Don Cheadle is widely hailed as one of the finest actors of his generation. After making his big-screen debut in the 1985 comedy Moving Violations, Cheadle landed his first big breakout role in the Vietnam War film Hamburger Hill two years later. By the mid-to-late 90s, Cheadle earned a rep as one of the most diverse character actors in all of Hollywood.
In 2004, Cheadle earned an Oscar Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance in Hotel Rwanda. In the years since, he's gone back and forth between the big and small screen, headlining series such as House of Lies and Black Monday, while appearing in big-budget MCU movies. With a 35-year track record, here are Don Cheadle's 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes!
Captain America: Civil War (2016) 91%
Cheadle first embarked on his role as James "Rhodey" Rhodes (aka War Machine) in Iron Man 2, a character he's reprised in the MCU a half-dozen times since. But according to Rotten Tomatoes, none resonated more than Captain America: Civil War!
Story-wise, the Avengers become fractured when a new law mandates the Hero Registration Act. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) supports the law, while Captain America (Chris Evans) does not believe the government should interfere with protecting the world. As per usual, War Machine sides with Iron Man.
King Leopold's Ghost (2006) 92%
For the 2006 documentary King Leopold's Ghost, Cheadle narrates the historical account of the leader of Belgium's ruthless exploitation of the African Congo.
Adapted from the Adam Hochschild book by co-directors Pippa Scott and Oreet Rees, the barbarous acts of King Leopold II of Belgium are chronicled in great detail. Leopold ravaged the land, pillaged the people, and left a bloody trail of ruin in his wake while mining the area for precious resources.
Out Of Sight (1998) 93%
Out of Sight marked the first of multiple collaborations between Cheadle and director Steven Soderbergh. The Elmore Leonard adaptation follows a career bank robber and prison escapee named Jack (George Clooney), who has a romantic fling with Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), the U.S. Marshall assigned to catch him.
Meanwhile, Jack schemes a way to steal a priceless diamond. When Jack's fellow inmate, Maurice (Cheadle), overhears the plan, he muscles Jack to let him in on the deal.
Traffic (2000) 93%
The second collaboration between Cheadle and Soderbergh came two years later via Traffic, named Best Picture Of The Year at the 2001 Academy Awards.
The multi-narrative drama tackles the implications of the drug war along the U.S./Mexico border. High powered judge and Presidential appointee Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) ramps up regulations for drug perpetrators, while his own teenage daughter, Caroline (Erika Christensen), is hooked on crack-cocaine.
Boogie Nights (1997) 93%
Cheadle appears as Buck Swope in P.T. Anderson's sophomore feature Boogie Nights, a film that scored a trio of Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe win for costar Burt Reynolds.
The X-rated rise and fall of Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), aka Dirk Diggler, is on full display in the film about the rapidly changing porno industry during the late 70s and early 80s. Cheadle plays an X-rated actor who longs to go legit by opening his own radio/stereo business.
The Guard (2011) 94%
Cheadle costars with Brendan Gleeson in the well-received The Guard, in which the buddy-cop formula is turned on its head in pursuit of dangerous drug runners.
Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, the story centers on Gerry Boyle (Gleeson), an unconventional Irish policeman with a hot temper who is tasked with exposing an international drug syndicate. Boyle is paired with Wendell Everett (Cheadle), a stuffy FBI agent prone to operating by the book.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) 94%
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Endgame remains the cream of the Avengers crop. Cheadle once again reprises his role as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, aka War Machine, in the ultimate chapter of the MCU title!
Picking up where Infinity War left off, the race to find and defeat the all-mighty Thanos (Josh Brolin) continues. Meanwhile, all of the vanished Avengers at the end of Infinity War are accounted for. As the remaining survivors set out to obtain the Infinity Stones and restore order, an epic final battle ensues.
Hamburger Hill (1987) 100%
Hamburger Hill marks the second feature film of Cheadle's sterling career. The intense Vietnam War film also stars the likes of Dylan McDermott, Courtney B. Vance, Steven Weber, and more.
Directed by John Irvin, the film chronicles the so-called bloodiest battle in the history of the Vietnam War. Tasked with holding Hill 937 in Vietnam's Shau Valley, the 3rd Batallion in the 187th Infantry (101st Airborne Division) of the U.S. army is put to the ultimate limits of human despair.
Fail Safe (2000) 100%
The 2000 television remake of Sidney Lumet's 1964 film, Fail Safe features a mega-ensemble meant to mirror the original. As such, Cheadles joins the likes of George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Richard Dreyfuss, Brian Denehy, Sam Elliot, and many more.
Set during the Cold War, suspense and paranoia continue to increase between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. When a U.S. bomber pilot is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear bomb over Moscow, both sides race to ensure nuclear deterrence. The Stephen Frears/Martin Pasetta film earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.
Things Behind The Sun (2001) 100%
Alison Anders' indie music-drama Things Behind The Sun ranks as the highest-rated movie of Don Cheadle's career to date, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Costarring Gabriel Mann, Rosanna Arquette, Kim Dickens, and Eric Stoltz, the movie follows Owen (Mann), an idealistic music journalist in Los Angeles who returns to his home state of Florida. Upon his return, Owen interviews Sherry (Dickens), a budding rock musician and former close friend of his who is gaining popularity. When Owen learns Sherry's one-hit-wonder was inspired by her traumatic gang-rape, he's forced to confront his past.