Cedric the Entertainer - is this guy really a star?

Cafe Society
1

No disrespect to him but I am up late watching the cricket and between innings they had an episode of E! which I heard without watching and they announced that it was Cedric the Entertainer’s birthday.

Now I would have bet my life that I would have some vague idea, at least, who anyone mentioned on that show was. However I had never heard of him. I looked him up on IMDB and despite the fact that I have seen some movies he has been in, I wouldn’t recognise him if he was sitting next to me on a bus.

Is he really popular? I intend to find out how unknown he is in Australia when I go to work today.

2

He’s had his own show here in the states. I would think that while not everyone knows who he is, there are a good number of people who do. I kind of enjoy some of his stuff.

3

He’s essentailly a stand-up comedian who got noticed by Hollywood.

4

Off the top of my head. . .

He’s had his own show.

He was on Steve Harvey’s show.

He was in the stand-up special, “The Original Kings of Comedy”.

He’s starred in several funny commercials here in the states.

He has had his own solo HBO Stand-Up show.

He’s been the star of a few movies.

He’s not huge, but I think that anyone with a passing interest in the entertainment industry knows who he is.

I like him. Don’t love him. He’s not a great joke-crafter, but in his act he sings and dances and tells jokes. I think he’s pretty talented.

5

I think most Americans would recognize him from commercials, which is something you would presumably miss out on overseas.

6

Great name recognition and so-so fame factor, at least in the states. But he’s the most successful FAT black stand up right now.

7

Well, except for Mo’nique. And Bernie Mac is kind of hefty.

8

Mo’nique ain’t fat-- she’s just a big girl! And Bernie Mac’s gonna punch you in the throat for that, America.

9

I thought the same thing - but for me it was about three or so years ago, when he was the headliner in some lame comedy movie. But I have seen his cameo guest roles in a few places since then, and he seemed pretty funny (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is the only title I can come up with off the top of my head, but there have been others, and he’s been on Dave Letterman).

10

His best performance by far was as a very cranky, contrarian Eddie in Ice Cube’s Barber Shop. I loved him in that movie.

11

[hijack]ASKIA! What’s up man?[/hijack]

I guess I should contribute to the thread. CtE hosted Comic View on BET in the early 90s, or a similar comedy show, before DL Hugeley. He also just did a really bad looking film with Lucy Liu, I believe. “The Cleaner” or some other rubbish.

Moderately recognizable celebrity here in the US, but not sure why people in Oz would know who he is. Maybe from his role in “Be Cool” opposite Travolta?