Cedric the Entertainer certainly lived up to his name at his recent appearance on campus for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Salon Series on Thursday, February 5 at the Orchard Conference Center. College Dean Yan Searcy led the wide-ranging conversation with the dapper comedian/actor/entrepreneur, whose name is Cedric Kyles. He shared stories with the crowd about his career, funny anecdotes from his college years and his upbringing in what he called a “joyful household.”
“We laughed a lot at home,” Cedric noted. “And I think that just kind of led to the environment of me loving the attitude of making people laugh,” he said.
Cedric talked about how he got his start in stand-up— signing up for a comedy competition while working as an insurance adjustor. “I won $500 and that was it. I was gone,” he said. In the years since, he has acted in numerous television shows, in films and on stage. As his acting career grew, he also continued to perform stand-up and toured the country. In an entrepreneurial turn, he co-founded AC Barbeque, which includes a Los Angeles-area restaurant and commercially sold sauces.
He also told those gathered about how he handles career ups and downs. “In this business, it is a true ebb and flow of good times… When you’re in a run — then you can fall into a lull,” he said. “I think you have to always embrace the joy and embrace the space where you are and continue to try to work hard,” he advised.
Cedric finished up the evening taking questions from audience members— he also posed for photos with fans.
Proceeds from the Salon Series event will support the college’s Community Endowed Professorship in Africana Studies.
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