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Supporting Survivors
Background:
"I get frustrated because most white writers don't do their research on the
black experience. Most screenwriters write for the big money and the big money
actors. And most of them are white. And what I know they aren't doing is writing
for Don Cheadle." Don Cheadle
First tossed into the limelight playing lawyer John Littleton on the CBS series
Picket Fences (1993-1995), Don Cheadle was recently nominated for both Oscar and
Golden Globe awards after portraying the heroic hotel manager, Paul Rusesabagina,
in Terry George's war drama Hotel Rwanda (2004). The African-American actor was
also highly praised for his role in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) and in the TV
movie The Rat Pack (1998). His credited films include Boogie Nights (1998),
Traffic (2000), Ocean's Eleven (2002) as well as the miniseries A Lesson Before
Dying (1999) and Things Behind the Sun (2002).
On the personal front, the award-winning actor has been living with his
on-screen wife in Rosewood (1997), actress Bridgid Coulter and shares two
children with her.
Cheadle is also known for his support raising awareness of the genocide in
Sudan. In early 2005, together with some congress members, Cheadle was reported
visiting the refugee camps and talking with the genocide survivors in Sudan.
Acting and Jazz Beckoned
Childhood and Family:
Son of child psychologist and teacher parents, Don Cheadle was born on November
29, 1964 in Kansas City, Missouri. Together with his two siblings, sister Cindy
and brother Colin (actor), Don later spent the rest of his childhood in between
Lincoln, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado.
Don showed his interest in acting and jazz at the early age of 5. After
graduating from East High School in Denver, Colorado, he subsequently won a
scholarship for studying jazz and acting (he chose acting). He then studied at
the high-status Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California and graduated in
1986 with a degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Off screen, Don is the father of ten-year-old and eight-year-old daughters from
his relationship with Rosewood (1997) playmate, actress Bridget Coulter.
Black Man Issues
Career:
"I've been doing this since I was 10 years old, inhabiting different people and
playing different roles. Thirty years later, there's still the same sort of
excitement I get from it. It's still fun to inhabit different characters and
play different things, so it's all in that panoply of acting." Don Cheadle.
Formerly encouraged by his friends to participate in auditions, Don Cheadle
landed his first on-screen role in 1985 playing a hamburger server in the
feature Moving Violations and performed onstage with the Guthrie Theatre in
Minneapolis, Minnesota as well as with the New York Shakespeare Festival in
NYC's Central Park. He then appeared in guest spots in several TV series like
Fame, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Hill Street Blues while also appearing on the
big screen with roles in films like Punk (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and
Colors (1988).
Following his first starring and co-writing work in the NBC's comedy In the
House (1991), Cheadle won the regular role of hotel manager Roland Wilson on
CBS' The Golden Palace (1992-1993), The Golden Girls' spin-off. He also appeared
in Lush Life (1993, TV), The Meteor Man (1993), and was seen on ABC's Hangin'
With Mr. Cooper (two episodes).
Cheadle's breakthrough on the small screen came while playing lawyer John
Littleton (1993-1995) on CBS' series Picket Fences. After his appearance on
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Cheadle won the role of Mouse
Alexander in Denzel Washington's (star of film) Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
which earned him an Oscar nomination. Besides acting in HBO's Rebound: The
Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996) and Volcano (1997), Cheadle continued
with his acting talent and received critical acclaim for playing roles in Boogie
Nights and John Singleton's Rosewood (both 1997).
Don garnered Oscar nominations playing Sammy Davis Jr in Rob Cohen TV movie The
Rat Pack (1998) and playing schoolteacher Grant Wiggins in Joseph Sargent's
adaptation of Ernest J. Gaines' novel, A Lesson Before Dying (1999, TV). His
1998 films included Warren Beatty's romance-comedy Bulworth and Steven
Soderbergh's Out of Sight (starring George Clooney).
During the 2000s, Cheadle added to his acting resume with such films as Mission
to Mars (2000), Traffic (2000), and Things Behind the Sun (2001), the
reproduction of Ocean's Eleven (2001) and The United States of Leland (2003,
starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Klein). Besides being a gifted actor, Cheadle is
also a talented musician who plays saxophone, writes music, and sings. In 2003,
he was nominated for an Emmy award for guest starring in the series ER and was
nominated for a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album, Fear Itself. He also returned
to stage with Jeffery Wright in Suzan-Lori Parks' Off-Broadway drama, Topdog/Underdog
in 2001.
Behind the screen, Cheadle is a skilful director who credited several stage
productions including Cincinnati Man at the Attic Theater, The Trip at Friends
and Artists Theater in Hollywood and Three, True, One at the Electric Lodge in
Venice, California.
In 2004, moviegoers can find Cheadle in Ocean's Twelve, After the Sunset, Crash,
and The Assassination of Richard Nixon. Most recently, Cheadle achieved high
praise for portraying the heroic hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina in Terry
George's war drama Hotel Rwanda (alongside Nick Nolte). For the next year
Cheadle is scheduled to direct and star in his first feature film, an Elmore
Leonard's novel adaptation, Tishomingo Blues.
"I'm glad that people try to write roles that anyone can do, but I also don't
ever want to end up in movies where the fact that I'm a black man is a
non-issue. In America, it's always an issue." Don Cheadle.
Awards:
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Supporting Actor, Devil in a
Blue Dress, 1995
- National Society of Film Critics: Best Supporting Actor, Devil in a Blue
Dress, 1995
- Golden Globe: Best Supporting Actor (Series, Miniseries or TV Movie),
The Rat Pack; tied with Gregory Peck, Moby Dick, 1998
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