Don Cheadle
Cheadle in 2013, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Donald Frank Cheadle, Jr.
Place of Birth: Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 29, 1964
Ethnicity: African-American
Don Cheadle is an American actor, writer, producer, and director. He is the son of African-American parents, Bettye (North), a teacher, and Donald Frank Cheadle, a clinical psychologist. He has two children with his partner, actress Bridgid Coulter.
Don plays James Rhodes / War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Don’s paternal grandfather was Lee Therman Cheadle (the son of William M. Cheadle and Maggie/Odie Lewis). Lee was born in Oklahoma. William was the son of Henderson Hence Cheadle and Mary Kemp. Maggie was the daughter of Henry Lewis and Caroline.
Don’s paternal grandmother was Cynthia Barnes (the daughter of Joseph Smith Barnes and Clennie Carroll). Cynthia was born in Missouri.
Don’s maternal grandfather was Basil Leon/W. North, Sr. (the son of Horace P./Marion North and Rachel S. Kenoly). Basil was born in Missouri. Horace was the son of John Ralls. Rachel was the daughter of Myers Kenoly and Mary Mathilda, who were born into slavery.
Don’s maternal grandmother was named Louisa/Louise Maretta “Louie” Thompkins (the daughter of Rochel Turner). Louisa was born in Missouri.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show African American Lives 2 (2008) stated that Don’s genetic ancestry is:
*81% Sub-Saharan African
*19% European
In his 2009 book about the show, In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wrote that 45% of Don’s African DNA matches Benin and western Nigeria, including specifically the Ewondo, Bamileke, Masa, and Tikar people, 30% matches Upper Guinea (Senegal to Liberia), and 25% matches the Congo-Angola region.
Sources: Clip of Don’s appearance on African American Lives 2, 2008 – https://www.youtube.com
Genealogy of Don Cheadle – https://www.geni.com
Don’s paternal grandfather, Lee Therman Cheadle, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Don’s paternal grandmother, Cynthia Barnes, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Don’s maternal grandfather, Basil Leon/W. North, Sr., on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
For an African, he does look older (usually blacks look younger than their age). He looks like he was born in 1956 or something.
But he’s not African. Also some Black People just aren’t as lucky ,when it comes to their skin
CORRECTION: In his 2009 book based on the series, In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past., Henry Louis Gates wrote on page 358 more details about Don Cheadle’s african ancestry:
45 % came from Benin and western Nigeria (including specifically Ewondo, Bamileke, Masa, and Tikar)
30 % came from Upper Guinea (Senegal to Liberia)
25 % came from Congo-Angola region
Forty-three percent of Don’s african ancestry comes from the area around Benin.
He looks very African, but his kids look very mixed.
He was born and raised here in America. He is African American! We are something different!
CORRECTION. Cheadle’s ethnicity should be Cameroonian.