don cheadle
Tuesday, September 30, 2008Posted by
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don cheadle
This engaging, stage-trained black actor spent several years making guest appearances on TV dramas ("Hill Street Blues", "China Beach") and sitcoms ("Night Court", "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") before landing a berth as the fastidious hotel manager of "The Golden Palace" (1992-93), the CBS sitcom spin-off from the successful "Golden Girls". As the foil for Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, Cheadle more than held his own. With the cancellation of the sitcom, he segued to drama joining the cast of CBS' "Picket Fences" as the crusading district attorney John Littleton, a role he played from 1993 until 1995. Cheadle blended well into the ensemble, anchoring several controversial stories including those dealing with court-ordered busing, euthanasia and the use of bovines as surrogate mothers for humans. His character also briefly toyed with an interracial romance with Deputy Maxine Stewart (Lauren Holly).
Cheadle made his feature film debut in a bit part in "Moving Violations" (1985) and followed as a soldier in John Irvin's Vietnam combat drama "Hamburger Hill" (1987). After a pivotal turn as a volatile gang leader in "Colors" (1988), he acted in such films as "Roadside Prophets" (1992) and "The Meteor Man" (1993). Director Carl Franklin tapped him for the short film "Punk" (1989) and later cast Cheadle in a critically acclaimed, star-making performance in "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995). As Mouse, a trigger-happy old acquaintance of detective Easy Rawlings (Denzel Washington), Cheadle stole every scene in which he appeared and despite winning awards from critics' groups, the expected Oscar nomination was not forthcoming. Nevertheless, the actor went on to deliver strong performances as a Harlem basketball star who career is sidelined by drugs in "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault" (HBO, 1996), the town resident willing to stand his ground against racists in the underrated "Rosewood" and a porno star with dreams of owning a stereo equipment store in "Boogie Nights" (both 1997). In addition, he again stole scenes as the Rolaids-popping entrepreneurial gang leader in "Bulworth" (1998). Cheadle also earned kudos (and separate Emmy nominations) for his impersonation of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1998 HBO biopic "The Rat Pack" and as a teacher attempting to reach a death row prisoner in the beautifully realized "A Lesson Before Dying" (HBO, 1999). In 2002, he was cast in Soderbergh's blockbuster, "Ocean's 11"
This engaging, stage-trained black actor spent several years making guest appearances on TV dramas ("Hill Street Blues", "China Beach") and sitcoms ("Night Court", "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") before landing a berth as the fastidious hotel manager of "The Golden Palace" (1992-93), the CBS sitcom spin-off from the successful "Golden Girls". As the foil for Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, Cheadle more than held his own. With the cancellation of the sitcom, he segued to drama joining the cast of CBS' "Picket Fences" as the crusading district attorney John Littleton, a role he played from 1993 until 1995. Cheadle blended well into the ensemble, anchoring several controversial stories including those dealing with court-ordered busing, euthanasia and the use of bovines as surrogate mothers for humans. His character also briefly toyed with an interracial romance with Deputy Maxine Stewart (Lauren Holly).
Cheadle made his feature film debut in a bit part in "Moving Violations" (1985) and followed as a soldier in John Irvin's Vietnam combat drama "Hamburger Hill" (1987). After a pivotal turn as a volatile gang leader in "Colors" (1988), he acted in such films as "Roadside Prophets" (1992) and "The Meteor Man" (1993). Director Carl Franklin tapped him for the short film "Punk" (1989) and later cast Cheadle in a critically acclaimed, star-making performance in "Devil in a Blue Dress" (1995). As Mouse, a trigger-happy old acquaintance of detective Easy Rawlings (Denzel Washington), Cheadle stole every scene in which he appeared and despite winning awards from critics' groups, the expected Oscar nomination was not forthcoming. Nevertheless, the actor went on to deliver strong performances as a Harlem basketball star who career is sidelined by drugs in "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault" (HBO, 1996), the town resident willing to stand his ground against racists in the underrated "Rosewood" and a porno star with dreams of owning a stereo equipment store in "Boogie Nights" (both 1997). In addition, he again stole scenes as the Rolaids-popping entrepreneurial gang leader in "Bulworth" (1998). Cheadle also earned kudos (and separate Emmy nominations) for his impersonation of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1998 HBO biopic "The Rat Pack" and as a teacher attempting to reach a death row prisoner in the beautifully realized "A Lesson Before Dying" (HBO, 1999). In 2002, he was cast in Soderbergh's blockbuster, "Ocean's 11"
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