- Don Cheadle
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Don Cheadle 
Cheadle at a Brooklyn's Finest interview, 2010Born Donald Frank Cheadle, Jr.
November 29, 1964
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.Occupation Actor, producer, philanthropist, author Years active 1984–present Partner Bridgid Coulter (1997–present) Donald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. (pronounced /ˈtʃiːdəl/; born November 29, 1964)[1] is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven. In 2004, his lead role as Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina in the genocide drama film Hotel Rwanda earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also campaigns for the end of genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and co-authored a book concerning the issue titled Not On Our Watch: The Mission To End Genocide In Darfur And Beyond. In 2010, Cheadle was named U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador.
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Early life
Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bettye (née North) Garner, a teacher,[1] and Donald Frank Cheadle, Sr., a clinical psychologist.[1] He has a sister, Dawn, and a brother, Colin. His family moved from city to city throughout his childhood. Cheadle graduated in 1982 from East High School in Denver, Colorado, and went on to the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a BA in Fine Arts.[1][2]
Career
He appeared in a late 1980s video (It's The Real Thing) with Angela Winbush as a dancer. Cheadle acted in Hamburger Hill in 1987. He also played the role of Jack in the April 1, 1988 "Jung and the Restless" episode of Night Court. Although his character was supposed to be 16 years old, Cheadle was 23 at the time.
Cheadle then played the role of Rocket in the 1988 movie Colors. In 1989, he appeared in a video for Angela Winbush's #2 hit single "It's the Real Thing", performing dance moves in an orange jump suit, working at a car wash. 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. In 1992, he received a supporting role in The Golden Girls spin-off The Golden Palace. Although the show was highly publicized, it was canceled after one season. Cheadle subsequently played district attorney John Littleton on two seasons of Picket Fences.
Cheadle first received widespread notice for his portrayal of Mouse Alexander in the film Devil in a Blue Dress, for which he won Best Supporting Actor awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics and was nominated for similar awards from the Screen Actors Guild and the NAACP Image Awards. Following soon thereafter was his performance in the title role of the 1996 HBO TV movie Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault. A legend among American street basketball players, Manigault is considered by many to be the best streetball player that never reached the NBA as a professional. He also starred in the 1997 film Volcano, directed by Mick Jackson.
Cheadle's fame spread with a regular role as the district attorney on the television series Picket Fences. Cheadle's other television credits include Emmy-nominated performances in the movies The Rat Pack, A Lesson Before Dying, Things Behind the Sun and in a guest appearance on ER. The last of these spanned four episodes during the show's ninth season, in which he portrayed Paul Nathan, a medical student struggling to cope with Parkinson's disease. He has made appearances in films including Rosewood, The Family Man, Boogie Nights, a cameo appearance in the film Abby Singer, Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven. These last three were directed by Steven Soderbergh. In 2005, Cheadle was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina in the film Hotel Rwanda. He also starred in, and was one of the producers of Crash, which won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Picture. For his performance in Crash, Cheadle was nominated for BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor. He played the main character in the movie Traitor. Cheadle starred in Hotel for Dogs by Dreamworks.[3][4]
In 2007 Cheadle published a book, Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond, co-authored with John Prendergast.
Cheadle was to make his directorial debut with the adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Tishomingo Blues. In a July 2007 interview he stated, "'Tishomingo' is dead..."[5]
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 have fans 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 where an entire team of football players are Don Cheadle.[6]
Cheadle and Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder are working together to launch a comedy show on NBC.[7] The "project revolves around mismatched brothers who reunite to open a private security company."[7] Cheadle will serve as an executive producer, along with McGruder, who will write the script.[8]
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.[9]
In 2010, Cheadle assumed the role of James Rhodes in the film Iron Man 2, replacing Terrence Howard,[10] his Crash co-star.[11]
In 2010, Cheadle was appointed, "U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador."[12] He and Prendergast published their second book, The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes, in 2010.
He also appeared in Derek Water's "Drunk History" video as Frederick Douglass.
Personal life
Cheadle in February 2007
According to the episode of the "National Heads-Up Poker Championship" aired on NBC on April 15, 2007, Cheadle defeated noted poker champion Phil Ivey in the first round of the tournament. The two met in the "Hearts & Diamonds" bracket. Cheadle, as an amateur player, was considered a significant underdog against the professional Ivey, notorious for his stone-cold "poker face". On the episode aired April 29, 2007, in the second round of the tournament, Cheadle was defeated and knocked out of the tournament by Vegas poker pro Scott Fischman. In the same tournament in 2009, he defeated David Pham in the first round only to lose to Paul Wasicka in the round of 32.
At the 2007 World Series of Poker, Cheadle and poker player Annie Duke organized an annual charity poker tournament, "Ante Up for Africa". Many Hollywood actors were expected to play in the tournament, which had a $5,000 buy-in. Money finishers were encouraged to donate part of their winnings to the International Rescue Committee or the Enough Project.[13] The annual tournament is one of two non-bracelet events listed on the official WSOP schedule.[14][15]
In 2007, Cheadle was awarded the BET Humanitarian award of the year for his numerous humanitarian services he rendered for the cause of the people of Darfur and Rwanda.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] The award was presented by the World Summit of Nobel Laureates, Mikhail Gorbachev, and TheCommunity.com.
In 2008, Cheadle's family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2. A DNA test shows that he may have ancestry in present day Cameroon.
Filmography
Producer Year Film Role Notes 2004 Crash Producer Academy Award for Best Picture
Black Movie Award for Outstanding Motion Picture
Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film2007 Talk to Me Executive producer 2007 Darfur Now Producer 2008 Traitor Producer 2008 Crash Producer 2 Episodes (2008) Television Year Series Role Notes 1982 Fame Henry Lee 2 episodes 1986 L.A. Law Julian Tatoon Episode "Gibbon Take" 1986 Sidekicks Gang Leader Episode "The Last Electric Knight" 1987 Hill Street Blues Darius Milton Episode "Days of Swine and Roses" 1987 The Bronx Zoo Carver Episode "Small Victories" 1988 Night Court Jack Episode "Jung and the Restless" 1988 Hooperman Himself Episode "High Noon" 1989 Booker Himself Episode "The Pump" 1990 China Beach Angel Episode "Warriors" 1990 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Ice Tray (5 episodes) 1992–1993 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Bennie (2 episodes) 1992–1993 The Golden Palace Roland Wilson (23 episodes) 1993–1995 Picket Fences D.A. John Littleton (38 episodes)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1995, 1996)2000 The Simpsons Brother Faith Episode: "Faith Off" 2002 The Bernie Mac Show Cousin D (2 episodes) – "Sweet Home Chicago: Parts 1 & 2" 2002 ER Paul Nathan (4 episodes)
Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Drama Series2003 MADtv Perry Episode #9.3
Greys Anatomy2011- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Lloyd Prescott 2011 House of Lies Marty Kaan Main role - Voice acting
- Iron Man 2: The Video Game[16] video game (2010), Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine
- Theatre
- Topdog/Underdog off-Broadway performances (2001)
References
- ^ a b c d Williams, Kam (January 12, 2009). "Don Cheadle: The Hotel for Dogs Interview". The Sly Fox. KamWilliams.com. http://www.kamwilliams.com/2009/01/don-cheadle-hotel-for-dogs-interview.html. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Gates, Jr., Henry Louis (2009). In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past (Biography). Crown. p. 353. ISBN 9780307382405. http://books.google.com/?id=0cralRa6tlYC&lpg=PP1&dq=isbn%3A9780307382405&pg=PP1.
- ^ "Don Cheadle joins 'Iron Man 2'". Azcentral.com. October 14, 2008. http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/2008/10/14/20081014cheadle.html. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ "Don Cheadle Joins Hotel for Dogs". Movieweb.com. http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEDZSGFF0tRZIE. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ "Don Cheadle Talks to Us". Comingsoon.net. July 6, 2007. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=21703. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Thomaselli, Rich (November 2, 2006). "Advertising Age". Adage.com. http://adage.com/article?article_id=112930. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b 0 Comments (October 28, 2009). "Cheadle, McGruder Team For New Series". Blogs.bet.com. http://blogs.bet.com/entertainment/staytuned/cheadle-mcgruder-team-for-new-series/. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Getty Images (October 26, 2009). "Don Cheadle, 'Boondocks' creator Aaron McGruder team on NBC comedy; Brad Pitt takes a tumble; and more: The Morning After". Cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/people/index.ssf/2009/10/don_cheadle_boondocks_creator.html. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ "Credits". The People Speak. http://www.thepeoplespeak.com/pages/credits/. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Borys Kit (October 14, 2008). "Don Cheadle joins 'Iron Man 2'". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ibc7ed676383467c2ef5b0b84b924a87b. Retrieved October 14, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Full Cast and Crew for Crash (2004/I) IMDb
- ^ "Actor Don Cheadle named goodwill ambassador for UN". Associated Press. Washington Post. June 6, 2010. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/06/AR2010060600986.html. Retrieved June 6, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Star-Studded Event At 2007 World Series Of Poker To Raise Awareness For Darfur Survivor. Don Cheadle and Annie Duke Organize "Ante Up for Africa"[dead link]
- ^ "2nd ANNUAL ANTE UP FOR AFRICA POKER TOURNAMENT AT THE WSOP RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS AND FUNDS TO HELP END THE CRISIS IN DARFUR". Ante Up for Africa. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080217225749/http://www.anteupforafrica.org/2008.html. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ "2010 WSOP Schedule". http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
- ^ "Iron Man 2: The Video Game Gets Talented". Sega.com. http://www.sega.com/news/?n=4018. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
External links
- Don Cheadle at the Internet Movie Database
- Don Cheadle: The Hotel for Dogs Interview with Kam Williams
- European edition of Don Cheadle's book Not on Our Watch, published by Maverick House Publishers 2007
- 10 Questions for Don Cheadle on Time.com (a division of Time Magazine)
- Don Cheadle interview
- Not On Our Watch: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Jerry Weintraub
- Don Cheadle Wins Sexiest Man 2009
- Don Cheadle signs TV production deal
- The People Speak at the Internet Movie Database
- 'The People Speak' (LA Times article)
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1990–2009) Charles Durning (1990) · Louis Gossett, Jr. (1991) · Maximilian Schell (1992) · Beau Bridges (1993) · Edward James Olmos (1994) · Donald Sutherland (1995) · Ian McKellen (1996) · George C. Scott (1997) · Don Cheadle/Gregory Peck (1998) · Peter Fonda (1999) · Robert Downey, Jr. (2000) · Stanley Tucci (2001) · Donald Sutherland (2002) · Jeffrey Wright (2003) · William Shatner (2004) · Paul Newman (2005) · Jeremy Irons (2006) · Jeremy Piven (2007) · Tom Wilkinson (2008) · John Lithgow (2009)
Complete List · (1970–1989) · (1990–2009) · (2010–2029) Categories:- 1964 births
- Living people
- People from Kansas City, Missouri
- African American film actors
- African American television actors
- Actors from Denver, Colorado
- Actors from Missouri
- American film directors
- American television producers
- Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
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