Don Cheadle, born Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. was born on November 29, 1964, and is a highly acclaimed American actor. He has won two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Additionally, he has been nominated for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and an impressive 11 Primetime Emmy Awards. Cheadle’s rare collection of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony nominations place him in a select group of black artists to have been recognized by all four major American entertainment awards (EGOT).
Profile Summary
| Full Name: | Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. |
| Date Of Birth: | November 29, 1964 |
| Place Of Birth: | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S |
| Nationality: | American |
| Spouse: | Bridgid Coulter |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation(s): | Actor, Producer |
| Net Worth: | $75 Million |
Early Life And Education
Growing up in a nomadic lifestyle, Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. was born to Bettye and Donald Frank Cheadle Sr. in Kansas City, Missouri. His family, including his sister Cindy and brother Colin, often moved from city to city during his formative years. At the age of 12, he attended Hartley Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska, before graduating from East High School in Denver, Colorado in 1982. Despite the frequent relocations, Cheadle remained active in various artistic pursuits, playing saxophone in the jazz band, participating in choirs, and excelling in theater productions during his high school years. His passion for the arts led him to further his education at the California Institute of the Arts, where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater in 1986.
Career
Cheadle earned his Screen Actors Guild card after playing a burger joint employee in the 1985 film Moving Violations. Following this, he had roles in Hill Street Blues, Hamburger Hill, and Night Court. He portrayed Rocket in the 1988 movie Colors and appeared in a music video for Angela Winbush’s hit single “It’s the Real Thing” in 1989.
Cheadle also appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and had a starring role in The Golden Girls spin-off, The Golden Palace. He later played district attorney John Littleton in three seasons of Picket Fences.
Cheadle gained recognition for his role in “Devil in a Blue Dress” in 1995, followed by acclaimed performances in “The Rat Pack” portraying Sammy Davis Jr., “A Lesson Before Dying,” “Traffic,” and the “Ocean’s” trilogy. He also received an Emmy nomination for his appearance on “ER.” Known for his NFL commercials during the Super Bowl from 2002 to 2005, Cheadle was later acknowledged by the NFL for his past ads, inspiring new advertising ideas in 2006.
His notable career highlights include an Academy Award nomination for “Hotel Rwanda,” co-producing and acting in the award-winning film “Crash,” and receiving BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his role in “Crash,” as well as starring in “Traitor.”
In “Reign Over Me” (2007), Cheadle played a man coping with personal tragedy post-9/11 alongside Adam Sandler. He later appeared in “Hotel for Dogs” (2009) and was slated to direct an Elmore Leonard adaptation, which was canceled. Working with Aaron McGruder, he developed a comedy for NBC about brothers launching a security firm in 2009.
Cheadle also starred in “The People Speak” (2009), bringing historical American writings to life on screen. From “Iron Man 2” (2010) onwards, he portrayed James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, continuing in subsequent films and Disney+ series. Cheadle won a Golden Globe for his role in “House of Lies” (2012-2016) and wrote, produced, directed, and starred in “Miles Ahead” (2016), a biopic on jazz icon Miles Davis.
In 2018, Cheadle made a guest appearance in the season finale of DuckTales, voicing Donald Duck’s new voice box. He returned for another guest appearance in 2020 during the show’s third season.
In 2021, he starred in the period crime thriller No Sudden Move as gangster Curt Goynes in 1950s Detroit. Cheadle also took on a villainous role in Space Jam: A New Legacy, portraying the main antagonist Al-G Rhythm in the same year.
Personal Life
Genetic testing conducted on a TV show determined that Cheadle’s ancestry includes roots in Cameroon. Another DNA test revealed that a portion of his African heritage is traced back to the Senegal to Liberia region, with another significant portion coming from the Congo-Angola area, and the remaining from western Nigeria and Benin. In early 2020, Cheadle married actress and co-star Bridgid Coulter, his partner of over 28 years. The couple shares two children.
Don Cheadle Net Worth
With a long acting career spanning decades, Don Cheadle has accumulated an estimated net worth of $40 million
Filmography
Don Cheadle has appeared in numerous films throughout his career, including:
- Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)
- Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
- Crash (2004)
- Hotel Rwanda (2004)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
In addition to his film work, Cheadle has also been involved in television projects such as:
- House of Lies (2012-2016)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
- What If…? (2021)
This is just a selection of the many films and shows that Don Cheadle has been a part of.