Miller Genuine Draft Comedy Contest in 1993.[23] BET named him Richard Pryor Comic of the Year.[24] He has also won four NAACP Awards.[25]

He was inducted to the St. Louis Walk of Fame on June 7, 2008. His star is at 6166 Delmar.[26]

He was the special guest host for WWE Raw on September 21, 2009, in Little Rock, Arkansas. During the show, he participated in a wrestling match, defeating Chavo Guerrero Jr. by pinfall. The match also featured Santino Marella as a guest referee. Cedric also got help from an unknown wrestler dubbed The Sledge Hammer (played by Imani Lee) and Hornswoggle.[27][28]

In March 2010, Cedric made his directorial debut with Dance Fu, produced and funded independently by his company Bird and a Bear Entertainment with producer Eric C. Rhone. It starred comedian Kel Mitchell. Cedric made a cameo appearance in the film as a homicide detective. It was released straight to DVD on October 4, 2011.[29]

Cedric appeared in the Broadway revival of David Mamet's play American Buffalo.[30]

In a June 21, 2011, interview, Cedric said his latest reality game show, It's Worth What?, would air on NBC on July 12, 2011,[31] but the start date was delayed by one week to July 19. Starting in 2012, he played the main character in the TV Land original series The Soul Man, featuring Niecy Nash. The series ran for five seasons and ended in 2016.[32]

Cedric was the host of the American TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, beginning with its 12th season in national syndication, which premiered on September 2, 2013.[33] On April 30, 2014, Cedric announced that he was leaving the game show after the 2013–14 season to focus on other projects.[34] Terry Crews took over as host on September 8, 2014.[35] Starting in 2018, Cedric played the character of Calvin Butler in the television sitcom The Neighborhood.[36][37][38]

Personal life

[edit]

Cedric is married to Lorna Wells. They have two children, Croix (born 2000) and Lucky Rose (born 2003).[39] He also has a daughter, Tiara (born 1990), from a previous relationship.[40] He continues his involvement with his high school by awarding a scholarship each year to a graduating senior through the Cedric the Entertainer Charitable Foundation, whose motto is "Reaching Out...Giving Back". In May 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts and humanities by Lincoln University of Missouri (his parents' alma mater). In 2018, St. Louis honored him by renaming the street in front of the Kappa Alpha Psi Alumni House Cedric The Entertainer Way.[41][42]

Filmography

[edit]
Cedric at the June 2008 premiere of Get Smart
List of film performances
Year Title Role Notes
1998 Ride Bo
2000 Big Momma's House The Reverend
The Original Kings of Comedy Himself Also writer
Documentary
2001 Kingdom Come Reverend Beverly H. Hooker
2001 Dr. Dolittle 2 Zoo Bear #1 Voice[43]
2002 Serving Sara Ray Harris
Barbershop Eddie Walker
Ice Age Carl Voice[43]
2003 Intolerable Cruelty Gus Petch
2004 Barbershop 2: Back in Business Eddie Walker
Johnson Family Vacation Nate Johnson Also producer
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Constable
2005 Be Cool 'Sin' LaSalle
Madagascar Maurice Voice[43]
Man of the House Percy Stevens
The Honeymooners Ralph Kramden Also executive producer
2006 Charlotte's Web Golly The Gander Voice[43]
2007 Code Name: The Cleaner Jake Rogers Also producer
Talk to Me Bob 'Nighthawk' Terry
2008 Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Clyde Stubbs
Street Kings Winston 'Scribble'
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Maurice Voice[43]
Cadillac Records Willie Dixon
2009 Un-broke: What You Need To Know About Money Himself TV film
Merry Madagascar Maurice Voice
TV film[43]
2011 Dance Fu Detective Also executive producer
Larry Crowne Lamar
2012 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Maurice Voice[43]
2013 A Haunted House Father Doug Williams
Madly Madagascar Maurice Voice[43]
Planes Leadbottom
2014 Planes: Fire & Rescue
A Haunted House 2 Father Doug Williams
Top Five Jazzy
2016 Barbershop: The Next Cut Eddie Walker
Why Him? Lou Dunne
2017 First Reformed Pastor Joel Jeffers as Cedric Kyles
2020 Poor Greg Drowning Narrator
Son of the South Reverend Ralph Abernathy
The Opening Act Billy 'Billy G'
2022 The Black Karen Sergeant Warren Short film
2023 The Plus One Alfred Anders
How I Learned to Fly Louis
2024 Outlaw Posse Horatio
A Hip-Hop Story The Notorious B.I.G.
Unfrosted Stu Smiley
List of television performances
Year Title Role Notes
1987 It's Showtime at the Apollo Himself
1993–1994 ComicView Host[44]
1995 Def Comedy Jam 1 episode
1996–2002 The Steve Harvey Show Cedric Jackie Robinson Main role
2001–2005 The Proud Family Bobby Proud Voice, 14 episodes
2002–2003 Cedric the Entertainer Presents Himself Main role
2004 Eve Episode: "Porn Free"
2006 Wild 'n Out Episode: "Cedric the Entertainer"
All of Us Clarence DeWitt Episode: "Pass the Peas"
2007 The Boondocks Cousin Jericho Freeman Voice, episode: "Invasion of the Katrinians"
2009 WWE Raw Himself Special guest host, 1 episode
2011 It's Worth What? Host
Take Two with Phineas and Ferb Episode: "Cedric the Entertainer"
2011, 2014 Hot in Cleveland Reverend Boyce Ballentine Episodes: "Bridezelka" and "Stayin' Alive"
2012–2016 The Soul Man Main role, 54 episodes
2012 2 Broke Girls Darius Episode: "And the Pre-Approved Credit Card"[45][46]
2013 Real Husbands of Hollywood Himself Episode: "Blackstabbers"[47]
2013–2014 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Host[48][49]
2015, 2020 Whose Line is It Anyway? Season 11 Episode 1, Season 16
2015 Cedric's Barber Battle Host[50]
2016 Another Period Scott Joplin Episode: "Joplin"[51]
2017 Master of None Kenny 'The Magnificent' Episode: "Door #3"[52]
Drop the Mic Himself Episode: "Niecy Nash vs. Cedric the Entertainer / Liam Payne vs. Jason Derulo"[53]
Nightcap Episode: "Spinster Code"[54]
The Comedy Get Down Main role[55]
Superior Donuts Reggie Wicks 2 episodes[56]
Funny You Should Ask Himself 4 episodes[57]
2018–2020 The Last O.G. Miniard Mullins Main cast[58]
2018–2021 Summer Camp Island The Moon Voice, 11 episodes[59][43]
2018–present The Neighborhood Calvin Butler Main role; also executive producer[60]
2018 Black-ish 'Smokey' 2 episodes
Nobodies Himself 2 episodes[61]
2019–2020 Power Croop 3 episodes[62]
2020–present The Greatest #AtHome Videos Himself Host[63]
2020 Woke Trashcan Voice, 3 episodes[64]
2021 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards Himself (host) Television special[65][66]
2022–present The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Bobby Proud Voice[67][43]
2023 The Daily Show Himself (guest) Episode: April 5
2024 John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA Himself Episode: "Earthquakes"[68]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Two of the background dancers from the special were Kamilah Barrett and Sandra Colton, who were finalists in Fox's So You Think You Can Dance.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 28, 2015). "'The Soul Man' Picked Up For Fifth & Final Season By TV Land". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  2. ^ "Cedric The Entertainer's Biography".
  3. ^ "Cedric The Entertainer Biography (1964?-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  4. ^ "Cedric 'The Entertainer' Scores in Commercials, TV and Film with Down-Home Comedy", Jet, March 12, 2001. Accessed on December 29, 2009.
  5. ^ "Local News: Cedric "The Entertainer," to be pararde marshal (10/19/07)". seMissourian.com. October 19, 2007. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  6. ^ "Cedric the Entertainer: Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 14, 2014.[unreliable source?]
  7. ^ King, Lynnea Chapman (October 10, 2014). The Coen Brothers Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-8108-8577-6. The New York Times characterized Cedric's performance [in Intolerable Cruelty (2003)]] as one in which he "delivers the crassest lines with what can only be called hammy understatement; his years of stand-up have taught him that less is all."
  8. ^ How Did Cedric The Entertainer Get His Name?. YouTube. The Byron Scott Podcast. January 29, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  9. ^ Franklin, Krystal (July 20, 2018). "It's A Mini Steve Harvey Show Reunion: Terri J. Vaughn & Cedric The Entertainer Reunited". tvone.tv. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  10. ^ "Steve Harvey almost passed on Steve Harvey Show if Cedric The Entertainer wasn't included". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  11. ^ Rodgers, Josh (February 23, 2023). "Despite Earning $150k For Barbershop; Cedric The Entertainer Admits it Bolstered His Career". AfroTech.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "Cedric's back to steal the show in Barbershop 2". Today.com. February 4, 2004. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  13. ^ Munoz, Lorenza; Braxton, Greg. "Black Leaders Angered by Scene Say 'Barbershop' Needs a Trim". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  14. ^ "Champ Car adds some star power". sbsun.com. October 7, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "Spinning Charlotte's Web with Cedric The Entertainer". Hollywood.com. December 16, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  16. ^ "SuperFest: Cedric the Entertainer talks The Original Kings of Comedy; being a Triple Threat". news.yahoo.com. May 27, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  17. ^ Christian, M. A. (2003), "Cedric the Entertainer shares views on his rising stardom, being black in Hollywood, and what he learned from Barbershop", Jet, 103 (18): 58–62
  18. ^ Brown, Preezy (June 1, 2022). "Cedric The Entertainer Reveals Story Behind Threats Skit On Jay-Z's The Black Album". Vibe.com. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  19. ^ Washington, Julie (February 8, 2008). "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins starts as a snoozer but ends on refreshing note". Cleveland.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  20. ^ Fuller, Alice (April 18, 2008). "Cedric Still an Entertainer in Street Kings". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "Cedric the Entertainer at the White House". NPR.org. NPR. May 2, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  22. ^ Busis, Hilary (April 25, 2015). "White House Correspondents Dinner: All-time best laughs". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Stanton, L. (2004). "Cedric the Entertainer". Current Biography. 65 (2): 3–6.
  24. ^ Who's Who in America (70th ed.). New Providence, New Jersey: Marquis Who's Who LLC, 2016. 2016.
  25. ^ "Cedric the Entertainer". Contemporary Black Biography. 60: 35–37. 2007.
  26. ^ "St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees". stlouiswalkoffame.org. St. Louis Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  27. ^ Kelly, Adam. "WWE RAW Results - 21/09/2009". Archived from the original on September 25, 2009.
  28. ^ "The Masked Man from Cedric's RAW Revealed, WrestleMania in Atlanta?". Wrestlescoop.com. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  29. ^ Silvestri, Max (August 23, 2012). "We found it on Netflix Instant: Dance Fu". Grantland.com. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  30. ^ "Revival of Mamet's American Buffalo Finds a Broadway Home". Playbill.com. August 19, 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  31. ^ "Cedric the Entertainer prepares for Nashville and NBC". The Tennessean. June 22, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  32. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 28, 2015). "'The Soul Man' Picked Up For Fifth & Final Season By TV Land". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  33. ^ "Cedric 'The Entertainer' to host 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'". WABC TV. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  34. ^ "Cedric the Entertainer to leave 'Millionaire'". USA Today. April 30, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  35. ^ "Terry Crews Named New 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' Host". The Hollywood Reporter. May 7, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  36. ^ Hunt Wilson, Stacy (September 28, 2018). "Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield on Finding Laughs in Gentrification". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  37. ^ Braxton, Greg (November 16, 2020). "There's an enemy out there; say's Cedric the Entertainer, And he's ready to fight back". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  38. ^ Hamilton, Gary (April 14, 2023). "Cedric the Entertainer enjoying life in his Neighborhood". Associated Press. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  39. ^ Uwumarogie, Victoria (June 8, 2021). "Cedric the Entertainer Is A Proud Dad As Daughter Lucky Stuns At Senior Prom". Essence.com. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  40. ^ Musitafu, Akbur (January 27, 2023). "Cedric the Entertainer's Wife Is His Queen Who Keeps Him Grounded". news.anomama.com. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  41. ^ Hoskins, Kelley (December 15, 2018). "Cedric the Entertainer has a street named in his honor in north St. Louis". Fox 2 Now. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  42. ^ Cedric the Entertainer Street Renaming Ceremony. STL TV. January 17, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  43. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Cedric the Entertainer (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 30, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  44. ^ "The ComicView Legacy". BET. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  45. ^ Bustos, Kristina (October 1, 2012). "2 Broke Girls casts Cedric the Entertainer in guest role". Digital Spy. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  46. ^ Abrams, Natalie (October 1, 2012). "2 Broke Girls Exclusive: Cedric the Entertainer is Coming to Town!". TV Guide. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  47. ^ Pace, Robert (March 11, 2013). "Exclusive Clip: Real Husbands of Hollywood Tase Themselves". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  48. ^ NG, Philiana (March 20, 2013). "Cedric the Entertainer to Host Who Wants to be a Millionaire". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  49. ^ Samuels, Allison (September 2, 2013). "Cedric the Entertainer Wants to Make You A Millionaire". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  50. ^ Pesce, Nicole (April 16, 2015). "Cedric the Entertainer's Barber Battle on CW will see who makes the cut". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  51. ^ Kickham, Dylan (August 4, 2016). "Another Period: Riki Lindhome on spoofing Kimye and punching dogs in latest episode". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  52. ^ Westmoore, Jean (May 22, 2017). "You Should Be Watching: Master of None". The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  53. ^ Ramirez, Christina (October 24, 2017). "Usher and Anthony Anderson Face Off in an Epic Rap Battle on Drop the Mic". People. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  54. ^ Espiritu, Emmanuelle (July 7, 2017). "Nightcap Season 2 Episode 7: Series About to End? Debra Messing, Brendan Fraser to Guest Star". The Christian Post. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  55. ^ "Comedy Get Down Crew Celebrates 100th Show in style". Center Stage Comedy. April 26, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  56. ^ Abrams, Natalie (March 28, 2017). "Superior Donuts casts Cedric the Entertainer as Franco's father". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  57. ^ "Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios Announces Two More Seasons of Comedy Game Show Funny You Should Ask". PR Newswire. January 23, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  58. ^ Pedersen, Erik (May 17, 2017). "Tracy Morgan TBS Series Gets A Title, Adds Cedric The Entertainer & Others". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  59. ^ Triplett, Steffan (December 18, 2020). "One Good Thing: A magically soothing cartoon that lets friendship last forever". Vox. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  60. ^ "Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood Cast Member – CBS". CBS. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  61. ^ Romano, Nick (March 6, 2018). "Melissa McCarthy own's Sia in Nobodies season 2 trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  62. ^ Macrae, Grace (November 22, 2019). "Power season 6: Famous guest stars revealed in run up to huge finale showdown". Daily Express. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  63. ^ Tyrell, Caitlin (February 17, 2023). "Cedric the Entertainer Hosts His Own Award Show In CBS Greatest @Home Videos". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  64. ^ Brockington, Ariana (September 11, 2021). "Every Celeb Who Makes A Sly Voice Cameo In Hulu's Woke". Refinery29. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  65. ^ Dawn, Randee (September 19, 2021). "Cedric The Entertainer leads fun Emmys opening with Rita Wilson, other stars". Today. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  66. ^ Ordona, Michael (July 12, 2021). "Cedric the Entertainer will host live, in-person 2021 Emmy ceremony". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  67. ^ Swift, Andy (February 27, 2020). "The Proud Family Revival Ordered at Disney+ With Original Cast — First Look". TVLine.
  68. ^ Cobb, Kayla (April 30, 2024). "'John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA' Sets Live Guests". TheWrap. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
[edit]
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Preceded by Host of TV Land Awards
2005 		Succeeded by
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