by Cherie Saunders   

"Have Faith" cast members Cedric the Entertainer and Niecy Nash

*As previously reported, Cedric the Entertainer’s singer-turned-preacher character in TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland” has spun off into its own series to premiere this June.

“Have Faith” will have a 12-episode run with Niecy Nash cast in the role of Ced’s wife.  According to creator Suzanne Martin (also the creator of “Hot in Cleveland”) Nash’s character “thought she was going to be married to a successful singer, but then he got the calling.  And she’s going along with it, but it’s a bit of a transition for her.”

Promoting the series last month at the TCA press tour in Pasadena, Cedric said he had been looking high and low for the right actress to play his wife, and Nash was a perfect fit.

“We have so many connections. We both have St. Louis roots, and I love her comedy,” he said. “And we worked on ‘Code Name: The Cleaner,’ so this was a real good opportunity to do this character.”

Nash added: “Not to mention the fact that my first husband was a R&B singer turned pastor. How about that for coincidence?”

Below, Niecy elaborates on just how close this role is to her own life.

Fans of Ced know this isn’t the first time he’s played a minister. In addition to donning a robe in “Big Momma’s House” and “Kingdom Come,” the 47-year-old actor-comedian often imitates men of the cloth in his stand-up routines.  In the audio below, he reveals what real pastors have to say about his portrayals.

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