Interview: Cedric the Entertainer's Second Shot at Broadway

For more than 30 years, Cedric the Entertainer been conquering the entertainment world as a stand-up comic, an actor in films like Barbershop, a game show host on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and, for the past eight years, the star of the hit sitcom The Neighborhood.

Now, he’s a lead in his second Broadway play: a revival of August Wilson’s award-winning 1984 play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, about the residents of a Pittsburgh boarding house in the 1910s, in which he plays the house’s owner, Seth Holly.

TheaterMania recently spoke to Cedric about the play, how much of Seth he sees in himself, what it’s like working with co-stars Taraji P. Henson and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and whether he wants to continue working onstage or return to television.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

You started in stand-up comedy and now you’re starring in a play by August Wilson. How did that happen and how does it make you feel?
It’s really a blessing! I wanted to do more Broadway after our short run in American Buffalo in 2008. I really enjoyed being live onstage and bringing that character to life. Anyway, I came to New York for the memorial for James Earl Jones, and I saw Debbie Allen. She brought up that she was directing a play on Broadway and asked if I was interested. I didn’t know what it was, but I said yes. And while it’s been a lot of work so far, it’s also been an exhilarating and transformative experience.

How much of Seth do you see in yourself?
Seth is the steward of his community, and I embrace that in myself. As you get older—and I am now 50 plus 11—the more you recognize your position in the world. Even in my 30s and 40s, I was always the person in my friend group who was in charge and made the plans. I think the play makes you reflect on how you were essentially always the same person you are now, but how you can still grow over time.

Tell me about working with Taraji P. Henson, who plays your wife, Bertha?
We’ve known each other for many years, and in the 2011 movie Larry Crowne, Taraji and I worked together on one scene where we played husband and wife. There’s just lots of love between us; our natural energy is affection. Debbie noticed that in rehearsal, and said to play that, which isn’t the way Seth and Bertha are always portrayed. In real life, my wife and I have spent 27 years together, and my relationship with her is more like how we’re playing Seth and Bertha, so that also helps!

You’re working with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who knows August’s work better than anyone. What has that been like?
Truly, he’s the griot of this whole production. His friendship with August has been so useful if I have any questions. I also believe as actors, you have to be truthful with each other both as people and as characters. So, I’ve learned to be respectful to Bynum (Ruben’s character), even though Seth doesn’t like him—mainly because it’s Ruben, and I respect him so much.

You’ve spent the last eight years starring on CBS’ The Neighborhood. What has the transition been like from sitcom to stage?
It was crazy; we wrapped on a Tuesday, had our party on Thursday—this was the last season—and I came here on Sunday for rehearsals. My goal was to be onstage with these incredible people like Taraji and Ruben and earn their respect. I didn’t come in with the hubris of being the big star. And on day one, Joshua Boone (who plays Herald) and Ruben came in way more prepared than the rest of us. They’re mostly off-book and working out the small details of scenes, like how to move their hands, and I’m still reading the play. So, it was a bit intimidating from the beginning, but it’s all worked out.

What do you see as your professional life going forward?
I want to do more dramatic roles. I asked Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson why they’ve done stage work recently, and they both believe in the art of acting. And they made it clear that our profession is not about money and fame; you don’t get to really work the acting muscle unless you’re in theater. You don’t use it by spending 10 minutes in a Marvel movie. Ultimately, this has been a reinvigorating, spiritual journey for me, and it has really propelled me to want to do more Broadway shows.

Right now, you’re part of a Great White Way that isn’t so white, with shows like Proof, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and MJ. How does that make you feel?
I think in one way it may be serendipitous, but I also think it’s a sort of what you call a renaissance. Don Cheadle, who stars in Proof, is a good friend of mine for many years. We go to dinner a lot, and we talk about how we love this energy now. People are going to come to New York to check out Broadway. They’re excited. And we definitely have African American audiences in our seats. And they participate. If it moves you, it’s important to speak up. We want to take you on a truly different experience than you’ve been on before, and I think we’re succeeding.