Grill Masters Anthony Anderson and Cedric The Entertainer: ‘We Get to Do What We Love Every Day’

Comedy duo celebrates newest friendship project, ‘AC Barbeque: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling’ cookbook

Jennifer Bradley Franklin,

AARP

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Published June 05, 2026

For many people, doing a passion project with a best friend would be a dream come true.

That’s precisely how the multitalented duo of Cedric The Entertainer, 62, and Anthony Anderson, 55, feel about their new project, AC Barbeque: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling. The cookbook captures the rich traditions and bold flavors of cooking outside. “We love this culture of barbecue,” Cedric says.

AARP chatted over video with the pair — Anderson from his home in Los Angeles, and Cedric from a hotel room in New York, where he’s currently starring on Broadway — to learn what led them to collaborate on their first cookbook.

Anthony Anderson and cedric the entetainer’s Barbeque cookbook is shown in a photo

The "AC Barbeque: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling" is approachable enough for novice grillers and detailed enough for those who want to be true pitmasters.

Courtesy Simon & Schuster

Cook With Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson

The actors-turned-authors share a trio of recipes from AC Barbeque: The Husky and Handsome Guide to Grilling cookbook for AARP members to try at home.

Collards With Smoked Turkey Wings

One of Anderson’s favorite dishes, this slow-simmered pot of smoky turkey and collards is a flavorful way to bring more greens into your diet.

Korean Hot Cauliflower Wings

If you’re trying to eat more veggies but don’t want to miss out on the BBQ experience, these finger-licking-good cauliflower wings are a must.

Northwest Grilled Salmon

Wild-caught salmon is the star of this high-protein entrée. It gets a flavor assist from a sweet soy-based glaze.

“We actually just enjoy each other quite a bit,” Cedric says. “This business kind of stems from our friendship and the fact that we just need a reason to be hanging out!”

Anderson, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor, starred in the hit sitcom Black-ish and has appeared as a judge and competitor on Iron Chef America. Cedric is a comedian, actor, producer and director whose résumé includes The Neighborhood on CBS, Disney+’s The Proud Family and his current role on Broadway, in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

They say cooking together is a happy accident, adding that they always end up preparing meals on golf getaways with fellow actors Don Cheadle, 61, George Lopez, 65, Chris Martin, 58, and Cheech Marin, 79. “More oftentimes than not, it’s Ced and I who are always in the kitchen, putting things together for the group,” says Anderson. If it weren’t for them, Cedric says, “everybody would just be eating cereal.”

After years of cooking for fun, in 2003 the two launched AC Barbeque, a line of sauces and rubs based on their love of outdoor grilling and different regional styles and traditions of the cuisine. Later that year, they debuted their Kings of BBQ series on A&E, where they traveled the United States learning from top pitmasters, further cementing their barbecuing bona fides.

The cookbook is the next stage for their taste empire, which also includes a stand-alone AC Barbeque restaurant in Los Angeles. “It was just a nice morphing of the brand itself,” Cedric says. “We built the company by going around and visiting barbecue [joints] all around the country. We wanted to celebrate the culture of it.”

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The AC Barbeque cookbook is approachable enough for novice grillers and detailed enough for those who want to be true pitmasters, with in-depth forays into barbecue meccas such as the Carolinas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Texas and Memphis, Tennessee. It also includes side dishes, snacks, desserts and cocktails that pair with the main courses, for more than 75 recipes.

If you think you need a high-tech grill or a special smoker to get into barbecuing, the authors put those beliefs to rest. “It’s not about the equipment at all. It’s about the technique,” says Anderson, who grew up in Compton, California, watching his dad at the grill. The beautifully photographed book includes step-by-step instructions for using what you have to make something tasty.

The pair maintains that barbecue can be a budget-friendly option thanks to time-honored techniques that transform less expensive cuts of meat into a premium dining experience. “If you let it sit overnight in a great marinade to let that flavor soak in, you can take an average piece of [meat] and make a very delicious steak or very delicious ribs,” says Cedric.

And the book’s recipes aren’t limited to classics such as pulled pork, smoked ribs and beef brisket. For those who believe barbecue can’t be healthy, Anderson is quick to point out, “Obviously you’ve never had barbecue tofu or barbecue jackfruit!” Even something as simple as grill-charred romaine lettuce with a drizzle of flavorful sauce can be a delicacy, he adds.

“People can grill peaches. It’s things that we can have fun with,” says Cedric. “Whatever your lifestyle is, get out there and have fun on that grill.”

Now that the actors are in their 50s and 60s, they’ve made positive lifestyle changes to improve their quality of life and longevity. “I have to move the body around,” Cedric says. “I just started to get more concerned with working out.” One of his favorite ways to exercise is on a rowing machine. “I always wanted to row crew,” he says.

They also decided to drink less. “We were big tequila guys, but we both started to deal with elements that our drinking was causing, so we just toned it down a little bit,” says Cedric. “You’ve definitely got to watch the sugars and the carbs that turn into sugars. I’m eating a lot more lean meats and veggies.”

Anderson, who has type 2 diabetes, focuses on a balanced diet that supports his health. When he was diagnosed in 2002, “I had to change my lifestyle and the things that I was putting inside my body,” he says.

Both actors are busy with projects. Cedric voices a character in the animated movie Swapped, out now on Netflix, with Michael B. Jordan, Tracy Morgan and Juno Temple. Anderson is reprising his role of Mahalik in Scary Movie 6, set for release in June.

The pair also revealed that they have recorded a yet-to-be-released podcast called Conversations With Ced and Anthony. They’ve already completed about 20 episodes.

“As they say, if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life,” Anderson says. “And we get to do what we love every day of our lives.”

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Jennifer Bradley Franklin es una periodista, editora y autora con sede en Atlanta que ha contribuido al Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, la revista People, USA Today, entre otros medios. Es una viajera ávida, practica el baile de salón y tiene una obsesión por el café. Lee más de sus trabajos en jenniferbradleyfranklin.com