Cedric the Entertainer on Kings of Comedy, dream job
Cedric the Entertainer might be proud of his world-class trash talking skills, but the "Barbershop" star also cares deeply about speaking out on matters close to his heart.
He spoke with CBS News about Step on Up, an educational program with Pfizer and the American Diabetes Foundation that educates people about diabetic nerve pain, something that holds a personal connection to the comedian.
"It's a condition of people who have diabetes, where it's the pain you get in your hands or your feet, burning, shooting, numbness. A lot of times, people don't attribute it to diabetes," he said, before adding, "My dad suffered from some of these symptoms."
Cedric said he saw his father struggle before he was diagnosed with diabetic nerve pain; his father has Type 2 Diabetes.
"You would see that gripping the hedgers or using the lawn mower for any long periods of time for him started to take forever," explained the comedian. "He would stop. He just didn't enjoy the things that he liked to do."
Now, Cedric is sharing his father's story at churches and health fairs across the country.
"We're just really trying to get out and spread the word," he said. "We want to encourage people and get some positive results, get the proper diagnosis and get some relief."
Though Cedric is busy wrapping up his TV Land sitcom, "The Soul Man," promoting "Barbershop 3," working on the competition show "Barbershop Battle" and doing standup, he said it's important for him to raise nerve pain awareness in the diabetic community.
"[I want] to use my celebrity for something like this -- something this sincere, something so close to me and have people actually respond and say ... this could be directly related to diabetes, to get some pain relief going," he said.
As always, the comedian has several projects lined up in the future. He even said he may try to rally D.L. Hughley and Steve Harvey to do an original Kings of Comedy tour, though he may have a hard time convincing Harvey, who is known for dispensing relationship advice these days.
"I don't know if that would be cool for the tour, telling everybody how to be married," joked Cedric. "We're like 'Steve, fine, thank you. It's your fourth time.'"
The comedian is also dabbling in real estate ventures and TV production, but he said he has one job he's coveting in particular.
"I'd really like that pope job," he said. "I really like the idea of being cool and wearing white all the time. I'm so not Catholic ... Is there a vice pope?"
When reminded that Pope Francis is known for his modest lifestyle, Cedric responded, "I'll be like the old pope who had the Versace shoes."
It sounds like the perfect gig for "The Soul Man."
