Cedric the Entertainer Says His Kids Were 'Never Embarrassed' of Him: 'They Get a Kick Out of Me'

Cedric the Entertainer's three kids — son Croix and daughter Lucky, whom he shares with wife Lorna Wells, and daughter Tiara, whom he shares with a previous partner — love that their dad has followed his dreams after all these years.

"My kids love me! They are so funny, too. They get a kick out of me. They never said I was embarrassing. I think the only time I made them get embarrassed was when people credited them for being my kids. They're like, 'I don't want to take credit for just being your kid!' I thought that was interesting. They're both really bright. My oldest daughter has a daughter, and they're all amazing," the comedian, 61, exclusively tells OK! while talking about his new role as Prilosec's spokesman, starring in TV digital, and social ads.

"They're not even interested in entertainment or what I do, but they do like me," he quips. "I remember my daughter saw me do stand-up as a young adult and was like, 'You got a little thing going, you should give it a run.' I was like, 'Thank you, daughter.'"

When running through some of his jokes, he turns to his son, who is "very funny and has a quirky personality."

"He's not a comedian, but he's very funny, so I'll bounce stuff off him on a daily basis," he says. "I come in the house, and I'll say something funny. He'll respond to it and laugh really hard. He's like, 'OK, let's go with that.' I am like, 'Well, thank you, my man!'"

The one person he always turned to get approval from was his mother, Rosetta Boyce, who died in 2015.

"One of my very first ideas I had, I told my mom, and she laughed so hard. She went down to the ground!" he recalls. "That's what I based my career off of. I'm going to quit my job now; I made my mother literally go to the ground laughing. I was like, 'I am done with a 9-5. I'm a comedian.'"

The performer, whose real name is Cedric Antonio Kyles, has had a long career in Hollywood — from acting, to comedy and hosting various gigs.

"I'm grateful for my career!" he says. "I can't say I'm surprised; I'm a hard worker. I get up and go get it. I definitely don't sit around and rest on my laurels. I don't take that part for granted. I find myself in a very cool situation of being able to have some choices, and I'm grateful for that. I have seen careers come and go and you do recognize that on any given day, it could all go away. I'm constantly thinking of new things and trying to meet new people."

The star's advice for up-and-coming comedians is simple: "Trust your brand. So many people have been able to build their own kind of fandom off the internet. A lot of times, you get into the circumstances where you feel like it's the bigger playing field and you hand off everything to an executive producer who pretends to know you and what your audience wants from you."

"The biggest thing is trust that part," he adds. "As a stand-up comedian early on, that's what you have to do when you go on stage, no matter what. Nobody can tell you how to handle that audience for you. You have to go out there and perform."

Aside from his busy ventures, the dad-of-three is thrilled to be working with Prilosec OTC, the No. 1 Doctor and Gastroenterologist-recommended medicine for frequent heartburn for 19 straight years, as its new spokesperson. Cedric will star as the central figure in the brand's new commercial.

"I started a barbecue sauce brand about three years ago with Anthony Anderson, so the idea of celebrating eating good food and being out in the world, enjoying life to the fullest can get in the way of heartburn, which is commonplace. Prilosec is an OG brand; it's been around for 19 years, so I wanted to celebrate enjoying life — and making sure you're free to do it," he explains.

"You can't deny the idea that one gets older each year, but again, I went on a health journey earlier this summer. I want to make sure I am taking care of myself," he adds. "We still have to enjoy life! We still want to celebrate, and we still want to be with friends, so this idea of knowing that this one thing [heartburn] won't stop you from having a great time is a great idea. You can take a pill a day and take care of your circumstances."

Ultimately, the actor is enjoying this "great time" in his life right now. "It ebbs and flows, but right now, everything is up," he shares. "I feel great, I am doing great business wise, my family is wonderful, the kids are happy. We are good! I appreciate the moment I am in."

Don’t let heartburn stand in the way of life’s most delicious moments. Prilosec OTC is sending one lucky winner on a trip for two to an epic BBQ city of their choice — Memphis, TN, Austin, TX, or Kansas City, KS! Enter the Prilosec OTC Epic BBQ Trip Sweepstakes for your chance to win at PrilosecEpicBBQ.com.