
Don Cheadle
Department: Acting
Biography
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his roles in film and television, he has received multiple accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, two Grammy Awards, and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and 11 Primetime Emmy Awards. He is among a few actors who have received nominations for the EGOT. Cheadle's career started with supporting roles in Hamburger Hill (1987), Colors (1988), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Rosewood (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), and Bulworth (1998). He collaborated with director Steven Soderberghacting in Out of Sight (1998), Traffic (2000), The Ocean's Trilogy (2001–2007), and No Sudden Move (2021). Cheadle was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying Paul Rusesabagina in the historical drama film Hotel Rwanda (2004). He was the co-producer of Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2005. Cheadle joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe portraying James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine, beginning with Iron Man 2 (2010). On television, Cheadle earned nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his roles as Marty Kaan in House of Lies (2012–2016) and Maurice Monroe in Black Monday (2019–2021). He was further Emmy-nominated for The Rat Pack (1998), A Lesson Before Dying (1999), Things Behind the Sun (2001), ER (2002), and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). In 2016, he received his first Grammy Award, winning Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for Miles Ahead's soundtrack. In 2022, he received a second Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for his narration of the audiobook Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation from John Lewis; he also received a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the musical A Strange Loop.
Known For

Ocean's Twelve
2004

Hotel Rwanda
2004

Ocean's Thirteen
2007

Colors
1988

Out of Sight
1998

Iron Man 2
2010

Crash
2005

The Assassination of Richard Nixon
2004

After the Sunset
2004

Reign Over Me
2007

Traffic
2000

Hamburger Hill
1987

Volcano
1997

Boogie Nights
1997

Rush Hour 2
2001

The Meteor Man
1993

The Family Man
2000

Talk to Me
2007

Fail Safe
2000

Darfur Now
2007

Devil in a Blue Dress
1995

The Rat Pack
1998

Rosewood
1997

Bulworth
1998

Moving Violations
1985

Swordfish
2001

Brooklyn's Finest
2010

Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
2005

Traitor
2008

Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
2021

The United States of Leland
2003

Roadside Prophets
1992

Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
1996

Manic
2001

Hotel for Dogs
2009

The Guard
2011

Iron Man 3
2013

Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee
2019

A Lesson Before Dying
1999

Lush Life
1993

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
1995

A Man's Story
2011

Things Behind the Sun
2001

Unstoppable
2024

House of Lies Live
2013

Inside Traffic: The Making of 'Traffic'
2000

Kingdom Come
2012

Flight
2012

Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015

The Dog Problem
2006

Miles Ahead
2016

With/In Volume 2
2022

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Secret Invasion
2023

Don Cheadle is Captain Planet - Part 2
2012

Don Cheadle is Captain Planet - Part 3
2012

Don Cheadle is Captain Planet - Part 4
2012

Captain America: Civil War
2016

Punk
1986

Ticker
2002

The People Speak
2009

Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics
2024

Kevin Hart: What Now?
2016

David Blaine: Beyond Magic
2016

Avengers: Infinity War
2018

Captain Planet with Don Cheadle
2011

Abby Singer
2003

King Leopold's Ghost
2006

August 28: A Day in the Life of a People
2017

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
2003

Captain Marvel
2019

Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene
2008

Space Jam: A New Legacy
2021

The Topdog Diaries
2002

No Sudden Move
2021

Black Stallions
—

Avengers: Endgame
2019

Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
2020

Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times
2020

I Ain't Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac
2012

30 for 30: The Bunny & the GOAT
2021

With/In Volume 1
2021

One World: Together at Home
2020

White Noise
2022

Canyon
—

The Real Full Monty
2024

Ocean's Eleven
2001

A Home for Everyone: The Making of 'Hotel for Dogs'
2009

Inside 'Out of Sight'
1998

Saving OurSelves: BET COVID-19 Relief Effort
2020

A Message for Peace: Making 'Hotel Rwanda'
2005

Ocean's Fourteen
—

I Love Boosters
2026

My Darling California
—

The Last Electric Knight
1986

Mission to Mars
2000

Leading the Electric Revolution and Sustainability
2021

The Simpsons
1989

The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003

L.A. Law
1986

Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003

Fame
1982

The Bernie Mac Show
2001

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990

China Beach
1988

Hill Street Blues
1981

The Golden Palace
1992

The Early Show
1999

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
2021

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
1992

MADtv
1995

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993

The Henry Rollins Show
2006

The Bronx Zoo
1987

The Wonder Years
2021

Independent Lens
1999

The Oscars
1953

Hart to Heart
2021

House of Lies
2012

Marvel Studios Assembled
2021

What If...?
2021

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005

The Daily Show
1996

DAVE
2020

Marvel Studios Legends
2021

Secret Invasion
2023

ER
1994

Chelsea
2016

The Hire
2001

30 Rock
2006

The Boys Presents: Diabolical
2022

Big Mouth
2017

America Beyond the Color Line
2004

Lip Sync Battle
2015

The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022

Black Monday
2019

MADtv
1995

Hollywood Game Night
2013

DuckTales
2017

Running Wild with Bear Grylls
2014

Celebrity Poker Showdown
2003

Night Court
1984

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
2024

Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
2016

Saturday Night Live
1975

The View
1997

Desus & Mero
2019

Don't Look Deeper
2020

Entertainment Tonight
1981

The Shop
2018

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015

Picket Fences
1992

Real Time with Bill Maher
2003

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009

Agent Elvis
2023

Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014

Conan
2010

Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
2014

Number One on the Call Sheet
2025

Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003

Talking Bad
2013

Golden Globe Awards
1944

Booker
1989

Tony Awards
1956