Don Cheadle was born in Kansas City but moved throughout his childhood. He attended CalArts and earned his BA in Fine Arts. He auditioned for many roles, and won a part on the television series "Fame" (1982). He was then cast in the John Irvin film Hamburger Hill (1987). He first became recognized in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), which won him the Best Supporting Actor Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics. Cheadle is a highly respected actor who has won many awards and continues to act on both television movies and features, as well as in theater productions. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Brother of Colin Cheadle.

Lives with Bridgid Coulter, who plays his wife in Rosewood (1997) [1997]

Has a sister, Cindy.

Graduated from East High School in Denver, Colorado.

Appears uncredited in two back-to-back movies, Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Ocean's Eleven (2001). He played a criminal in both films.

Drives a hybrid car, Toyota Prius.

After acting in Hotel Rwanda (2004), a film about the early 1990s Rwandan genocide, he became an activist to raise awareness of the mid-2000s genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. In January 2005, he traveled to Sudan with five members of Congress to see refugee camps and to meet survivors of the genocide. Upon his return, he reported on his trip for "ABC News Nightline" (1980).

Has a half-brother named Andrew Kilbourne.

Briefly worked as a stand-up comic early in his career.

He and Bridgid Coulter have two daughters (born in 1995 and 1997).

The son of a child psychologist and teacher

Plays the saxophone

Sister is a teacher in Washington, D.C. and his brother works in Denver's mayor's office

In July 2005, he officially toured the Hotel des Milles Collines in Kigali, Rwanda on which the film Hotel Rwanda (2004) is based.

Got his first big break starring as the hotel clerk on the short lived "The Golden Girls" (1985) spin-off "The Golden Palace" (1992) alongside Cheech Marin.

Hotel Rwanda (2004) is ranked #90 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, the most recent entry on the list.

Was considered for the role of Huggy Bear in Starsky & Hutch (2004).

Appeared in The Rat Pack (1998) (TV) as Sammy Davis Jr., who along with the other Rat Pack members, appeared in the original _Ocean's 11_(1960)_ . Cheadle then appeared in the remake, Ocean's Eleven (2001).