Cedric the Entertainer is closing out one of his biggest TV chapters. The comedian, actor, and producer had one of the most popular TV runs with The Neighborhood, CBS’s longest-running comedy.
Since its debut, the series has earned a loyal audience with its silly humor and thoughtful storytelling about community and race, showing what happens when two very different neighbors and their families try to get along.
Looking back, Cedric says the show’s success came from how relatable it felt. “I think the show was able to tap into the humor of the commonality of people,” he said. “We started off with a premise that was, especially at that time, this idea of gentrification that our black neighborhoods were starting to be taken back over by people that are moving in, raising the housing prices, bringing in the greater goods and services once the white families move in. So here comes the Whole Foods, here comes the Starbucks, here comes all these cool things that wouldn’t be there normal-wise.”
The Neighborhood stars Cedric the Entertainer as Calvin Butler, a lifelong resident who doesn’t play about his home or his family. By his side is his quick-witted wife, Tina (Tichina Arnold), who often acts as the bridge between her husband’s stubbornness and everyone else’s good intentions. Together, they have two sons, Malcom (Sheaun McKinney) and Marty (Marcel Spears), on opposite paths. And across the fence are Dave and Gemma Johnson, played by Max Greenfield and Beth Behrs, whose gullible optimism constantly leaves Calvin feeling skeptical
What starts out as a culture clash slowly turns into a story about the messy but comical realities of coexisting in today’s America, without getting too heavy. Cedric credits this to its writing and honesty.
“Through these seasons, we showed in a very slow way, through process, through learning, through trial, push and pulling, that people can actually come to know each other, come to understand each other, then actually become friends. And so that’s what I really loved about what the show did, right? We showed the family in a real way.”
The final season premiered on October 13 on CBS, and will give longtime fans a chance to say a proper goodbye to the Butlers and Johnsons after nearly a decade of laughter. The Neighborhood leaves behind a legacy as a show that knew how to make people laugh while saying something worth hearing.
While the end of a long-running show is always bittersweet, Cedric isn’t planning on slowing down once the sitcom wraps. For the first time since 2008, he’s heading back to Broadway next spring to star in a revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Directed by Debbie Allen and co-starring Taraji P. Henson, the production marks a new creative turn that he’s been wanting to make for a while.
“Being on a sitcom for eight seasons and realizing, like, you know, you can kind of get typecast or seen as this kind of, you know, affable TV dad character that, you know, people will only kind of cast you as and expect you to play,” he said. “I wanted to be able to kind of really place myself in a space where people would want to cast me in serious roles and see me outside of myself. So, Broadway is where people go to get down.”
Cedric will pair up with two powerhouses in Allen and Henson, bringing him back to his stage roots. We all know that prior to his run of hit comedies, including Barbershop and The Steve Harvey Show, Cedric was a touring stand-up comic who built his reputation on presence and precision, two qualities that translate well to the theater. The revival will give Cedric a chance to stretch creatively while reconnecting with a side of performance he hasn’t presented in years.
While his next project takes him to Broadway, Cedric’s older projects continue to find new audiences. Johnson Family Vacation, the 2004 comedy he starred in and produced, has unexpectedly become a favorite across TikTok. Fans have been reenacting scenes from the movie, turning it into a comfort watch for old and new generations.
“I think that’s what’s really great about, you know, the technology in these times right now is that you have the opportunity for people who didn’t even know something exists to be exposed to it and then find a love for it.”
There’s even been talk of a sequel happening.” It led to the idea of us really getting serious about doing a second one,” Cedric shared. “I’m a big fan. It was one of the first movies I produced and started as, you know, so as a star. And so really excited because I had, you know, when people respond to that movie, I had my hands all over it.”
With a busy year ahead of him, Cedric is still finding ways to blend his love of comedy and community. He’s teamed up with Prilosec for a campaign with his longtime friend Anthony. The partnership focuses on enjoying good food and family gatherings without having to worry about heartburn.
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