Danny Glover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Danny Glover
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Glover in 2019
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| Born | July 22, 1946 San Francisco, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Known for | Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon |
| Spouse(s) |
Asake Bomani
(m. 1975; div. 2000)Eliane Cavalleiro
(m. 2009; div. 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
Danny Glover (born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, producer, and activist. He is famous for playing Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon movies. He has also been in many other popular films like The Color Purple, Angels in the Outfield, and Saw. Besides acting, Danny Glover is known for working to make the world a better place. He supports many important causes, like civil rights and helping people in need. He has received special awards for his humanitarian work, which means helping others.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Danny Glover was born on July 22, 1946, in San Francisco, California. His parents, Carrie and James Glover, both worked for the postal service. They were also active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This group works to achieve equal rights for all people.
When Danny was younger, he had epilepsy, a condition that can cause seizures. However, he has not had a seizure since he was 35 years old. He went to San Francisco State University (SFSU) in the late 1960s. Even though he didn't graduate, the university later honored him for his contributions to education. Danny Glover also studied acting at the Black Actors' Workshop of the American Conservatory Theater.
His Acting Career
Starting Out in Acting (1979–1984)
Before becoming an actor, Danny Glover worked for the city government. He helped with community development projects. He decided to switch to acting because he saw it as a way to share important ideas. He felt that art could help people understand and deal with different issues.
His first acting experience was with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He also trained with Jean Shelton at the Shelton Studios. Danny Glover says that Jean Shelton helped him a lot in becoming the actor he is today. After deciding to be an actor, he quit his city job and started his stage career. Later, he moved to Los Angeles to find more acting opportunities.
Danny Glover's first movie role was in Escape from Alcatraz in 1979. He also had a repeating role on the TV show Hill Street Blues. In 1984, he played Moses Hadner in the movie Places in the Heart.
Becoming a Star (1985–2000)
Danny Glover became very well-known in 1985. He starred in the famous movie The Color Purple. In this film, he played the husband of Whoopi Goldberg's character, Celie. That same year, he was in the crime thriller Witness and the western movie Silverado.
He is most famous for his role as Los Angeles police Sergeant Roger Murtaugh. He played this character in the action movie Lethal Weapon (1987). He also starred in the sequels in 1989, 1992, and 1998. In these movies, he acted alongside Mel Gibson.
Danny Glover was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for his TV roles. He played Nelson Mandela in the HBO movie Mandela (1987). He also played Joshua Deets in the CBS western TV series Lonesome Dove (1989). In 1990, he was the main star in the movie Predator 2. This was a sequel to the science-fiction action film Predator. He also won an award for his role in To Sleep with Anger (1990). Other films he appeared in include Grand Canyon (1991) and Bopha! (1993).
He has also made guest appearances in music videos, like Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl" in 1987. In 1994, Danny Glover and actor Ben Guillory started the Robey Theatre Company in Los Angeles. This theater company focuses on plays by and about Black people.
Also in 1994, Glover directed his first film, a short movie called Override. That same year, he played baseball manager George Knox in the Walt Disney Pictures movie Angels in the Outfield.
In 1995, Glover played the detective Philip Marlowe in an episode of the TV series Fallen Angels. This role earned him another Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He also played Captain Sam Cahill in the war film Operation Dumbo Drop.
In 1998, he starred as Paul D. in the drama film Beloved. This movie was based on a novel by Toni Morrison. Danny Glover has also lent his voice to many children's animated movies. These include The Prince of Egypt (1998), Antz (1998), and Our Friend, Martin (1999). In 2000, he played Will Walker in the TNT movie Freedom Song. This role also earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Later Roles (2001–Present)
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In 2001, Danny Glover was in the film The Royal Tenenbaums, directed by Wes Anderson. He acted alongside stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller.
In 2004, he appeared in the horror film Saw as Detective David Tapp. In 2005, he played David Keaton in the TV movie The Exonerated. This film told the true story of Keaton, who was wrongly arrested and jailed before being freed. In 2006, he voiced a mule named Miles in the animated film Barnyard. He also played Marty Madison in the musical movie Dreamgirls. In 2007, he was Colonel Isaac Johnson in the action thriller Shooter.
In 2009, Glover was part of The People Speak. This documentary used performances of letters and speeches from everyday Americans. It was based on historian Howard Zinn's book A People's History of the United States. He also had repeating roles on the TV shows ER and Brothers & Sisters.
Glover played President Wilson, the President of the United States, in the disaster film 2012. This movie was released in 2009. In 2010, he was in the comedy film Death at a Funeral. He also appeared in a Spanish film called I Want to Be a Soldier. In 2012, he starred in the movie Donovan's Echo.
In 2018, Danny Glover co-starred in the science fiction comedy film Sorry to Bother You. He also appeared in the film The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019). In December 2019, he played Milo Walker in the action comedy film Jumanji: The Next Level. This movie starred Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black.
Public Appearances
Danny Glover often makes public appearances. He was a keynote speaker and honoree at the MLK Celebration Series in Rhode Island in 2015. He spoke about how creativity and art can help bring about social change. He also gave a speech at the University of the Virgin Islands, encouraging graduates. In 2018, he was a special guest at the Port Townsend Film Festival in Washington State.
Personal Life
Danny Glover married Asake Bomani in 1975. They had a daughter named Mandisa, who was born in 1976. Glover and Bomani divorced in 2000. In 2009, Danny Glover married Eliane Cavalleiro. They divorced in 2022.
Activism and Causes
Danny Glover is well-known for his activism. While attending San Francisco State University (SFSU), he was part of the Black Students' Union. This group helped lead a long student strike to create the first Department of Black Studies and the first School of Ethnic Studies in the United States.
He is a board member of several organizations, including the Algebra Project and the Black AIDS Institute. He was once arrested during a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington. This protest was about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
In 1999, he used his experience as a former taxi driver in San Francisco. He helped raise awareness about African Americans being unfairly passed over by taxi drivers. This led to changes that helped prevent such discrimination.
Danny Glover has a long history of supporting workers' unions. In 2010, he supported union workers in Ohio. He asked actors at the Academy Awards to avoid wearing suits from a company that was treating its workers unfairly. In 2011, he spoke at a protest in Oakland, California, where thousands of people gathered to support workers' rights.
International Work
Danny Glover is also involved in international causes. He is an active board member of the TransAfrica Forum, which focuses on issues affecting Africa and the Caribbean. In 2009, he received a special title in Imo State, Nigeria. His title, "Enyioma of Nkwerre", means A Good Friend in the language of the Igbo people.
In 2018, as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Glover visited Brazil. He met with political leaders and the family of Marielle Franco, an activist who was murdered. He showed his support for their causes.
After the terrible 2010 Haiti earthquake, Glover spoke about how climate change could affect other island nations. He called for new international partnerships to help countries like Haiti.
He was also a strong critic of the Iraq War before it began in 2003. He spoke at anti-war demonstrations and signed letters criticizing the war.
Glover has shown support for the government of Venezuela. He has also been a board member of TeleSUR, a news network mainly funded by the Venezuelan government.
In 2009, he signed a letter protesting the inclusion of films from Tel Aviv at the Toronto International Film Festival. The letter argued that Palestinian filmmakers should also be included.
Music and Arts
Danny Glover is an active board member of The Jazz Foundation of America. He has hosted their annual benefit concert, A Great Night in Harlem, many times. In 2006, he became a patron of Tiata Fahodzi, a leading African theater company in Britain.
Filmography
Awards and Honours
In 2010, Danny Glover gave the graduation speech at Utah State University. He was also given an honorary degree from the university.
He was honored at the Deauville American Film Festival in France in 2011.
In 2016, he received the Cuban National Medal of Friendship in Havana. This award was given for his support of the Cuban 5, a group of Cubans who were imprisoned in the United States.
On March 25, 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) gave Glover the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes people in the film industry who have done outstanding humanitarian work. In 2023, he was added to the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
Images for kids
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Glover in 2019
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Glover in 1997
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Glover at the 2014 Phoenix Comicon
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Glover in 2014
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Glover speaks at a March for Immigrants Rights in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2007.
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Glover in Ecuador in November 2013, protesting against Chevron and issues relating to the Lago Agrio oil field
