A cut above
Cedric the Entertainer (remember him from the Bud Light commercials?) is turning heads in a new comedy flick, Barbershop. We talked to the hip comic.
By Kristal Brent Zook

Cedric the Entertainer is an actor and comedian who tells the truth about black folks. He can see the humor in, say, the theatrical flair with which brothas light cigarettes, or how they would cruise to the moon in space shuttles as if they were '72 Cadillac "deuce-and-a-quarters," slouched to one side, with the bass trembling, as they holla at their boys through the window. Cedric Kyles, 37, made history with fellow Kings of Comedy Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac and D.L. Hughley: The highest-grossing comedy tour ever (more than $37 million) was made into a Spike Lee movie in 2000. Today, Cedric is probably best known as the bumbling date from the popular Bud Light commercials, the first of which was voted the No. 1 ad from last year's Super Bowl in USA TODAY's "Ad Meter" poll.
Now the heavyset, snazzy-dressing Missouri native is bustin' out with his own variety show, "Cedric the Entertainer Presents" (on Fox tin Sept.), and a string of big-screen credits. In his latest comedy, "Barbershop," Cedric is a wisecracking, old-school barber with no customers. We recently caught up with him in Los Angeles at the rehearsals for the BET Awards, where he homed in on his Palm Pilot and a chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen.

Q: You drew on your own experiences growing up in St. Louis for your role in "Barbershop." What types of people do you run into in a neighborhood barbershop?
Well, there's always the guy that's aspiring to do something else, like [Ice Cube's character] in the movie. Then you have my character. He's the old barber who believes in the barbershop and understands its place in the neighborhood. Like my barbershop back home in St. Louis -- there's a guy who'll out-fact you on anything. He'll say [old man voice], "That war was in '49! Not '48!" And he's always right. You just know not to mess with him.

Q: How would you describe the social importance of barbershops in the black community?
The barbershop is our country club. You stop in. You get yourself ready. Find out what's goin' on later. It's the first stop of the night, whether or not you need a cut.

Q: Where did you get your hair cut back home?
In U-City [University City, Mo., a St. Louis suburb] at a place owned by an ex-drug dealer who cleaned up his life.

Q: What's the worst cut you ever had?
When I first came to L.A., I let a young lady cut my hair, 'cause she said she could do it. But I was a little concerned from the start. I said, "Fade it, trim it up a little, you know. Take a little off the top." She comes back with a question to my question. She asks me, "You want me to line the back?" [Pause.] "Yeah, I want you to line the back." And she nicked me a few times, too. She was cutting, and I heard an "um." It wasn't like "oops." It was like [shaking his head sorrowfully] "Um, um, um." So I got the haircut and put my hat back on. It was one of those kinda cuts.

Q: What was it like working on this movie?
Cold! I wasn't prepared for the snow in Chicago. We were shooting in January and February, and I had on these Stacy Adams thin-soled shoes and soft, green silk socks. So I came out of the trailer after a break, and snow just came out of nowhere. There had to be like 2, 3 inches of it. I was freezing with these little thin socks.

Q: You have a distinctive fashion sense.
I've always been into fashion. My mother used to dress me real nice, and I've always been interested in coordinating [what I wear].

Q: What's your favorite suit right now?
It's a gold suit by Reggie J., with a single button at the top. He designs all my suits.

Q: What kind of hat do you wear with that?
A Dobbs gangster-style hat from Henry the Hatter, out of Detroit.

Q: And shoes?
Crocodiles! Gators. Mezlans.

Q: Let's talk about hair again. What are some of your favorite 'dos?
I like the "European shag," à la Lionel Richie in the video "Dancing on the Ceiling." It was low on the top and long on the back. That's my high school graduation picture: "Keep it real!" And I was a fan of the "slope," à la Bobby Brown [circa] "My Prerogative," even though I never got one myself. It just wasn't me. I didn't have the head for it. But I was a fan.