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41-473: Cadillac Records is a 2008 American biographical drama film written and directed by Darnell Martin . The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago -based record-company executive Leonard Chess , and a few of the musicians who recorded for Chess Records . The film stars Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess , Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters , Columbus Short as Little Walter , Cedric

82-661: A Spike Lee film, The Original Kings of Comedy . Cedric had his own sketch comedy show, Cedric the Entertainer Presents , but after being renewed for a second season, it was canceled by Fox before the season began. He took time to write a book, Grown-A$ $ Man. He appeared in the 2003 video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 . A more recent HBO Comedy Special was Cedric The Entertainer: Taking You Higher . He recorded comedic interludes on two Nelly albums, Country Grammar (2000) and Nellyville (2002) as well as on Jay-Z 's The Black Album (2003). In

123-490: A Bear Entertainment with producer Eric C. Rhone. It starred comedian Kel Mitchell . Cedric made a cameo appearance in the film as a homicide detective. It was released straight to DVD on October 4, 2011. Cedric appeared in the Broadway revival of David Mamet 's play American Buffalo . In a June 21, 2011, interview, Cedric said his latest reality game show, It's Worth What? , would air on NBC on July 12, 2011, but

164-526: A Fairytale (2006), and Howard Stern in Private Parts (1997). In 2018, the musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody , based on the life of Queen singer Freddie Mercury , became the highest-grossing biopic in history at the time. In 2023, it was surpassed by Oppenheimer , based on the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb in World War II. Cedric

205-542: A Motion Picture ( Jeffrey Wright ), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture ( Cedric the Entertainer , Columbus Short and Yasiin Bey ), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Beyoncé). The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 10, 2009, and sold over 130,000 copies in its first week. To date, it has made an estimate of $ 11,916,737 in sales, which coupled with its box office gross helped

246-601: A daughter, Tiara (born 1990), from a previous relationship. He continues his involvement with his high school by awarding a scholarship each year to a graduating senior through the Cedric the Entertainer Charitable Foundation, whose motto is "Reaching Out...Giving Back". In May 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts and humanities by Lincoln University of Missouri (his parents' alma mater). In 2018, St. Louis honored him by renaming

287-684: A humorous speech by President George W. Bush . He instead followed First Lady Laura Bush , who called him "hilarious" and "probably the funniest person" she had ever met. Cedric has won many awards, beginning with $ 500 in the Johnny Walker National Comedy Contest in 1990 and coming in first in the Miller Genuine Draft Comedy Contest in 1993. BET named him Richard Pryor Comic of the Year . He has also won four NAACP Awards . He

328-650: The CBS sitcom The Neighborhood . In 2019, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Cedric was born on April 24, 1964, in Jefferson City, Missouri , the son of Rosetta (née Boyce), a schoolteacher, and Kittrell Kyles, an employee of The Missouri Pacific Railroad. He has a younger sister, Sharita Kyles Wilson, a communications professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California . Cedric

369-507: The aye aye . In October 2005, he joined the Champ Car auto racing series as a part owner. He appeared in the film Charlotte's Web as the voice of Golly the gander. While his acting career grew, Cedric continued to perform stand-up comedy and traveled the country as one of the Kings of Comedy headliners with Steve Harvey, D. L. Hughley and Bernie Mac . The act was later made into

410-624: The 1950s and '60s. The label started selling records from the back of Chess' Cadillac , and launched the careers of legendary musical personalities such as blues singers and harmonica and guitar players Little Walter and Muddy Waters , Howlin' Wolf , soul legend Etta James and guitarist singer-songwriters Chuck Berry and Willie Dixon . The screenplay was written by director Darnell Martin . The filming of Cadillac Records started in February 2008. Filming locations included Louisiana , Mississippi , and New Jersey . Martin directed

451-1176: The 1983 TV miniseries Sadat . Also, some objected to the casting of Jennifer Lopez in Selena because she is a New York City native of Puerto Rican descent while Selena was Mexican American . Because the figures portrayed are actual people, whose actions and characteristics are known to the public (or at least historically documented), biopic roles are considered some of the most demanding of actors and actresses. Warren Beatty , Faye Dunaway , Ben Kingsley , Johnny Depp , Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , Robert Downey Jr. , Brad Pitt , Emma Thompson , Tom Hanks , Eddie Redmayne , and Cillian Murphy all gained new-found respect as dramatic actors after starring in biopics: Beatty and Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982), Depp as Ed Wood in Ed Wood (1994), Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on

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492-519: The 2007 comedy film Code Name: The Cleaner , Cedric plays Jake, a janitor with amnesia who may be a secret undercover government agent involved in an illegal arms conspiracy. He starred in the 2008 films Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Street Kings . Cedric appeared as the lead comedian at the White House Correspondents Dinner , but jokingly remarked that he was unprepared because he thought that he would follow

533-452: The 2009 award season, Beyoncé received a Satellite Award nomination for her portrayal of Etta James. Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street received a Golden Globe nomination, Best Original Song, for writing "Once in a Lifetime"; a song Beyoncé recorded for the film's soundtrack. The film also garnered seven NAACP Image Award nominations, which included Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in

574-448: The 2009 issue of Cinema Journal . Roger Ebert defended The Hurricane and distortions in biographical films in general, stating "those who seek the truth about a man from the film of his life might as well seek it from his loving grandmother. ... The Hurricane is not a documentary but a parable ." Casting can be controversial for biographical films. Casting is often a balance between similarity in looks and ability to portray

615-557: The Entertainer Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer , is an American stand-up comedian, actor and television host. He hosted BET 's ComicView during the 1993–1994 season and Def Comedy Jam in 1995. He is best known for co-starring with Steve Harvey on The WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show , as one of The Original Kings of Comedy , his $ 385 Sharina Black and Cocoa Straw Hat debut at

656-645: The Entertainer as Willie Dixon , Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf , Mos Def as Chuck Berry , and Beyoncé Knowles as Etta James . The film was released in North America on December 5, 2008, by TriStar Pictures . The soundtrack was released on Music World/Columbia and Sony Music. In 1947 in Chicago, a Jewish immigrant from Poland and bar owner Leonard Chess hires a blues combo, including guitarist Muddy Waters and harmonica player Little Walter . Waters' and Walter's success leads to Chess opening

697-556: The House , Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events , Madagascar , Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa , Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Be Cool . He was the subject of controversy when his Barbershop character made unpopular remarks about Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks . These comments were spoken in character, as part of the script; he has never apologized for them. In Madagascar , he voiced Maurice

738-794: The Moon (1999), Downey as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin (1992) and as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer (2023), Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray (2004), Thompson and Hanks as P. L. Travers and Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (2014), and Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer (2023). Some biopics purposely stretch

779-657: The Tyson Paul fight, and for starring as Eddie Walker in Barbershop . He hosted the 12th season of the daytime version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2013–14 and starred in the TV Land original series The Soul Man , which aired from 2012 to 2016. He has also done voice work for Ice Age , the Madagascar film series, Charlotte's Web , Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue . He currently stars on

820-735: The United States. On its opening weekend, the film opened at Number 9, grossing $ 3.4 million in 686 cinemas with an $ 5,023 average. When the film left cinemas in January 2009, it had yet to recoup its $ 12 million budget; it ended its run with a worldwide box office gross of $ 8,880,045. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 66% of 124 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "What Cadillac Records may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in strong performances and soul-stirring music." Another review aggregator, Metacritic , gave

861-481: The album. The soundtrack was released in single and double-disc editions. The month after the film was released, Beyoncé performed "At Last" at the inauguration ball of Barack Obama , as he and wife Michelle danced together for the first time as President and First Lady. The soundtrack spent 48 weeks at number one of the Top Blues Albums . The soundtrack was nominated for three 2010 Grammy Awards in

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902-413: The blues songs used in the film. Beyoncé recorded five songs for the soundtrack, including a cover version of Etta James ' " At Last " which was released on December 2, 2008 as its lead single . Mos Def, Jeffrey Wright, Columbus Short, and Eamonn Walker recorded songs for the soundtrack, and Raphael Saadiq , Beyoncé's sister Solange , Mary Mary , Nas , Buddy Guy , and Elvis Presley also appear on

943-673: The characteristics of the person. Anthony Hopkins felt that he should not have played Richard Nixon in Nixon because of a lack of resemblance between the two. The casting of John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror was objected to because of the American Wayne being cast as the Mongol warlord. Egyptian critics criticized the casting of Louis Gossett Jr. , an African American actor, as Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in

984-503: The doors for black musicians and beginning a new record label in 1950 – Chess Records. This attracts stars like Etta James , Howlin' Wolf and Chuck Berry . Inevitably, business and personal lines blur as the sometimes-turbulent lives of the musicians play out. Leonard Chess was the co-founder of the 1950s American record label Chess Records , located in Chicago, Illinois . He ran the legendary company with his brother, Phil, through

1025-534: The film a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film three stars and stated in his review that "The film is a fascinating record of the evolution of a black musical style, and the tangled motives of the white men who had an instinct for it." Elizabeth Weitzman of the Daily News awarded

1066-655: The film pay back its $ 12 million budget ( total gross: $ 20,796,782). Biographical film Biopic scholars include George F. Custen of the College of Staten Island and Dennis P. Bingham of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis . Custen, in Bio/Pics: How Hollywood Constructed Public History (1992), regards the genre as having died with the Hollywood studio era , and in particular, Darryl F. Zanuck . On

1107-503: The film three stars and wrote in her review, "Writer-director Darnell Martin clearly respects the fact that the history of Chess Records is a worthy subject." Most critics praised the film for its music, but complained about its script. Jim Harrington of the San Jose Mercury News praised Beyoncé's vocal performance and wrote in his review that, " Beyoncé Knowles ' captivating voice and the film's other pluses can't outweigh

1148-532: The film, financed by Sony BMG Film. Cadillac Records was produced by Andrew Lack and Sofia Sondervan, and co-executive produced by Beyoncé. Originally, Matt Dillon was slated to play the role of Chess, but the role was ultimately given to Adrien Brody due to scheduling conflicts with Dillon. Early announcements of the cast also included Columbus Short as Little Walter , Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters , and multi- Grammy Award winner Beyoncé as Etta James . According to director Martin,

1189-575: The following categories: Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media , Beyoncé's "Once in a Lifetime" for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and Beyoncé's "At Last" for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance . The film had its world premiere on November 24, 2008, at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles . On December 5, 2008, it entered general release in

1230-430: The former generally dealing with great accomplishments, the latter generally dealing with female victimization. Ellen Cheshire's Bio-Pics: a life in pictures (2014) examines UK/US films from the 1990s and 2000s. Each chapter reviews key films linked by profession and concludes with further viewing list. Christopher Robé has also written on the gender norms that underlie the biopic in his article, "Taking Hollywood Back" in

1271-417: The glaring omissions from the story line for this critic" and "Chess Records deserves, and will hopefully someday get, a better spin than the one delivered by Cadillac Records ." David Edelstein of New York magazine named it the 4th best film of 2008, Stephanie Zacharek of Salon named it the 4th best film of 2008, and A. O. Scott of The New York Times named it the 10th best film of 2008. During

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1312-775: The name "Cheerio", but received a cease and desist letter from General Mills over their cereal Cheerios . He settled on his stage name when someone introduced him as "an entertainer, Cedric the entertainer" and the name stuck. In 1995, Cedric moved into acting, auditioning for and receiving his first-ever role as The Cowardly Lion in the 1995 Apollo Theater Revival of The Wiz . He expanded his career by playing Steve Harvey 's friend Cedric Jackie Robinson on The Steve Harvey Show . He began appearing in films, including Barbershop , Barbershop 2: Back in Business , Ride , Serving Sara , Johnson Family Vacation , Code Name: The Cleaner , Intolerable Cruelty , Man of

1353-400: The other hand, Bingham's 2010 study Whose Lives Are They Anyway? The Biopic as Contemporary Film Genre shows how it perpetuates as a codified genre using many of the same tropes used in the studio era that has followed a similar trajectory as that shown by Rick Altman in his study, Film/Genre . Bingham also addresses the male biopic and the female biopic as distinct genres from each other,

1394-487: The role of Geneva Wade, Muddy Waters' common law wife. The American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer Steve Jordan produced the soundtrack to the film. He also picked a group of blues musicians, including Billy Flynn (guitar), Larry Taylor (bass), Eddie Taylor Jr. (guitar), Barrelhouse Chuck (piano), Kim Wilson (harmonica), Danny Kortchmar (guitar), Hubert Sumlin (guitar), and Bill Sims (guitar) who, along with Jordan on drums, recorded all of

1435-417: The role of James was written with Beyoncé in mind. As production increased, the roster grew to include Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui as Revetta Chess, Tammy Blanchard as Isabelle Allen, English actor Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf, and comedian Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon . Final line ups of the cast also grew to include rapper Yasiin Bey as Chuck Berry , and Gabrielle Union in

1476-509: The start date was delayed by one week to July 19. Starting in 2012, he played the main character in the TV Land original series The Soul Man , featuring Niecy Nash . The series ran for five seasons and ended in 2016. Cedric was the host of the American TV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire , beginning with its 12th season in national syndication, which premiered on September 2, 2013. On April 30, 2014, Cedric announced that he

1517-474: The truth. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was based on game show host Chuck Barris ' widely debunked yet popular memoir of the same name, in which he claimed to be a CIA agent. Kafka incorporated both the life of author Franz Kafka and the surreal aspects of his fiction. The Errol Flynn film They Died with Their Boots On tells the story of Custer but is highly romanticized. The Oliver Stone film The Doors , mainly about Jim Morrison ,

1558-1103: Was highly praised for the similarities between Jim Morrison and actor Val Kilmer , look-wise and singing-wise, but fans and band members did not like the way Val Kilmer portrayed Jim Morrison, and a few of the scenes were even completely made up. In rare cases, sometimes called auto biopics , the subject of the film plays themself. Examples include Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Muhammad Ali in The Greatest (1977), Audie Murphy in To Hell and Back (1955), Patty Duke in Call Me Anna (1990), Bob Mathias in The Bob Mathias Story (1954), Arlo Guthrie in Alice's Restaurant (1969), Fantasia in Life Is Not

1599-700: Was inducted to the St. Louis Walk of Fame on June 7, 2008. His star is at 6166 Delmar. He was the special guest host for WWE Raw on September 21, 2009, in Little Rock, Arkansas. During the show, he participated in a wrestling match, defeating Chavo Guerrero Jr. by pinfall . The match also featured Santino Marella as a guest referee . Cedric also got help from an unknown wrestler dubbed The Sledge Hammer (played by Imani Lee) and Hornswoggle . In March 2010, Cedric made his directorial debut with Dance Fu , produced and funded independently by his company Bird and

1640-558: Was leaving the game show after the 2013–14 season to focus on other projects. Terry Crews took over as host on September 8, 2014. Starting in 2018, Cedric played the character of Calvin Butler in the television sitcom The Neighborhood . He is an official commentator for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match. Cedric is married to Lorna Wells. They have two children, Croix (born 2000) and Lucky Rose (born 2003). He also has

1681-646: Was raised in Caruthersville, Missouri , but after junior high school he moved to Berkeley, Missouri , a northern suburb of St. Louis . He is a graduate of Berkeley High School . Cedric majored in mass communication at Southeast Missouri State University and worked as a State Farm insurance claims adjuster and substitute high school teacher before becoming a full-time comedian. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi . Cedric's stage name came about when he felt that his real name, Cedric Kyles, sounded too formal. Inspired by an entertainer named Kodak, he came up with

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