Biography
Comedic actor and voiceover artist Cedric Yarbrough hit it big with his role of easygoing Deputy Jones in the Comedy Central hit "Reno 911!" in the early 2000s. Born in Minnesota, Yarbrough got his start in improv at the famed Minneapolis comedy workshop Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop. He came to Los Angeles in the first year of the twenty-first century, ready for comedic fame and fortune. The next few years were filled with one-shot appearances on such shows as "The Parkers" (UPN 1999-2004) and "Arrested Development" (Fox 2003-13), and even smaller roles in films, as he honed his craft and paid his dues. All of that was set to change when "Reno 911!" (Comedy Central 2003-09) was developed by Comedy Central and the show became a hit. The show's improvised scripts and outrageous comedy opened up several doors for Yarbrough, including a small role in the Steve Carell hit "The 40 Year Old Virgin" (2005). He followed this with supporting roles in comic films including Paul Feig's "Unaccompanied Minors" (2006) and Scott Sanders' sendup of blaxploitation films "Black Dynamite" (2009), as well as his co-starring role in the big-screen feature "Reno 911!: Miami" (2007). But it was in television that Cedric made his mark, with his ability to turn his imposing 6'2" physical presence into unique comic roles on series including "The Soul Man" (TV Land 2012-16), "Rake" (Fox 2014) and "The Goldbergs" (ABC 2013- ). He also took on an increasing number of voiceover roles in animated series and video games. He became the voice of Black Lightning and Firestorm in the direct-to-video "Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" (2010) and Firepower in the video game "Iron Man 2"(2010). The animation work led to recurring voiceover roles in the animated television series "The Penguins of Madagascar" (Nickelodeon 2009-2012) and "The Boondocks" (Adult Swim 2005-2014). After taking on recurring roles in the '80s-set sitcom "The Goldbergs" (ABC 2013- ) and musical comedy-drama "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" (CW 2015- ), Yarbrough returned to prime time on a weekly basis with a starring role in the sitcom "Speechless" (ABC 2016- ) as a school janitor turned therapist for a student with cerebral palsy.
