Movie Talk with Don Cheadle
id: 3DD-01-0060
format: HD
Don Cheadle discusses attending the California Institute of the Arts where he spent four years learning his craft and becoming a character actor. He loved comedy and decided to try Stand Up, this didn't go to plan so he found comedy within a script to be the way forward. Hotel Rwanda 2004, Cheadle felt very strongly this film should be made and for the story to be told, he got cast and it made a huge impact on him. This led to him travelling to Darfur in Sudan to do humanitarian work and co-writing two books with John Prendergast on the subject of genocide in Sudan. The Books are titled 'Not on my Watch' and 'The Enough Moment'. Cheadle then became a U.N Goodwill Ambassador and an Activist where he continues his humanitarian work. House Of Lies 2012 TV series where Cheadle plays a nasty character in a very salacious drama where the characters say and do anything they want. Oceans Eleven 2001 and Oceans Twelve 2004 are where he made great friends with George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Working on these films Clooney raised money for satellites to be installed over Sudan to monitor criminal activity, troops and mass graves. The evidence was then sent to the criminal court to put war criminals on trial. This is where their celebrity and imagination can be used outside of their industry. Cheadle also produces and writes, he's interested in all aspects of storytelling. The smaller films that he gets off the ground and has to hustle for are the most rewarding. The Guard 2011 is the next film discussed and is written by John Michael McDonagh, Cheadle describes the experience as insane because of McDonagh's Irish tradition of dark humour and stark situations drawing influence from Irish Literature, poetry and philosophy. Out of Sight 1998 was a film that didn't do as well as expected with big names starring it, George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. However Cheadle admits as an actor its out of your hands as to whether the audience has a taste for the film and by this time he is onto the next project. Crash 2004, the screenplay was written and directed by Paul Haggis, Cheadle discusses the film's controversial and confrontational subject and it was something he can to be a part of, not only was he cast in the movie, he went on to co-produce it. As they went along making the movie, he had no idea how it would be received but it ended up being hugely successful. Cheadle discusses the film on the Jazz musician Miles Davis that he is getting off the ground. He explains its not a typical biopic but will focus on two days of Davis' life and blow it up, focusing on the fable and mythology of Miles Davis.
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