Don Cheadle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Cheadle
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Cheadle on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2022
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| Born |
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr.
November 29, 1964 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
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| Education | California Institute of the Arts (BFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
| Organization | The Sentry |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Bridgid Coulter
(m. 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (born November 29, 1964) is an American actor and producer. He is famous for his many roles in movies and TV shows. Don Cheadle has won several important awards, including two Golden Globe Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a Tony Award. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award, which is one of the highest honors in film.
Cheadle started his acting career with smaller roles in films like Hamburger Hill (1987) and Colors (1988). He gained more attention for his work in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) and Boogie Nights (1997). He often worked with director Steven Soderbergh on movies such as Traffic (2000) and The Ocean's Trilogy (2001–2007).
One of his most famous roles was in the movie Hotel Rwanda (2004), where he played Paul Rusesabagina. This role earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He also helped produce Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2006. Later, Cheadle joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, also known as War Machine, starting with Iron Man 2 (2010).
On television, Don Cheadle has been nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his roles in House of Lies (2012–2016) and Black Monday (2019–2021). He also won a Grammy Award in 2022 for narrating an audiobook. In the same year, he won a Tony Award as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop.
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Early Life and Education
Don Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother, Bettye, was a teacher, and his father, Donald Sr., was a psychologist. He has two siblings, Cindy and Colin. His family moved around a lot when he was growing up.
Cheadle went to East High School in Denver, Colorado, and graduated in 1982. During high school, he was very involved in music and theater. He played the saxophone in the jazz band, sang in choirs, and performed in many plays and musicals. After high school, he studied theater at the California Institute of the Arts, earning his degree in 1986.
Career Highlights
Early Acting Roles (1984–1992)
While at college, Don Cheadle acted in many plays. He got his first acting card for a small part in the 1985 comedy movie Moving Violations. In 1987, he appeared in the TV show Hill Street Blues and the movie Hamburger Hill. He also played Rocket in the 1988 film Colors.
In 1990, Cheadle was a guest star on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He played Ice Tray, a friend of Will Smith's character. In 1992, he had a main role in The Golden Palace, a spin-off of The Golden Girls. He played Roland Wilson, a serious hotel manager.
Becoming a Well-Known Actor (1993–2001)
Cheadle became widely recognized for his role as Mouse Alexander in the 1995 film Devil in a Blue Dress. He won several awards for this performance. He then starred in the 1996 TV movie Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault. In 1997, he appeared in the historical drama Rosewood and the disaster movie Volcano. He also acted in Boogie Nights that same year.
In 1998, Cheadle played Sammy Davis Jr. in the TV movie The Rat Pack, which earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination. A year later, he starred in A Lesson Before Dying, a film that won an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. He also had important roles in the films Traffic and Mission to Mars in 2000. In 2001, he joined the cast of Ocean's Eleven, a heist movie with many famous actors. He continued his role in the sequels Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). Cheadle also made a guest appearance in the TV series ER, playing a medical student with Parkinson's disease.
Major Film Roles and Recognition (2002–2009)
In 2005, Don Cheadle was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his powerful performance in Hotel Rwanda. In this film, he played Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who saved many lives during the Rwandan genocide. He also starred in and co-produced Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2006.
In 2007, Cheadle starred with Adam Sandler in the movie Reign Over Me. In 2009, he appeared in the family film Hotel for Dogs. He also worked on The People Speak, a documentary film based on American history.
Marvel Films and TV Success (2010–2020)
In 2010, Don Cheadle took on the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine in Iron Man 2. He continued to play this superhero in many other Marvel movies, including Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also appeared as War Machine in the Disney+ TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and Secret Invasion (2023). He is set to star in the upcoming Marvel film Armor Wars.
From 2012 to 2016, Cheadle starred in the Showtime TV series House of Lies. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in this show in 2013.
Cheadle also spent 10 years working on the film Miles Ahead (2016), which was about the life of jazz musician Miles Davis. Cheadle directed the film and also starred in it. In 2018, he made a guest appearance in the animated series DuckTales, providing a special voice for Donald Duck.
Recent Projects (2021–Present)
In 2021, Cheadle starred in the crime thriller No Sudden Move. He also played the main villain, Al-G Rhythm, in the movie Space Jam: A New Legacy. More recently, in 2024, it was announced that Cheadle joined the cast of the crime drama miniseries Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist. He also co-starred in the wrestling drama Unstoppable, playing a head coach.
Activism and Humanitarian Work
Don Cheadle is well-known for his work as an activist. He has actively campaigned to help end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. He co-wrote a book about this issue called Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond with John Prendergast.
With other actors like George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Cheadle co-founded the Not on Our Watch Project. This organization works to bring global attention and resources to stop and prevent terrible acts against people. In 2007, Cheadle received the BET Humanitarian award for his work helping people in Darfur and Rwanda.
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Cheadle has also worked with the United Nations on issues related to climate change. He helped create a documentary series called Years of Living Dangerously, which showed how climate change affects people and what solutions are being found. In 2010, he was named a U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador. He also published another book with John Prendergast called The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes.
Personal Life
Don Cheadle's family history was explored on the PBS series African American Lives 2. This show revealed that his ancestors were once enslaved by the Chickasaw Nation. A DNA test showed that Cheadle has ancestry from Cameroon, as well as from regions like Senegal, Liberia, the Congo-Angola region, and western Nigeria and Benin.
Don Cheadle married his long-time partner, actress Bridgid Coulter, in early 2020. They had been together for over 28 years and have two children.
Awards and Achievements
Don Cheadle has received many awards and nominations throughout his career. These include two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and 11 Primetime Emmy Awards. He is one of the few Black actors to be nominated for all four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.
See also
In Spanish: Don Cheadle para niños
