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‘The Neighborhood’: Cedric the Entertainer Didn’t Know Who Actor Max Greenfield Was Before the Show

The CBS sitcom ‘The Neighborhood’ star Max Greenfield recalled that his co-star, Cedric the Entertainer, did not even know who he was upon meeting with him and creator Jim Reynolds. ‘The Neighborhood’ underwent several changes in names and cast members before settling on a solid foundation for the show to operate with.
by Andrew Addessi
Published on
2 min read

Some actors have such strong chemistry on-screen that fans assume they must be friends in real life. However, that is not always the case. During re-castings for the CBS show The Neighborhood, Max Greenfield recalls that Cedric the Entertainer didn’t even know who the Ugly Betty actor was.

Max Greenfield, Cedric The Entertainer, Beth Behrs from 'The Neighborhood'
Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Cedric The Entertainer | Rich Fury/Getty Images

‘The Neighborhood’ went through re-castings to pair Cedric the Entertainer with Max Greenfield

The show had a tough time finding the right cast and names for the show. The Neighborhood cast Cedric the Entertainer from the start, but Max Greenfield could not claim the same.

Australian actor Josh Lawson (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues) originally starred as the too-neighborly Dave. The pilot for Welcome to the Neighborhood was completed, but several changes were needed.

“We shot the initial pilot, which we were very proud of, but the network had been wanting to be in business with Max for a while because of his obvious talents,” creator Jim Reynolds told TheWrap during the sitcom’s panel at the Television Critics Association press tour.

CBS already had their eye on the New Girl actor. The next step seemed evident to Reynolds.

“When we had the pilot, and the network, who wanted to be in business with Max, [we] came to him and showed it to him,” Reynolds said.

Cedric the Entertainer didn’t know who Max Greenfield was when they all met

After watching the pilot for Welcome to the Neighborhood, Greenfield liked what he saw.

“It was so well-done as far as I was concerned that it became sort of a no-brainer to do the show,” the New Girl actor said.

The next day, Greenfield grabbed his phone and made the call. “I called the next morning and was like, ‘Let’s get into it,’” he said.

However, the first meeting between Reynolds, Cedric the Entertainer, and Max Greenfield did not pan out exactly as expected.

“Then I met with Jim and Cedric, and Cedric didn’t know who I was,” Greenfield laughed.

Cedric had a few complaints about reshooting the pilot, but the two actors got along well. They brought their natural chemistry to the small-screen in 2018.

After ‘The Neighborhood’ went through several names and cast changes, things came together

The road to a CBS comedy show took some time. However, when The Neighborhood found the right cast and name, things clicked.

“[He] was upset that he had to reshoot the show,” Greenfield recalled. “But we got along great, and here we all are.”

In Fall 2021, The Neighborhood saw Cedric the Entertainer and Max Greenfield return with the rest of the cast for season 4. And the actors and crew plan to keep returning as long as fans tune in.

The special Halloween episode, “Welcome to the Haunting,” airs on November 1, 2021, at 8 pm EST.

RELATED: Is ‘The Neighborhood’ Canceled or Will There Be a Season 2?

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