Few luminaries shine as brightly as Cedric the Entertainer, a multifaceted artist whose talent has left an indelible mark on the world of comedy and beyond. With a career that spans stand-up, acting, and hosting, the comedic maestro is adding music to his resume, producing the release of his first album, “Soul of Christmas." He describes the project as a harmonious fusion of soul, R&B and jazz. 

Born Cedric Antonio Kyles in Jefferson City, Missouri, Cedric’s journey to stardom was firmly planted in stand-up comedy. He originally called himself “Cheerio” before being asked by the cereal company not to use the name, so he turned to the next best thing and “Cedric the Entertainer” was born.

He made waves on the stand-up circuit, earning respect and admiration for his sharp wit, relatable humor, and infectious energy. His magnetic stage presence catapulted him into the mainstream, eventually leading to his breakthrough role on the groundbreaking comedy series "The Steve Harvey Show."

Whether tickling funny bones on stage or eliciting belly laughs in blockbuster comedies, Cedric the Entertainer continues to be a formidable presence in the entertainment industry, leaving an enduring legacy as a true icon of laughter and joy.

He sits down with radio/TV personality Jazmyn Summers for BET.com to talk about the different roles he’s playing in life as a family man, as an actor, and his new role as a music artist and producer.

BET.com: You just released an album, “Soul of Christmas,” where you also feature your children.  Should we call you DJ Cedric or MC Cheerio?

Cedric the Entertainer:  My name is Ced, and it starts with a C, and I started thinking about what goes with that. And I’m thinking, of course, “Cheers” goes with laughter and so….Cheerio! I decided to go with that, and then, true story: General Mills sent a cease-and-desist letter, basically telling me that wasn’t going to fly. So now it’s just Cedric but this album is something fun we did. We love this time of year, and it's full of great collaborations. I'm singing on it and I’ve got my kids on there. But there are also so many wonderful artists like DJ Romeo, Major, and Dave Koz.

BET.com: What was it like working with your children?

Cedric the Entertainer: You know, they bad. My son did one little “ooh woo woo” in the background and now he's talkin’ about ain't nobody coming to see you, the coming for me. He thinks he’s the lead singer now. He can't be junior up there. It was just great. My daughter has a really sweet voice. My son was having a good time singing on it and did some backgrounds, and he’s got that funny bone. He's silly, like me.

 BET.com: You’ve been married for almost 25 years and are a proud father of three. Now, you’re a pop-pop. What’s Cedric, the family man, like?

Cedric the Entertainer: The greatest legacy that we leave is our families. You can have riches. You can do all these things but what you leave that’s most important are the human beings you bring into the world. That's the greatest accomplishment. And of course, having a wonderful wife to be able to be so dynamic in creating our household as well as in the development of my children has just been wonderful. I work hard to honor all that and try to teach them to do the same thing. Everybody’s got to put something in the basket.

BET.com: You’ve been married to a beautiful sister, Lorna Wells, since the 90’s. That’s got to be hard, especially in Hollywood, where you’re forced to live your lives in public.

Cedric the Entertainer: We’re coming up on the 25th and it's some kind of milestone when you do 25 years. My wife is not a social media kind of person. She is a real OG from L.A. So you know, her love is sincere, direct, and purposeful, and she makes sure that I return that. I've learned to love that about us. The rest of Hollywood has nothing to do with us being a famous couple. It’s about us being a couple to each other. That's what we wake up and do. That's really been a blessing, the way that we approach it and stay off the grid. So a lot of respect, a lot of love, a lot of laughter, and a lot of taking the time to be the object of each other's affection.

BET.com: What are your plans for the holidays? 

Cedric the Entertainer:  The holidays are always great. We’ve got some family friends in town right now and my sister's birthday was just yesterday. We celebrate that and it kicks things off. So, we'll have a little celebration around the house. Then we do the Christmas morning breakfast at the house, where everybody comes around, including the kids and all my kids’ friends. Then we do a little gift-giving and then we go to my wife's best friend's house for Christmas dinner. That’s our tradition.

I'll usually go on tour right before the New Year. So I get out and go sling some jokes at the end of the year. If you're in Atlanta, D.C., Chicago, or Houston, I’ll be in those cities from the 28th to the 31st, popping off.

BET.com: The strike is over and you're back on the hit CBS TV series “The Neighborhood”. How does it feel and what can we expect from the next season of the show?

 Cedric the Entertainer: The strike was tough on so many people, up and down the totem pole of what it takes to do a show. A lot of people really needed these jobs to come back. We’ve got an exciting season. The family is growing. You might see some additions coming to the “The Neighborhood” family. 

Last season, I sold my business and then by the time we got to the end of the season, me and my youngest son had started a new business. We want to show that people can grow, that life changes, especially as your kids get older and more in charge of their [own] lives. You want to be able to support their dreams and then lead them into the life they see. And so that's what we're doing in this. And you heard it here first; this may be a really great opportunity for us to develop a spin-off with my sons from this show. That's what I want to do.

BET.com: When you reflect on your over 25-year career, what was the most memorable moment that still takes your breath away? 

Cedric the Entertainer: I've had some really wonderful moments in my career. The original “Kings of Comedy” was one of those unique times.

Starting out as a stand-up on small stages, performing, traveling in the car to go make people laugh and do jokes and riding all night for 14 hours to go get a few bucks. And then to make it to where you're doing arenas with your best friends, where y'all touring around the world and you shoot a movie that becomes one of the highest box office movies. You're in control of it and in control of your narrative—that was one of those unique moments in time that I think is really special. Even to this day, to be recognized as one of the “Kings of Comedy” is unique and special.

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