Story by Todd Williams
Images by Hiltron Bailey for Steed Media Service
In the case of celebrities, we oftentimes label stars in one dimensionality and stunt their growth in our consciousness. We brand them as one thing, and even though they may move past that point, we still have trouble letting go of our first impressions. Jamie Foxx is an Oscar-winning actor, but there are some who still see him as the funnyman who created ‘Ugly Wanda’ on Fox’s sketch comedy show “In Living Color.” Many people found it hard to accept that superstar rapper-actor Andre 3000 could go from flip-flops and cornrows to acoustic guitars and jazz fusion.
The public has spoken, ‘we made a box for you — so you’d better stay there.’ Defying expectations isn’t exactly encouraged in entertainment, especially in Hollywood. It’s much easier to operate safely inside your comfort zone — taking unexpected career turns can sometimes result in the loss of fans. When the public is unwilling to follow you through your detours, it is just might be the precursor to a slot on “Hollywood Squares” or the “Surreal Life,” so it’s understandable that many of today’s biggest stars rarely stray too far from the path. For the respected MC Common and funnyman Cedric the Entertainer, breaking from public perceptions is par for the course, and the two towering talents have earned the right to take a few unexpected detours in their careers.
On face value, the duo might seem like polar opposites; Common the thoughtful, introspective MC, and Ced the wisecracking jokester. But they share more than just acting credits in the highly anticipated Street Kings, they have both proven that they can be successful on their own terms. They’re both Midwestern hustlers who paid their dues in their respective fields long before Hollywood came a callin’. “My natural inclination is comedy,” explains Cedric. “I see things in a very comedic [light] and I’m quick to tell a joke.”
That comedic instinct has served Ced well over the course of his 20 years in show business. After breaking onto the scene via ‘90s urban comedy stalwarts like “Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam” and BET’s “ComicView,” the young comic born Cedric Kyles in St. Louis, parlayed that natural gift into his own brand of laid-back, but nonetheless quick-witted comedy. As many of his peers — notably Martin Lawrence and Chris Tucker — began to move into television shows and films, Cedric was still mostly known for his work on “ComicView.” But after a memorable set with the Original Kings of Comedy and a scene-stealing turn in Ice Cube’s Barbershop, he was an in-demand comedic actor. But with all of the highs and lows that he’s experienced over the course of his career, Cedric the Entertainer has always been Cedric the Entertainer. After spending much of the past decade portraying Steve Harvey’s partner-in-crime, Cedric Jackie Robinson, on “The Steve Harvey Show,” and starring in screwball comedies like Serving Sara and Man of the House; Cedric the Entertainer isn’t exactly the first name you think of when you’re casting a violent action flick. “I wanted to stretch my audience a little bit and [was] looking for the opportunity to do something that was a little darker — even though I was able to ‘punch up’ my character some,” explains Cedric. “I like the idea of doing a dramatic role and I was just looking for that opportunity to stretch out some.”
‘Stretching out’ has been an ongoing motivation for Common. The Chicago-born MC has long been one of the most respected talents in hip-hop, but in recent years he has answered the call of the silver screen. His appearance in last year’s Smokin’ Aces and the epic American Gangster gave notice to critics and fans that the man dubbed the most thoughtful rapper in hip-hop was a formidable and charismatic screen presence. But, he’s not a rapper-turned-actor who’s counting on his already famous visage to put butts in seats; he’s very serious about the craft of acting as evidenced by the preparation he undertook for his latest role. “I really did a lot of diving into L.A. life — from Compton to Watts,” he explains. “[I was] just going into the neighborhoods and absorbing the culture and the people and also doing a lot of research on police officers and [learning about] being a sheriff’s deputy.”
Growing up on Chicago’s notorious South Side, the young Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. came into contact with more than a few shady personalities. The strength of his mother and mentorship of his father helped the young man avoid the dangers of the streets, but Common remembers those days, and has used some of those old associations as motivation and inspiration for the dark subject matter that he has to tackle in Street Kings. “[I was] getting into that dark side of people that I knew. Everybody dark isn’t necessarily frowning every day, but people that I know that are killers, they certainly got a little quietness about them.”
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A gritty crime drama isn’t necessarily where you expect to find a ‘King of Comedy’ and one of the most introspective MCs in hip-hop, but in the high-octane shoot-em-up Street Kings, the duo share the screen with a star-studded cast that includes superstar Keanu Reeves and Oscar® winner Forest Whitaker. Cedric worked hard to make sure his character resonated on-screen, and found inspiration in many of his co-stars. “[I wanted] to stay in character and find something about this character that makes him real and feel real to the people that are watching the movie,” he says, before adding with a laugh, “[I had to] keep up with all these great actors. You got a star-studded cast here and you don’t want to look like a lightweight in the middle of it.”
For Common, the experience of interacting with police officers was eye-opening. His experiences with the police as a youth were very similar to what most young black and Hispanic men deal with in the inner city, but he learned a lot from his experiences with the LAPD officers. “I started relating more to the police — not that I’m going to be wearing police T-shirts and supporting their case all the way,” he clarifies. “But I ain’t like ‘F‘ the police’ anymore. Coming up, you felt that way because there was tension between blacks, Latinos and the police department. [Now] I kind of understand that there’s good and bad.”
With a film that focuses on the dirtier side of the law, where the line between cop and criminal is blurred beyond distinction, both actors recognize that there is a fine line that these men and women have to walk every time that they hit the streets. “A story like this and a movie like this don’t really [inspire] more sympathy,” Cedric notes. “But I think that you can see how people can get a little offtrack very easily. When you’re dealing with the lowest common denominator of the world and the criminal life and [you] have to work in that every day, you can see how people can get a little [lost] and you can empathize with that. As a career choice, you have to remain focused and keep crime off the street — not be a part of it.” Common echoes that sentiment: “I talked to some police officers,” he shares, “and they come from the street and they were good cops. They were like, ‘Man, I did this to make a living and I’m trying to treat people fair — this is my community still.’ I think I came to a better understanding of police officers.”
And fans can come to a better understanding of what it means to defy expectations, as these two have done. They’ve triumphed by defying the public’s expectations of what they were capable of, and in allowing their own preconceived notions to be challenged. As they continue to surmount challenges and grow professionally, these two seemingly opposite performers provide an example of how to find success on your own terms.
