Don Cheadle Faces Up to His Most Divisive Roles
Don Cheadle opens up about his infamous Ocean’s Eleven accent and the controversy around Crash, sharing why he stands by his choices despite criticism and what he really thinks about sparking tough conversations.
It’s tough to shake a first impression, especially when it comes to actors and their more questionable performances. For many, Don Cheadle’s name instantly brings to mind his much-mocked attempt at a cockney accent in Ocean’s Eleven—a choice so baffling it’s become a running joke among film fans. That one role has a way of overshadowing the rest of his career, with ‘Basher Tarr’ and his oddball London slang sticking in people’s memories for all the wrong reasons.
But Cheadle’s career is far more than just one dodgy accent. He’s racked up a string of roles across genres, from action blockbusters like Iron Man 2 to the harrowing drama of Hotel Rwanda, picking up Golden Globes, Grammys, Emmys, and even an Oscar nomination along the way. It hardly seems fair to judge the bloke on a single misstep, especially when you consider the range he’s shown since his early days in TV, including a stint on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
From Bit Parts to Big Leagues
Cheadle’s rise began in the 1990s, first sharing the screen with Denzel Washington in Devil in a Blue Dress, then popping up in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights. He also kicked off a long-running collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, starting with Out of Sight alongside George Clooney. After nabbing a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr in The Rat Pack, he reunited with Soderbergh for the gritty Traffic, before landing in the ill-fated Ocean’s Eleven and the cyber-thriller Swordfish.
By 2005, Cheadle had earned an Oscar nod for his powerful turn in Hotel Rwanda, a film centred on the 1994 genocide. That same year, he starred in and co-produced Crash, a crime drama that would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. The film, written by Paul Haggis and inspired by a real-life carjacking, has since been criticised for its take on race relations in Los Angeles, with some arguing it oversimplifies complex issues.
Crash and Controversy
Reflecting on Crash, Cheadle has never claimed it was flawless. In his own words:
“If you’re looking to a movie to speak in a way that is all-encompassing about what that’s supposed to be… The movie was an allegory. The movie is a fable.”
He went on to say,
“I don’t think the movie’s a perfect movie, I have issues with the movie, but I do think that, on balance, it was a very entertaining movie, but if it starts that conversation and gets people talking about that (race relations), even if it gets them saying, ‘This shit’s bullshit,’ I’m like, ‘Cool.’”
The making of Crash was anything but smooth. Two major stars, Heath Ledger and John Cusack, dropped out at the last minute, slashing the film’s potential and forcing a tighter budget. Director Haggis even took out three mortgages on his house to keep things afloat, while the cast agreed to pay cuts. To top it off, Haggis suffered a heart attack during production.
Staying Power and New Projects
Despite the ups and downs, Cheadle’s career has kept rolling. He found fresh success in the comedy-drama House of Lies and became a familiar face in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the ‘Iron Patriot’. Now, he’s set to reprise his role as Basher Tarr in the upcoming Ocean’s 14—though some punters might be double-checking the calendar to make sure it’s not an April Fool’s gag. He’s also got another Marvel project in the pipeline, with the much-anticipated Armor Wars on the horizon.