Don Cheadle

Donald Frank Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 1964. His early life involved frequent relocations with his family: his mother, Bettye, a teacher, and his father, Donald Frank Cheadle Sr., a clinical psychologist. He attended high school in Denver, Colorado, graduating in 1982. Cheadle pursued higher education at the California Institute of the Arts, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1986. During his time at CalArts, he actively participated in various plays, gaining experience in theater productions such as Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the Boys. His professional acting career began with a role as a burger joint employee in the 1985 comedy film “Moving Violations.” This was followed by a small part in the TV series “Hill Street Blues” in 1987 and a role in “Hamburger Hill” the same year. In 1988, Cheadle played Rocket in the film “Colors.” His television work continued with a recurring role on “Fame” and a guest appearance on “Night Court” in 1988. He also appeared in an episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in 1990 and had a starring role in “The Golden Palace” from 1992 to 1993, followed by a three-season stint as district attorney John Littleton on “Picket Fences.”

Cheadle achieved widespread recognition for his portrayal of Mouse Alexander in the 1995 film “Devil in a Blue Dress,” for which he received Best Supporting Actor awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. This performance also earned him nominations from the Screen Actors Guild and the NAACP Image Awards. His film career continued to expand with roles in “Traitor” (2008), which he also produced, and “Talk to Me” (2007). He played a significant role in the 2006 Oscar-winning film “Crash” (2004), a project he co-produced. His performance as Paul Rusesabagina in “Hotel Rwanda” (2004) garnered him Oscar, Golden Globe, Broadcast Film Critics, and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for Best Actor. Cheadle also appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001), “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004), and “Ocean’s Thirteen” (2007), alongside Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Other notable film credits include “Reign Over Me” (2007) with Adam Sandler, “Traffic” (2000), “Out of Sight” (1998), “Boogie Nights” (1997), “Bulworth” (1998), “Swordfish” (2001), “Mission to Mars” (2000), “Rosewood” (1997), and “The Family Man” (2000). His television work includes portraying Sammy Davis Jr. in HBO’s “The Rat Pack” (1998), which earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination, and a role in HBO’s “A Lesson Before Dying” (1999), for which he also received an Emmy nomination. He also had a guest-starring role on “ER,” earning another Emmy nomination. Cheadle took on the role of Lt. Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (War Machine) in “Iron Man 2” (2010), a role he reprised in subsequent Marvel Cinematic Universe films including “Iron Man 3” (2013), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

Beyond his acting career, Cheadle has been recognized for his humanitarian efforts. He received the 2007 BET Humanitarian Award for his work concerning the people of Darfur and Rwanda. In December 2007, he and George Clooney were jointly awarded the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome for their advocacy in Darfur. Cheadle is also a talented musician, playing saxophone, writing music, and singing. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Spoken Word Album for his narration of Walter Mosley’s novel ‘Fear Itself.’ His recent work includes starring in the Showtime series “House of Lies” (2012–2016), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013. He also directed and starred in “Miles Ahead” (2015), a film based on the life of jazz legend Miles Davis, a project he spent a decade developing. In 2021, he appeared in “No Sudden Move” and played the antagonist Al-G Rhythm in “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” He also has upcoming projects like “Armor Wars” and is set to make his Broadway debut in a revival of David Auburn’s play “Proof” in 2026. Cheadle continues to feature in various television series, including “Secret Invasion” (2023), “The Wonder Years” (2021–2023), and “Black Monday” (2019–2021), and has a role in the upcoming TV mini-series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” (2024). He is married to Bridgid Coulter, and they have two children.