Don Cheadle

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Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2022
Born
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr.

(1964-11-29) November 29, 1964 (age 59)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
EducationCalifornia Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
Years active1984–present
OrganizationThe Sentry
WorksFull list
Spouse
Bridgid Coulter
​
(m. 2020)​
Children2
AwardsFull list
Signature

Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (

Primetime Emmy Awards. His Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony nominations make him one of few black individuals to be nominated for the four major American entertainment awards (EGOT)
.

Following early roles in

Armor Wars as part of the franchise.[3][4]

His television work includes appearances in

Primetime Emmy Award nominations. From 2019 to 2021, Cheadle starred in the series Black Monday
, earning two Emmy Award nominations.

In 2016, he received his first Grammy Award, winning

Best Spoken Word Album for his narration of the audiobook Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation from John Lewis; he also received a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop.[5]

Early life

Cheadle was born in

East High School in Denver, Colorado. During high school, he played saxophone in the jazz band, sang in choirs, and was active in the theater department, performing in musicals, plays, and mime shows.[7]

Cheadle went on to attend the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater in 1986.

Career

Cheadle, Kelly Chan, Janice Kawaye, and Richard Coca in the Ensemble Studio Theatre production of "My Name Could Be Anne" in Los Angeles, California on July 2, 1986.

Cheadle became eligible for his Screen Actors Guild card when he appeared as a burger joint employee in the 1985 comedy Moving Violations.[8] In 1987, he received a small role in the 7th season of Hill Street Blues, where he played a teenager with learning difficulties. This was followed by an appearance in Hamburger Hill the same year. Cheadle secured the role of Jack in the April 1, 1988, "Jung and the Restless" episode of Night Court; although his character was 16 years old, Cheadle was 23 at the time.

Cheadle then played the role of Rocket in the 1988 movie Colors.[9] In 1989, he appeared in a music video for Angela Winbush's number-two hit single "It's the Real Thing" as a car wash employee performing dance moves.[10][11] In 1990, he appeared in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air titled "Homeboy, Sweet Homeboy", playing Will Smith's friend and Hilary's first love interest, Ice Tray.[12] In 1992, he had a starring role in The Golden Girls spin-off The Golden Palace as Roland Wilson, a young serious hotel manager that Blanche, Rose and Sophia had retained from the previous owners. He subsequently played district attorney John Littleton on three seasons of Picket Fences.[13]

Cheadle first received widespread notice for his portrayal of Mouse Alexander in the 1995 film

Out of Sight. The film was an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1996 novel of the same name and the first of Cheadle's many collaborations with director Steven Soderbergh.[16]

Cheadle's portrayal of 

ninth season of the television series ER, playing the role of Paul Nathan, a medical student who suffers from Parkinson's disease. For this performance he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[20]

Cheadle appeared in NFL commercials promoting the Super Bowl from 2002 to 2005. He so regularly appeared for the NFL in its Super Bowl advertising that in 2006, in a drive to get fans to submit their own advertising ideas, the NFL sought his permission to reference his previous commercials to portray themselves as having no new ideas: "he quickly signed off on the idea and found it funny." Abe Sutton (along with Etan Bednarsh), one of the finalists in this NFL contest, played on this commercial by proposing an ad in which every player on a football team is Don Cheadle.[21]

In 2005, Cheadle was nominated for the

BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild awards for Best Supporting Actor. He played the main character in the movie Traitor.[22]

In March 2007, Cheadle starred with comedian

box office flop, earning a domestic gross of $22.2 million. Cheadle later starred in the 2009 DreamWorks Pictures film Hotel for Dogs.[23][24] Cheadle was to make his directorial debut with the adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Tishomingo Blues, but in July 2007, he stated, "'Tishomingo' is dead..."[25]

In 2009, Cheadle and Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder worked on a potential comedy show on NBC.[26] The "project revolve[d] around mismatched brothers who reunite to open a private security company."[26] Cheadle and McGruder were slated to serve as executive producers, while McGruder was expected to write the script.[27]

Also in 2009, Cheadle performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States and its companion volume Voices of a People's History of the United States.[28]

Cheadle during an interview in 2010

In 2010, Cheadle assumed the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine in Iron Man 2 (2010), replacing Terrence Howard. Cheadle reprised this role in the films Iron Man 3 (2013) as the Iron Patriot, Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[29] Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019), as well as the Disney+ TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), What If...? (2021),

Armor Wars (TBA).[31]

From 2012 to 2016, Cheadle starred in the Showtime TV series House of Lies.[32] In 2013, he won the Golden Globe as Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on the show.[33] He was in the show for five seasons until it ended in 2016.[34]

Cheadle spent 10 years writing and producing the film Miles Ahead (2016) based on the life of jazz musician Miles Davis. Cheadle also directed and starred in the film.[35][36] Locations for the movie were found in Cincinnati.[37]

Cheadle in 2018

In 2018, Cheadle guest-starred in the first-season finale of DuckTales, providing Donald Duck's new voice box.[38] He later guest-starred again in 2020 during season three after a wish Donald made to Gene the Genie had altered reality.[39]

In 2021, Cheadle starred in the period crime thriller No Sudden Move, in which he played Curt Goynes, a gangster in 1950s Detroit.[40][41] Around that same year, Cheadle played a villain role in Space Jam: A New Legacy, providing the role of the main antagonist Al-G Rhythm.[42][43]

Political activism

US State Department
in 2007

Cheadle has campaigned to end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Cheadle and John Prendergast co-authored a book about this issue entitled Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. With George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, David Pressman and Jerry Weintraub, Cheadle co-founded the Not on Our Watch Project, an organization focusing global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities.[44] Cheadle was awarded the BET Humanitarian award of the year in 2007 for his humanitarian work for the people of Darfur and Rwanda.[45]

At the 2007 World Series of Poker, Cheadle and poker player Annie Duke organized an annual charity poker tournament, Ante Up for Africa.[46][47]

On December 13, 2007, Cheadle and fellow actor George Clooney were presented with the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome for their work to stop the genocide and relieve the suffering of the people of Darfur.[48]

Cheadle at the United Nations Environment Programme in 2011.

Cheadle has worked with the United Nations on climate change concerns.[49] He and Harrison Ford created a documentary event series entitled Years of Living Dangerously that provided first-hand reports on those affected by, and seeking solutions to climate change.[50] He is also on the advisory board of Citizens' Climate Lobby.[51]

In 2010, Cheadle was named U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador.[52] Also in 2010, he and Prendergast published their second book: The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes.

On his 2019 Saturday Night Live appearance, he wore a T-shirt saying "protect trans kids".[53][54]

Personal life

In 2008, Cheadle's family history was profiled on the

DNA test taken by the show revealed that Cheadle is of Cameroonian descent.[55] Another DNA test revealed that among his African ancestry, one-third comes from the region from Senegal to Liberia, just over one-quarter comes from the Congo-Angola region, and the rest comes from western Nigeria and Benin.[56]

Cheadle married his long-time partner, actress and Rosewood co-star Bridgid Coulter,[57][58] in early 2020. The couple has been together for more than 28 years and have two children.[59][60][61]

Filmography and awards

Main articles: List of Don Cheadle performances and List of awards and nominations received by Don Cheadle

References

  1. ^ a b Williams, Kam (January 12, 2009). "Don Cheadle: The Hotel for Dogs Interview". KamWilliams.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  2. ^ "UPI Almanac for Friday, Nov. 29, 2019". United Press International. November 29, 2019. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2020. ...actor Don Cheadle in 1964 (age 55)
  3. ^ LeBlanc, Wesley (February 3, 2021). "Cheadle: War Machine Will Appear in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Armor Wars Will Address Tony Stark's Death". IGN. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  4. ^ @MarvelStudios (December 11, 2020). "Don Cheadle returns as James Rhodes aka War Machine in Armor Wars, an Original Series coming to #DisneyPlus. A classic Marvel story about Tony Stark's worst fear coming true: what happens when his tech falls into the wrong hands?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
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  6. ^ "Today's random fact: Cheadle was here". JournalStar.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  7. ^ Campbell, Spencer (August 12, 2020). "Don Cheadle Was Once a Mime in Denver". 5280. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "How Did You Get Your SAG-AFTRA Card?" TV Guide, January 13, 2014. p. 10.
  9. ^ Benson, Shelia (April 15, 1988). "MOVIE REVIEW : Complexity and Context Washed Out of 'Colors'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  10. ^ Johnson, Kevin C. (October 24, 2010). "Angela Winbush tells of career struggles, cancer battle in 'Unsung'". stltoday.com. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  11. ^ Grady, Constance (March 29, 2016). "Watch Don Cheadle shake it in an '80s R&B video". Vox. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  12. ^ "It's Evening in America". Vanity Fair. May 2012. p. 155.
  13. ^ "If you need a new, old-fashioned sitcom to watch, This 'Golden Girls' spinoff is for you". Los Angeles Times. January 11, 2022. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
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  21. ^ Thomaselli, Rich (November 2, 2006). "Advertising Age". Adage.com. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  22. ^ "In a World of Extremists, Shades of Gray Add Ambiguity". The New York Times. August 26, 2008. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  23. ^ Scott, A. O. (March 23, 2007). "Who Else but an Old Buddy Can Tell How Lost You Are?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  24. ^ Phillips, Michael (October 6, 2015). "'Hotel for Dogs' stars Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, Don Cheadle". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  25. ^ "Don Cheadle Talks to Us". Comingsoon.net. July 6, 2007. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  26. ^ a b "Cheadle, McGruder Team For New Series". Blogs.bet.com. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on October 31, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
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  28. ^ "Credits". The People Speak. Archived from the original on July 13, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  29. ^ Thompson, Arienne (December 12, 2013). "Don Cheadle mellow, 'barely awake' after Globes news". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  30. ^ "'Secret Invasion': Sam Jackson Says Don Cheadle & Martin Freeman Appear In Marvel's Upcoming Series". theplaylist.net. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  31. ^ Kit, Borys (September 29, 2022). "Marvel Shakes Up 'Armor Wars': Don Cheadle Series Now Being Developed As a Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
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  39. ^ "Quack Pack!". DuckTales. Season 3. Episode 48. April 4, 2020.
  40. ^ "'No Sudden Move' revives the 1950s crime thriller for the streaming age". CNN. July 2, 2021. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  41. ^ "Don Cheadle Gets Roped Into a Robbery That Goes Awry in 'No Sudden Move' Trailer". Rolling Stone. June 7, 2021. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
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  43. ^ Couch, Aaron (July 11, 2019). "Don Cheadle Joins LeBron James in 'Space Jam 2'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
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  50. ^ Don Cheadle and Harrison Ford explore climate change in Years of Living Life Dangerously Archived May 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, dailynews.com; accessed June 22, 2015.
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  56. ISBN 9780307409737. Archived
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  57. ^ "Bridgid Coulter". IMDb. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  58. ^ "Don Cheadle's Wife Bridgid Coulter Is A Hollywood Powerhouse". Bustle. April 25, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
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External links

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