DON CHEADLE’S WONDER YEARS

Powerful, Versatile, Committed + Engaging

cover & above image: don cheadle

BY: Georgia Davis

Every time Don Cheadle steps onto the silver screen, he captivates an audience. With every project, he is an essential skills man and delivers a masterclass. In his latest venture, Cheadle serves as the narrator for the reboot of Wonder Years.

The original Wonder Years is centered on a white family with the main character played by Fred Savage. The 2021 reboot — Savage is a producer — focuses on a Black family in 1960s Alabama. Newcomer Elisha Williams is the star with supporting roles from the likes of Dulé Hall. But, despite not seeing his face, it’s Cheadle that drives the narrative with his unmistakable voice.

Cheadle’s career spans nearly four decades, but it was an impressive run in the mid-’90s that set him on a path toward stardom. Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Rebound: The Legend of Earl’ The Goat’ Manigault (1996), Rosewood (1997), and Boogie Nights (1997) bolstered his successful acting career. Cheadle is also a long-time collaborator of Steven Soderbergh. He starred in the writer/director’s Out of Sight, Traffic, Ocean’s trilogy, and, most recently, the HBO Max film No Sudden Move.

Cheadle’s most poignant role came in 2004 when he portrayed Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda. The biopic told how Rusesabagina’s hotel housed thousands of Tutsi refugees in the African nation. Cheadle was nominated for Best Actor but lost to Jaime Foxx, who won for his interpretation of Ray Charles.

Along with his upcoming role in Wonder Years, Cheadle also stars in the Showtime series Black Monday, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. The series starts on the infamous Black Monday in 1987 when the stock market crashed. A power-hungry group of Wall Street infiltrators finagles their way into the predominantly white all-boys club. Cheadle plays Mo Monroe in a darkly comedic role — one that he says provides the right amount of fun.

“I feel somewhat thankful that we’re doing it in comedy: We’re laughing and having a quote-unquote good time as we’re playing these awful people,” Cheadle told Variety. “We will have moments where a down note will hit really hard or be something where we’re dealing with real things — and any actor is attempting to really pull that in when they get there. We’re trying to be truthful so, yes, you go to those places, but … we’re trying to smuggle those moments in, and the moments of release are the exception in his show. But the things that killed me are how big they are. They’re so needed when they happen, and they’re [sometimes] a runner that goes on for two more episodes.”

And being one of the most prominent actors in Hollywood, Cheadle is, of course, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s played War Machine since Iron Man 2, when he took over the role from Terrence Howard. He’ll reprise his role for a Disney+ series Armor Wars. Cheadle steps into the primary role, and his character must prevent Tony Stark’s technology from falling into the wrong hands. Filming is set to begin in 2022.