Daniel Robert Epstein: Don Cheadle

If he had done a real Cockney accent 99% of the American audience wouldn't understand a word he was saying.

OK, Don Cheadle is the man and that movie looks really really good.

Great interview.

And who cares about his accent in Ocean's 12. They don't want to confuse all the middle aged housewives who see the movie because of George Clooney and/or Brad Pitt.

It's not just middle aged housewives seeing the movie because of George Clooney and Brad Pitt. I am, too.

Ah, Don Cheedle is great.
I loved the US of Leeland.

Any big fan of Don Cheadle's or basketball or of The Basketball Diaries even, watch the movie "Rebound." It is an amazing movie and I have been a big fan of Don's ever since I saw it a couple years ago.

I actually met Don briefly once a few years ago on the 1 or 9 train on the Upper West Side. It was funny to me because he got in and to everybody on that train I could tell he was just some other dude with cornrows. Right before I got off I told him--quietly and without making a scene so I wouldn't ruin his ride--that I really liked his movies.

I can't see anu reason I'd want to make the big leap to leading roles if I were him. Unless of it was this movie. The supporting roles give a certain amout of freedom, I would think at least. Not to mention the exposure he got would lend his roles to the suburban equivelant of an african american. Hes one of the best actors hollywoods got, i hate to see his ablities compromised by mass market appeal. He speaks for a wider audience as the man behind the man. The common factor in the roles I've seen him play is the standpoint of influence. Lead roles contridict many stereotypes - yes, but they're mostly reactionary and crippled by subtexts and ackward expectations. I'd rather seen him have the opprotunity to work off that. He's really a favorite actor of mine, Out of Sight, Family Man, Ocean's 11, Mission to Mars, and Rosewood are all prime examples of why I'll continue to be a fan.

Well, it's not your career, now, is it?

I thought it was great to make the transition with this movie. I'm a fan of Harrison Ford too, but i could name 10 movies in which he never got to stretch as a actor. I'd hate to see it happen to Don. And now that you've pointed out the mistake i made expressing a personal viewpoint on a topic of my choosing - its happened to me too. So I can also sympathize, ... the cycle is complete. I've grown, i can assume you've grown.. we're better aren't we?

This was honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen. He was amazing, the movie was incredible, and hopefully it will raise awareness among people - Americans especially - about what a failure the country was in a situation in which hundreds of thousands of people were slaughtered.

oscar nominee

I hope he wins, I really do. He was amazing in this movie, simply amazing.

I just went and saw this movie and had my soul ripped out through my throat
DON Cheadle was amazing. It was opening night and only 13 people showed up that bothered me a lot. For some reason does it make people uncronfortable to see a Black male in a role that doesn't involve spining rims and bling? I hate the fact that for any non white actor all they can do is play a Stero type.
I was crying and holding my breath. I was so upset at one point I almost
I have never in my life been that moved by a film. The only way people will see that movie is if he wins.

Here's some good books if anyone is interested in reading more about the genocide in Rwanda:

"The Rwanda Crisis" by Gerard Prunier
"Shake Hands with the Devil" by Romeo Dalliere (UN commander)
"Season of Blood" by Fergal Keane (BBC reporter)
"Leave None to Tell the Story" by Alison Des Forges (Human Rights Watch)
"The Key to My Neighbor's House" by Elizabeth Neuffer (Boston Globe Reporter)
"We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families" by Philip Gourevitch (New Yorker reporter)

I would also recommend the two documentaries PBS's Frontline produced, one is called "Ghosts of Rwanda" which aired last year and there is another (I forget the title) which aired seven or eight years ago.

[Edited on Feb 12, 2005 by trebor]

[Edited on Feb 12, 2005 by trebor]

I love this man.