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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Don Cheadle (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, like two Golden Globe Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a Tony Award. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award and many Primetime Emmy Awards.
Cheadle started his acting career with smaller roles in films like Hamburger Hill (1987) and Colors (1988). He became well-known 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 and the The Ocean's Trilogy series.
He earned an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his powerful role in Hotel Rwanda (2004). He also helped produce Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2005. Many people know him as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, starting with Iron Man 2 (2010).
On television, Cheadle was nominated for Emmys for his roles in House of Lies (2012–2016) and Black Monday (2019–2021). He also won a Grammy for the soundtrack of his film Miles Ahead in 2016. In 2022, he won another Grammy for an audiobook and 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 to different cities when he was growing up.
He went to Hartley Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1970 to 1974. Cheadle finished high school in 1982 at East High School in Denver, Colorado. In high school, he was very involved in music and theater. He played the saxophone in the jazz band, sang in choirs, and performed in plays and musicals.
After high school, Cheadle attended the California Institute of the Arts. He graduated in 1986 with a degree in theater.
Don Cheadle's Acting Journey
Starting Out in Acting (1984–1992)
While at college, Don Cheadle acted in many plays. He got his first professional acting card by appearing in the 1985 comedy Moving Violations. In 1987, he had a small role in the TV show Hill Street Blues. He also appeared in the movie Hamburger Hill that same year.
Cheadle played Rocket in the 1988 movie Colors. In 1990, he 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 Girls spin-off show, The Golden Palace. He played Roland Wilson, a hotel manager. He then played a district attorney on the TV show Picket Fences for three seasons.
Becoming a Well-Known Actor (1993–2001)
Cheadle gained a lot of attention for his role as Mouse Alexander in the 1995 film Devil in a Blue Dress. He won awards for Best Supporting Actor for this role. After that, he starred in the 1996 HBO TV movie Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault.
In 1997, he appeared in the historical drama Rosewood and the disaster movie Volcano. That same year, he was in the drama Boogie Nights. The next year, he appeared in Out of Sight, which was his first time working with director Steven Soderbergh.
Cheadle's role as Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1998 TV movie The Rat Pack earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination. A year later, he starred in A Lesson Before Dying, which won an Emmy for Best Television Movie.
In 2000, he had two big movie roles. He played a DEA agent in Traffic and Luke Graham in the sci-fi film Mission to Mars. In 2001, he joined a famous cast in the heist film Ocean's Eleven. He played Basher Tarr and returned for the sequels Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007).
Cheadle also made a guest appearance in the TV series ER in 2002. He played a medical student with Parkinson's disease and was nominated for an Emmy for his performance.
Major Roles and Recognition (2002–2009)
Don Cheadle was featured in NFL commercials for the Super Bowl from 2002 to 2005. He became so well-known for these ads that the NFL even joked about it in later commercials.
In 2005, Cheadle was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda. He also starred in and co-produced Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2006. For Crash, he was nominated for a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild award. He also played the main character in the movie Traitor.
In 2007, Cheadle starred with Adam Sandler in Reign Over Me, a drama about a man dealing with a tragic event. In 2009, he appeared in the film Hotel for Dogs. He also performed in 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 character in many other Marvel Cinematic Universe films. These include Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also appeared as War Machine in the Disney+ TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), What If...? (2021), and Secret Invasion (2023).
From 2012 to 2016, Cheadle starred in the Showtime TV series House of Lies. In 2013, he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on the show.
Cheadle spent ten years working on the film Miles Ahead (2016). This movie was about the life of jazz musician Miles Davis. Cheadle directed the film and also starred in it.
In 2018, Cheadle was a guest star in the TV show DuckTales. He provided a special voice for Donald Duck in one episode. He returned for another guest appearance in 2020.
Recent Projects (2021–Present)
In 2021, Cheadle starred in the crime thriller No Sudden Move. He played a gangster in 1950s Detroit. Around the same time, Cheadle played the main villain, Al-G Rhythm, in the movie Space Jam: A New Legacy.
In February 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 biographical wrestling drama Unstoppable. In this film, he played Sean Charles, the head coach of wrestler Anthony Robles. The movie premiered in September 2024.
Cheadle is also set to lead the upcoming Marvel film Armor Wars.
Activism and Humanitarian Work
Don Cheadle has been a strong voice against the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. He co-wrote a book with John Prendergast called Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond.
With other actors like George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Cheadle co-founded the Not on Our Watch Project. This group works to bring attention and resources to stop and prevent terrible acts against people. In 2007, Cheadle received the BET Humanitarian award for his work for the people of Darfur and Rwanda.
At the 2007 World Series of Poker, Cheadle and poker player Annie Duke started a charity poker tournament called Ante Up for Africa. This event raises money for good causes.
On December 13, 2007, Don Cheadle and George Clooney received the Summit Peace Award. They were honored by Nobel Peace Prize winners in Rome for their efforts to help people in Darfur.
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Cheadle has also worked with the United Nations on climate change issues. He and Harrison Ford created a documentary series called Years of Living Dangerously. This series showed how climate change affects people and what solutions are being found. He is also on the advisory board for Citizens' Climate Lobby.
In 2010, Cheadle was named a U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador. That same year, he and John Prendergast published their second book, The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes.
In 2019, during an appearance on Saturday Night Live, he wore a T-shirt that said "protect trans kids". This showed his support for the transgender community.
Personal Life
In 2008, Don Cheadle's family history was explored on the PBS series African American Lives 2. The show revealed that his ancestors were once enslaved by the Chickasaw Nation. They did not gain U.S. citizenship until the 1890s. A DNA test on the show showed that Cheadle has ancestry from Cameroon. Other parts of his African ancestry come from regions like Senegal to Liberia, the Congo-Angola area, 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. Bridgid Coulter also co-starred with him in the movie Rosewood.
Awards and Achievements
Don Cheadle has received many awards for his acting and producing. 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. His nominations for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards make him one of the few Black individuals to be nominated for all four major American entertainment awards.
See also
In Spanish: Don Cheadle para niños
