Cheadle, Don 1964(?)–

views updated May 21 2018

Don Cheadle 1964(?)

Actor

At a Glance

Sources

Don Cheadle has been working steadily in films, television and theater since 1985, when he was still in drama school. Typical struggling actor jobs such as waiting on tables or parking cars are not part of Cheadles story. Ive been blessed beyond belief. Ive only been an actor to support myself. To complain would be sinful, Cheadle told Justine Elias of Interview. Among Cheadles credits are a stint as a district attorney on televisions Picket Fences and a much praised supporting performance in the movie mystery Devil in a Blue Dress. Don Cheadle does a frighteningly funny turn as a completely amoral little man who finds it easier to kill someone than to talk to him, wrote David Denby in New York. Many critics felt Cheadles not earning an Academy Award nomination for Devil in a Blue Dress was an outrage. Cheadle tried to take a more practical view of the situation. My folks sent me a slew of magazine and newspaper articles that asked why I wasnt nominated, so in the end I got more buzz for being overlooked, Cheadle told Elias.

Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri in about 1964, the second of three children of a psychologist father and a schoolteacher mother. His fathers pursuit of educational and job opportunities took the family to Lincoln, Nebraska, and Denver, Colorado. The role of Templeton the Rat in a fifth grade production of Charlottes Web got him interested in acting. I remember carrying my script around and studying it like I do nowI dont know why, but I was serious about acting even then, Cheadle told Kristine McKenna of the Los Angeles Times. After performing in numerous high school plays and musicals, Cheadle moved on to the California Institute for the Arts in Valencia, California, near Los Angeles. I loved Cal Arts. I knew I would be acting all the time there. You might not get the part you want, but you know youre going to be in twenty-four plays no matter what, Cheadle told Interview.

Upon graduation in 1986, Cheadle was given five hundred dollars by his parents to help him start off his professional career. Fortunately, after about a month, just as the money was running out, Cheadle landed a role in the film Hamburger Hill, a drama about a group of soldiers battling to secure a strategic hill during the Vietnam War. Shot on location in the Philippines, the film was directed by John Irvin and featured a roster of

At a Glance

Born in Kansas City, MO, c. 1964, the son of a psychologist and a teacher. Father of two. Education: Califronia Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, B.F.A., 1986.

Career: Appeared in feature films Hamburger Hill, 1987; Colors, 1988; Roadside Prophets, 1992; Meteor Man,, 1993; Things to Do in Denver When Youre Dead, 1995; Devil in a Blue Dress, 1995; Rosewood, 1997; Volcano, 1997; Boogie Nights, 1997; Bulworth, 1996; Out of Sight, 1998. Television films include Rebound: The Legend of Earl The Goat Manigault, 1996; The Rat Pack, 1998. Also appeared in regular roles on the television series The Golden Palace, 1992-1993, and Picket Fences, 1993-1995; had recurring roles on Fame, c. 1985, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, c. 1990. Stage appearances include The Screens and Leon, Lena and Lenz, Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN; The Grapes of Wrath and Liquid Skin, Mixed Blood Theatre, Minneapolis, MN; Cymbeline, Public Theater, New York City, 1989; Tis a Pity Shes a Whore, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL; The Blood Knot, Complex Theatre, Hollywood, CA. Author of the play Groomed, New Works Festival, the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 1997.

Awards: Named Best Supporting Actor by the National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Devil in a Blue Dress, 1995; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Rosewood, 1997.

Addresses: Home Venice, CA. Publicist Steven Huvane, Huvane, Baum, Halls Public Relations, 8383 WiIshireBoulevard, Suite 444, Beverly Hills, CA90211.

new young performers including Dylan McDermott, Courtney B. Vance, and Steven Weber, along with Cheadle.

Returning from the Philippines, Cheadle quickly found work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in a production of Jean Genets The Screens staged by renown experimental director JoAnne Akalaitis. From there Cheadle moved on to the film Colors, a gritty tale of Los Angeles gang warfare between the Bloods and the Crips. Directed by Dennis Hopper, the film starred Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as police officers investigating a drive-by shooting of a gang member. Cheadle played Rocket, the leader of the Crips who dies in a shoot out at the films end. A happier film project was 1993s The Meteor Man, a socially conscious fantasy about a man who finds himself with superhuman power after being struck by a meteor and uses the new power to clean up his troubled neighborhood. Robert Townsend wrote, directed, and starred in the film. Again, Cheadle played a gang member, only this time for satirical humor.

Cheadles breakthrough film was Devil in a Blue Dress, a moody film noir based on a Walter Mosley mystery novel. Released in 1995, the film starred Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins, an unemployed aircraft worker turned private detective investigating a murder in Los Angeles vibrant black community in the 1940s. Cheadle played Mouse, Rawlins violent and vicious friend who became his partner in the investigation. Cheadle almost steals the show from Washington with his matter-of-fact humor, wrote Sibylla Nash in the Los Angeles Sentinel. Cheadle told Stephen Farber of the New York Times: At first I was surprised that audiences laughed at Mouse. I wasnt attempting to get laughs. But in any farce, the energy a character spends pursuing a single goal is funny. And its scary, too. I think one reason people laugh is that theyre feeling Im glad Im not in that room with Mouse.

Devil in a Blue Dress was directed by Carl Franklin, in whose American Film Institute student film Punk, Cheadle had appeared several years before. Initially Franklin did not want Cheadle for the role of Mouse, thinking him too young to play a contemporary of fortyish Washington. Cheadle was refused an audition. Fortunately, an accidental encounter between Cheadle and Franklin at a doctors office lead to Cheadle being asked to read for the part. After a second reading with Washington, during which the two actors clicked, secured the part for Cheadle. I had six weeks to prepare so I did lots of research that included spending a week in Houston, which is where Mouse is from. I met a few people from the 40s who were of the world Mouse lived in, and having talked with some of them I can tell you that gangsters of that era were different from gangsters today. There was more honor among thieves then, and they had a strong sense of community and all kept each other in check. Crack, of course, has put an end to all that, Cheadle told the Los Angeles Times.

Though well-received by critics, Devil in a Blue Dress failed at the box office. That was very disappointing because it was a wonderful film, with wonderful performances, critic Orlando Peters explained to the Jacksonville Free Press. I would have bet a bundle that film would have done well. It had a proven star, and it was based on a popular book. It wasnt even a matter of it failing to cross over, because black people alone could have made that film a success, and the final numbers say black audiences were not interested in the film. For his work as Mouse, Cheadle was named best supporting actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and by the National Society of Film Critics. Cheadles name, however, was not on the list of Academy Award nominees. Now that I know how [Oscar nominees] get picked, and how the selection process works, I could give a (expletive) if I ever get one. I mean it would be nice because your money goes up, and it shows appreciation on a wide level, but what does my performance have to do with the political lobbying and machinations that go on inside the Academy that I am not privy to? Nothing. If I never get an Oscar, it doesnt mean anything about my work, Cheadle told Mark Ebner of Premiere.

Though Cheadle has so far specialized in supporting roles, a film where he played the lead was Rebound: The Legend of Earl The Goat Manigault. Made for the Home Box Office (HBO) cable channel in 1996, Rebound told the near-autobiographical story of a Harlem basketball wizard of the 1960s whose chance for a career in professional basketball was ruined by his descent into drug addiction and crime. Manigaults eventual recovery from addiction and his work with New York City youth were also depicted. Cheadles performance in portraying the once promising basketball star who traded his skills for the foolish pleasures of snorting and injecting his way to a temporary high is superb, wrote Jaime C. Harris in the Amsterdam News. Rebound was directed by actor Eriq LaSalle, of televisions ER, and featured James Earl Jones, Forrest Whitaker, and Clarence Williams III.

Another story based on past events in which Cheadle appeared was Rosewood, a look at the burning down by angry, bigoted whites of Rosewood, an African American community in central Florida. Believing a white womans false accusation that she had been attacked by a Rosewood man, and jealous of Rosewoods prosperity, white residents of the neighboring mill town of Sumner torched the nearly all-black town in 1923. Cheadle played Sylvester Carrier, a piano teacher who risked his life by deciding to stand his ground and not run away from the racist mob. The film was directed by John Singleton. I had seen Don Cheadles portrayal of Mouse in Devil in a Blue Dress and was impressed with his performance. I called him up afterward and told him we had to work together. I didnt know what it would be at the time, but when we were casting Rosewood, I realized he would be a great Sylvester, Singleton told the Indianapolis Recorder. Released in 1997, Rosewood garnered some excellent reviews. Joan H. Allen of the Amsterdam News called the film powerful and compelling. Despite critical praise, Rosewood barely registered at the box office. It was a hard sell, Cheadle explained to Elias. Very few movies take on the risk of trying to teach you something, or illuminate something so that people who just want escapism will digest it too The Rosewood tragedy wasnt that long ago: It took place in our grandparents day, and the xenophobic attitude it shows is prevalent today. And when the mirror is held up to that attitude, well, I think people feel pretty resentful when theyve just paid $7.50, he continued.

Cheadle admitted that money was the primary impetus for his appearance in the disaster film Volcano, in which an unprepared Los Angeles is threatened with an overwhelming flow of lava. His role in the 1997 film as assistant chief of the citys emergency management squad was not written specifically for a black actor. Cheadle said non-race specific roles are relatively rare and not necessarily desirable. Color blindness is ridiculous You dont need to ignore your race There are issues you cant not confront. Im glad people try to write roles that anyone can do, but I also dont ever want to end up in movies where the fact that Im a black man is a nonissue. In America, its always an issue, Cheadle told Interview.

In Boogie Nights, an unsparingly frank examination of the pornographic film industry of the 1970s, Cheadle played Buck Swope, an X-rated movie star. My back-story on him would be that hes from a broken home, and hes fallen into this family of misfits that have welcomed him, Cheadle said of his character in the film to Ebner. At first, Cheadle was reluctant to accept the part, worried that the film might be tawdry. He requested that he not have to take off his clothes for the camera. I didnt want to be naked and exploited. I wanted the film to take a deep look at these people and it does, Cheadle recalled in Interview.

On series television, Cheadles most notable work was his two years as a straight-arrow district attorney on the quirky small town life drama Picket Fences. He also had a regular role on the situation comedy The Golden Palace, an unsuccessful sequel to The Golden Girls, and recurring roles on Fame, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. More television is not something Cheadle sees in his future. I plan to focus on films and theater because with television youre forced to deal with major script changes every day. Theres no time to refine things, and they so often cut things that are key to where youre trying to take your character. I find it very frustrating, Cheadle said in the Los Angeles Times.

Cheadle is the founder of an artists company called Elemental Prose, which has as its goal the passing down of oral history through words and music. He has directed plays, including his own.work Groomed, about four black men attending a wedding in Nebraska, which has been produced in Los Angeles and Hartford, Connecticut. As a screenwriter, he has written the script for a remake of the 1973 blaxploitation film Cleopatra Jones, and hopes to direct the film, envisioning Jada Pinkett Smith or Viveca A. Fox as the title character. In an HBO film about Hollywoods legendary Rat Pack, Cheadle will play Sammy Davis, Jr., with Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, and Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin. Cheadle, who lives in Venice, California, with his girlfriend, actress Bridget Coulter and their two young children, is pleased with how his life and career have evolved. He told Premiere When I sit back and think about it, relaxed on my front porch, feeling a breeze and listening to the wind chimes, I go, Damn, this came out right. This is really nice.

Sources

Periodicals

Amsterdam News (New York), November 23, 1996, p. 56

Bay State Banner (Boston), March 20, 1997.

Entertainment Weekly, October 10, 1997, p. 66.

Indianapolis Recorder, February 22, 1997, p. B2.

Interview, August 1997, p. 80-85.

Jacksonville Free Press, March 5, 1997, p. 13; June 4, 1997, p. 11.

Los Angeles Sentinel, October 4, 1995, p. A3.

Los Angeles Times, September 30, 1995, p. F1.

New York, October 2, 1995, p. 82.

New York Beacon, May 14, 1997, p. 26.

New York Times, October 22, 1995, sect. 2, p. 18.

Philadelphia Tribune, January 31, 1997, magazine section, p. 4.

Pittsburgh Courier, February 12, 1997, p. B3.

Sun Reporter, February 20, 1997, p. 9; April 24, 1997, p. 9.

Other

Information also provided by Huvane, Baum, Halls Public Relations

Mary Kalfatovic

Cheadle, Don 1964–

views updated Jun 08 2018

Cheadle, Don 1964–

PERSONAL

Born November 29, 1964, in Kansas City, MO; son of Donald (a child psychologist and teacher) and Betty (a bank manager) Cheadle; brother of Colin Cheadle (an actor); children: (with actress Bridgid Coulter) Ayana Tai, Imani. Education: California Institute of Arts, B.F.A., 1982. Avocational Interests: Writing and performing music, playing saxophone.

Addresses: Agent—United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Manager—Liberman/Zerman Management, 252 North Larchmont Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90004. Publicist—Erica Gray, PMK/HBH Public Relations, 700 San Vicente Blvd., Suite G910, West Hollywood, CA 90069.

Career: Actor. Elemental Prose (artists for the preservation of oral history), founder. Worked briefly as a standup comedian; appeared in commercial for Los Angeles Mentoring Partnership, 2005.

Member: Screen Actors Guild.

Awards, Honors: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, best supporting actor, 1995, National Society of Film Critics Award, best supporting actor, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role, Image Award nomination, best supporting actor in a motion picture, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1996, all for Devil in a Blue Dress; Image Award nomination, best actor in a television movie, miniseries, or drama special, 1997, for Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goaf Manigault; Image Award nomination, best supporting actor in a motion picture, 1998, for Rosewood; Screen Actors Guild Award nomination (with others), outstanding performance by a cast, and Florida Film Critics Circle Award (with others), best ensemble cast, 1998, for Boogie Nights; Image Award nomination, best supporting actor in a motion picture, 1999, for Bulworth; Golden Globe Award, best supporting actor in a television series, miniseries, or motion picture, Emmy Award nomination, best actor in a miniseries or movie, and Image Award nomination, best actor in a television movie, miniseries, or drama special, all 1999, for The Rat Pack; Emmy Award nomination, best actor in a miniseries or movie, 1999, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best actor in a miniseries or a television movie, International Press Academy, Image Award nomination, best actor in a television movie, miniseries, or dramatic special, and Black Reel Award, best actor in a network or cable presentation, 2000, all for A Lesson Before Dying; Screen Actors Guild Award (with others), outstanding cast performance, and Black Reel Award, best supporting actor in a theatrical film, 2001, for Traffic; Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite supporting actor in a comedy or romance film, 2001, for The Family Man; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie, and Independent Spirit Award nomination, best supporting actor, both 2002, for Things Behind the Sun; MTV Movie Award nomination (with others), best on-screen team, 2002, for Ocean's Eleven; Grammy Award nomination, best spoken-word album, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 2003, for Fear Itself, by Walter Mosley; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding guest actor in a drama series, 2003, for ER; Gotham Award, career tribute, 2004; Special Award, for body of work, San Diego Film Critics Society, 2004; Academy Award nomination, best actor, Golden Globe Award nomination, best actor in a motion picture drama, Image Award nomination, outstanding actor in a motion picture, Golden Satellite Award, best actor in a motion picture drama, International Press Academy, Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, best actor and best ensemble performance (with others), Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nomination, best actor, Black Reel Award nomination, best actor in a drama, Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, best actor, and Grace Award nomination, most inspiring movie acting, MovieGuide Awards, all 2005, for Hotel Rwanda; Image award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture, Comedy Award nomination, best supporting actor in a theatrical film, Black Entertainment Television, and Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nomination (with others), best acting ensemble, all 2005, for Ocean's Twelve; Independent Spirit Award, best first feature, Screen Actors Guild Award (with others), outstanding cast performance in a motion picture, and Broadcast Film Critics Choice Award (with others), best ensemble, all 2006, for Crash.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Angel, 3 Days, 1984.

Juicy Burgers worker, Moving Violations, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1985.

Private Washburn, Hamburger Hill, Paramount, 1987.

Rocket, Colors, Orion, 1988.

Happy Days manager, Roadside Prophets, New Line Cinema, 1992.

Goldilocks, The Meteor Man, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1993.

Mouse Alexander, Devil in a Blue Dress (also known as Le diable en robe bleue), Columbia/TriStar, 1995.

Rooster, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Miramax, 1995.

Buck Swope, Boogie Nights, New Line Cinema, 1997.

Emmit Reese, Volcano, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997.

Sylvester Carrier, Rosewood, Warner Bros., 1997.

L. D., Bulworth, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Maurice "Snoopy" Miller, Out of Sight, Universal, 1998.

Cash, The Family Man, MCA/Universal, 2000.

Luke Graham, Mission to Mars (also known as M2M), Buena Vista, 2000.

Montel Gordon, Traffic (also known as Traffic—Die macht des kartells), USA Films, 2000.

Agent J. T. Roberts, Swordfish, Warner Bros., 2001.

Dr. David Monroe, Manic, IFC Films, 2001.

Basher Tarr, Ocean's Eleven (also known as 11 and O11), Warner Bros., 2001.

(Uncredited) Kenny, Rush Hour 2, New Line Cinema, 2001.

Passenger, Ticker (short film; also known as The Hire: Ticker), BMW Films, 2002.

Himself, Abby Singer, 2003, Cut Entertainment Group, 2006.

Pearl Madison, The United States of Leland, Paramount, 2004.

Bonny Simmons, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, ThinkFilm, 2004.

Paul Rusesabagina, Hotel Rwanda, United Artists, 2004.

Henri Moore, After the Sunset, New Line Cinema, 2004.

Basher Tarr, Ocean's Twelve, Warner Bros., 2004.

Graham, Crash (also known as L.A. Crash and Crash—Alto impacto), Lions Gate Films, 2005.

Dr. Nourmand, The Dog Problem, Thousand Words, 2006.

Alan Johnson, Empty City, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2006.

Narrator, King Leopold's Ghost (documentary), 2006.

Film Producer:

Crash (also known as L.A. Crash and Crash—Alto impacto), Lions Gate Films, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

District Attorney John Littleton, a recurring role, Picket Fences, CBS, 1994–95.

Host, Independent Lens, PBS, 2002.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Jack, Lush Life, Showtime, 1993.

Title role, Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault (also known as Angel of Harlem and Rebound), HBO, 1996.

Sammy Davis, Jr., The Rat Pack, HBO, 1998.

Grant Wiggins, A Lesson Before Dying, HBO, 1999.

Lieutenant Jimmy Pierce, Fail Safe, CBS, 2000.

Chuck, Things Behind the Sun, Showtime, 2001.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Jackie Lee, Punk, PBS, 1986.

Derrick Brantly, In the House (also known as Home-boy), 1991.

Inside Traffic: The Making of "Traffic," 2000.

Interviewee, The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 2001.

Booth and himself, Stage on Screen: The Topdog Diaries, 2002.

Reader, Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives, HBO, 2003.

"James Baldwin: Witness," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2003.

"Bernie Mac," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2003.

A Tribute to Joe Mantegna, 2004.

Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope, multiple networks, 2005.

Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, multiple networks, 2005.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Panelist, America Beyond the Color Line with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., KCET (Kansas City, MO), 2002.

Narrator, Heroes of Black Comedy Comedy Central, 2002.

Contestant, Celebrity Poker Showdown, Bravo, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Henry Lee, "Choices," Fame, syndicated, 1986.

Henry Lee, "Losin' It," Fame, syndicated, 1986.

Julian Tatoon, "Gibbon Take," L.A. Law, NBC, 1986.

Darius Milton, "Days of Swine and Roses," Hill Street Blues, NBC, 1987.

Jack, "Jung and the Restless," Night Court, NBC, 1987.

Carver, "Small Victories," The Bronx Zoo, 1987.

"High Noon," Hooperman, ABC, 1988.

"The Pump," Booker (also known as Booker, P.I.), Fox, 1989.

Angel, "Warriors," China Beach, ABC, 1990.

Ice Tray, "Homeboy, Sweet Homeboy," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1990.

Bennie, "School's a Drag," Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, ABC, 1992.

Roland Wilson, "Rose and Fern," The Golden Palace, CBS, 1993.

Roland Wilson, "Runaways," The Golden Palace, CBS, 1993.

Bennie, "Prince of Soul," Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, ABC, 1993.

Jackie Lee, "Punk," Alive TV, PBS, 1993.

Voice of Brother Faith, "Faith Off," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 2000.

"Swordfish," HBO First Look, HBO, 2001.

Cousin D, "Sweet Home Chicago: Parts 1 & 2," The Bernie Mac Show, Fox, 2002.

Paul Nathan, "A Hopeless Wound," ER, NBC, 2002.

Paul Nathan, "One Can Only Hope," ER, NBC, 2002.

Paul Nathan, "Tell Me Where It Hurts," ER, NBC, 2002.

Paul Nathan, "First Snowfall," ER, NBC, 2002.

"Ocean's Twelve," HBO First Look, HBO, 2004.

Himself, Henry's Film Corner, Independent Film Channel, 2005.

(In archive footage) Cinema mil, Televisio de Catalunya, 2005.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Roland Wilson, The Golden Palace, CBS, 1992.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 1999.

Presenter, 14th Independent Spirit Awards, Bravo and Independent Film Channel, 1999.

Presenter, 30th NAACP Image Awards, Fox, 1999.

2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Fox, 2000.

Presenter, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (also known as The 16th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards), Independent Film Channel, 2001.

Presenter, The Orange British Academy Film Awards, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.

The 62nd Annual Golden Globe awards, NBC, 2005.

Presenter, The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards, Bravo and Independent Film Channel, 2005.

The 77th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2005.

Presenter, The 59th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2005.

Presenter, The Black Movie Awards, TNT, 2005.

Presenter, IFP Gotham Awards, Bravo and Independent Film Channel, 2005.

12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TBS, 2006.

Television Guest Appearances; Episodic:

"Faith," Dennis Miller Live, HBO, 1999.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 2000.

Mad TV, Fox, 2002.

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (also known as The Late Late Show), CBS, 2004.

Tout le monde en parle, 2004.

The Daily Show (also known as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Global Edition), Comedy Central, 2005.

Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, syndicated, 2005.

Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC, 2005.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 2005.

Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO, 2005.

The Charlie Rose Show, PBS, 2005.

106 & Park Top 10 Live (also known as 106 & Park), Black Entertainment Television, 2005.

Tavis Smiley, PBS, 2005.

The Early Show (also known as The Saturday Early Show), CBS, 2005.

The Oprah Winfrey Show (also known as Oprah), syndicated, 2005.

Caiga quien caiga, 2005.

The View, ABC, 2005, 2006.

Stage Appearances:

Arviragus, Cymbeline, New York Shakespeare Festival, Estelle R. Newman Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Groomed, New Works Festival, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles Music Center, Los Angeles, 1997.

Booth,… Topdog/Underdog, New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Appeared as Horatio, Hamlet, Hollywood, CA; appeared in The Blood Knot, Complex Theatre, Hollywood; The Grapes of Wrath and Liquid Skin, Mixed Blood Theatre, Minneapolis, MN; Leon, Lena and Lenz and The Screens, Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN; 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore, Goodman Theatre, Chicago; and productions of Bodies, Rest and Motion, The Dining Room, Oh Hell, and Our Town.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Inside "Out of Sight," 1998.

Before, During, and "After the Sunset," New Line Home Video, 2005.

A Message for Peace: Making "Hotel Rwanda," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, 2005.

"Crash" Featurette, 2005.

Audio Books:

Narrator, Fear Itself, by Walter Mosley, AOL Time Warner Audio Books, 2003.

WRITINGS

Television Music; Specials:

Theme music, In the House (also known as Homeboy), 1991.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 52, Thomson Gale, 2006.

Newsmakers, Issue 1, Gale, 2002.

Periodicals:

Ebony, June, 2005, p. 178.

Entertainment Weekly, October 10, 1997, p. 66; June 26, 1998, p. 24; December 17, 2004, pp. 42-43; December 12, 2005, p. 35.

Interview, August, 1997, pp. 80-85.

Jet, November 18, 1996, p. 52. Look, December, 2005.

Los Angeles Times, November 14, 2004; February 9, 2005.

Movieline, March, 2000, pp. 84-85.

People Weekly, August 10, 1998, p. 136.

Premiere, April, 1997, pp. 114-117; August, 2001, p. 97; June, 2003, p. 28.

Time, December 13, 2004, p. 68. TV Guide, May 22, 1999, p. 3.

Washington Post, January 6, 2004, p. C1.