Cedric The Entertainer has solidified himself as one of television’s most beloved dads and husbands, with iconic roles that span generations — from Calvin Butler on “The Neighborhood” to Cedric Jackie Robinson on “The Steve Harvey Show” and Reverand Boyce Ballentine on “The Soul Man.”

He added another hit to his resume with “The Neighborhood,” a CBS comedy that reached eight seasons of laughs and touching moments. Reaching nearly 10 seasons was a major feat, as Black-led shows are often caught up in waves of cancellations. Cedric has continued to prove his unmatched staying power and audience appeal.

Beyond acting, the legendary comedian, Emmy-winning entertainer, and Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree has expanded his empire with successful business ventures, including Setta and AC Barbeque with longtime friend Anthony Anderson.

With every project, Cedric brings a signature warmth, wit, and charisma that have made him a cherished staple in American television and culture.

There are some great moments in “The Neighborhood” where Calvin’s traditional way of thinking is challenged with a progressive outlook on life (example: “Welcome to the Neighborhood, Daphne”). What is something traditional that you used to believe in, and when was it challenged with a new, progressive perspective?

I have two daughters and a son — as a father and kind of growing up in the Midwest, you have these ways in which you kind of expect your girls to think or even the way that you communicate with them. So, what I really used to have to learn was — I have an older daughter that's 35, and the younger one who is 21 — to communicate with them in a way that's, like, knowing who they are and allowing yourself to grow because they're actually teaching you something about life, in the sense that her spirit is [aware] that she has something in her head and in her heart, and she will figure out how to get it done.

As you've continued to grow as an entertainer and as a person, what is something that you started manifesting into your life?

I think it is about taking the spirit of having to jump off the board even more, to dive even further, to believe and trust in my abilities to be creative, to be a great businessperson, to be experimental with things. All of these things are things that I want to be better at.

Calvin is a father of two, with Malcolm and Marty, but it seems that Malcolm goes through roadblocks in his career journey, whereas Marty’s is smooth. What’s the larger message or theme behind Malcolm’s journey in finding his own success in his career?

That was one of the intentions. We were really [excited] that we actually got to this stage in the series to tell Malcolm's story the way we wanted to, because early on that was one of the biggest pushbacks we got, “He seems lazy and why do we got to show a Black man like that and why he can't be doing this and doing that? And he’s too old to be at home.” If you notice, in the early episodes, Malcolm was always reading a book, always kind of studying something, when we started the series. You always see him leaning toward his kind of intellectual side while having the physical skillset to be an athlete and kind of believing that was his first life [choice]. We wanted to show that. We wanted to show how people journey through discovery of their true self and it was a hard thing for us. We got a lot of pushback as they wanted Malcolm’s character to excel faster. It’s just been really great to see that as we went into Season 7 and he discovered his literary side and started making his own money. These are the kind of things that led him to decide that he wants to leave the neighborhood and go and start his own life in his own world towards the Season 7 finale. He's like the kid that ends up running into his light much later in life, but when he got it, he was gone. I think that that's very real about life, that people feel like there's some kind of race that you got to measure up to — life is long and sometimes the tortoise wins the race.

The on-screen chemistry between The Butlers and The Johnsons is so vibrant, but relatable. What do you think is the “secret sauce” to their dynamic that makes fans want to see their interactions?

I think the “secret sauce” is that it’s rooted in real life. You’ve got these two families from very different backgrounds, different outlooks — but at the heart of it, they’re all just trying to do right by their families and communities. There’s tension, there’s comedy, but there’s also love and mutual respect at the heart of it. And that dynamic between Calvin and Dave is something else! Max Greenfield and I have great chemistry off-screen, too, so it translates naturally. We’re not afraid to play off each other, challenge each other, and laugh at each other, just like real neighbors would.

Calvin and Dave’s friendship has blossomed throughout the series. They really learn from each other, and it’s a true testament to the great acting chops that you and Max Greenfield possess. How has your work relationship and friendship with Max grown over the years?

I think they're so unique. It is very much reminiscent of what the show is like. Of course, I knew Max from “New Girl,” but never had watched “New Girl” and still haven’t to this day (laughs). I need to put it on my watchlist, but everybody loved him, and he was great. Of course, when he came on to shoot the show, he's a fantastic actor, extremely funny. They say an actor who is giving and is looking for you to win, and they are willing to pass the ball at the same time, always have the ability to score. I think that’s what we do for each other.

Your comedy styles are different, but it makes sense when you see the banter. What’s one thing about Max and his comedic style or timing or anything that you would love to incorporate in your own routine?

It’s probably how he [approaches] his character from a cerebral point first — he looks at who the character is before he tries to deliver the joke. It's so funny because you believe it's that person. Those are the things that you, like, when you know a great actor kind of does something with a piece, you go, “That's a good little trick right there.”

You’ve been able to give the world three vastly different, but memorable and honorable television dads/husbands over the years with Calvin, Cedric Jackie Robinson, and Reverend Boyce Ballentine. How much of their emotional depth and cultural resonance comes from your own growth, and how intentional are you about shaping Black fatherhood on screen?

Man, that’s really great, that’s a really great question. Growing up in a single-parent household, my mom was just there. My father was around, but for the most part, I try to identify with the father that I want to be. I was a young father with my oldest daughter, where she was outside the household, so we had a relationship while I was co-parenting. I have my other two children with my wife that I’m with now and have been with for over 25 years... Those are the kind of things that I wanted to be able to kind of exemplify. You saw that on many levels of the shows that I would be a part of and bring those characters out and bring that idea to life and lead from that POV, lead from a strong Black man, member of the community — member of not just his household, but the neighborhood. It was that kind of imagery that I loved and wanted to portray on television.

Now, which one of them would you not mind living next to if you had to only choose one of them?

[Cedric] Jackie Robinson, man (laughs). He’s the coolest (laughs).

Which white celebrity do you think would be fun to live next to?

This is a good question right here. I'll probably go with Woody Harrelson, maybe. I like him in those commercials, his attitude with Matthew McConaughey. I think he's a cool dude that’ll mind his own business, but also be like, “Hey man, come through whatever you feel like it.” I think that's the kind of neighbor I like.

The proposed spinoff for “The Neighborhood” was cancelled, a fate that meets far too many Black-led shows. How do you process these setbacks personally, and what does it say to you about Hollywood for Black-led stories and creators?

It’s the ups and downs of it all. You have something that is amazing, like Sinners, and I watched G20 and that was a fun action movie — I also recently saw Shadow Force, which is a fun watch too. You see people getting opportunities to kind of play outside the norm and outside the stereotypes. We don't have to be in poverty all the time. So, on those levels you do see some wins and opportunities. Television is taking a hit and overall is really slowing down. I really kind of looked at it and saw that they really only picked up two things. You recognize that it used to be a time when they would shoot eight pilots, they would shoot 10 pilots. To only shoot two and buy one pilot lets you know it's a very hard world out there. Of course, I’m Black so I may take everything a bit personal but as a true producer, outside of that, in the business you understand these windows are hard. When the money is short, the money is short. That's really what it is. As much as we would love to believe these studios got endless paper and they can just do what they want to do — they operate off budgets and when that money is gone, it's gone. We look for the opportunity to just continue to be creative, get back on the horse, go back in there again, shake it off, go again, shake it off, go again — that's really my motto and I try not to take it too personal.

Tichina Arnold does a fabulous job portraying Tina in the series, but historically, she has given us so many versions of Black mothers on screen as well. What is it about Tina, in your opinion, that makes her such a relatable mother not only to our community but universally as well?

Tichina Arnold is one of the greatest comics of all time. She’s going to be grounded when she needs to be, and feel very motherly. She is going to be over the top when she needs to be — you buy it all. That’s the thing that we love about her. She does it with style and grace and class and beauty — she’s another one of these very giving actors. She's one of the people that's willing to let you score as long as you let her get some points. She’s down with you going off, she’s like, “Go ahead, [crush] it.” That’s the kind of attitude around the show, and I think that's really what makes her such a dynamic TV personality.

Is there a favorite episode you had the most fun filming?

An episode I loved filming was one called “Welcome to the Blowout.” In the episode, my character, Calvin, spends a day babysitting his granddaughter, Daphne. It was a hilarious and heartwarming experience, I think, because the audience gets to see Calvin’s softer side and his attempts at navigating the challenges of caring for a baby, which he hasn’t done since his sons were younger. This brought out a new dimension to Calvin that the audience hadn’t seen yet.

Is there a favorite behind-the-scenes moment that you’ll always remember?

It's always a good time on set, it’s hard to choose! Sometimes we’re having such a good time that a scene that should be wrapped and done in just a few takes, we end up having to shoot 20-30 times because we’re all laughing and having a good time, and no one can keep a straight face. You know, when you’ve worked with a group of people for so long, you become family, and it’s always a good time with family.

There was a subtle mention in one of the episodes about taking mental health days. How do you mentally recharge yourself with such a busy workload and dealing with life in general? Is there anything you discovered about yourself during periods of mental recharge that shocked you or that you leaned into more?

For me, it was learning how to rest. I'll try to take some vacation days. I think that the fact that I didn't realize that my personality is fairly even-keeled, but I realize that when I get a little hyped, when I do get a little mentally stressed, I become far more easily agitated or irritated, and even somewhat claustrophobic. I recognize that that's usually when I'm kind of stressed out and I've got a lot going on and I really just need to bring it down a little bit — just take life down. It’s usually very simple — just me and the wife doing something laid back.

Any final thoughts you have to share with fans about the eighth and final season of “The Neighborhood?”

I really love that the fans were rocking with us from the very beginning. We came into your houses on Monday nights, and for people that look at the show as poignant television, we got a lot of great fans that hit me up on social media like, “Man, that episode was dope.” I really appreciate that. We [had] an opportunity to finish our story and hopefully give you a great hero's exit where everybody could be like, “Man, that was dope,” and say they appreciate us and how that was fun to watch.