- Samuel L Jackson, Shaft, 1999. Who should update the ’70s cop? Director John Singleton wanted Cheadle. Not producer Scott Rudin – insisting on an A Star. Will Smith and Wesley Snipes were in the frame, but Sam won (with the original Shaft, Richard Roundtree, as his uncle). The final casting switch, to use Sam’s signature line, was “some repugnant shit.”
- Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, Monster’s Ball, 2001. Halle Berry’s husband on Death Row, was first offered to Cheadle… and Jeffrey Wright.
- Snoop Dogg, Starsky & Hutch, 2004. Lost to a car… Helmer Todd Phillips also considered Chris Rock for Huggy Bear but foundthatSnoop also hapened to own a blue 1976 Lincoln.
- Jeffrey Wright, Lady in the Water, 2005. A change of Mr Dury… of whom it was said: “Wow! He’s hearing the voice of god from a crossword puzzle!”(It was an M Night Shyamalan film).
- Denzel Washington, American Gangster, 2007. Cheadle had won Hotel Rwanda from Washington (and Cuba Gooding Jr). Then, this drug lord role as well – due opposite Joaquin Phoenix. Washington won it back when Ridley Scott took charge.
- Isiah Mustafa, It Chapter Two, 2018. Veterans like Don Cheadle and Taye Diggs were listed, of course. But the adult Mike Hanlon was a job for one of the new generation. Mustafa, from Shadowhunters, survived suchheady opposition as Chadwick Boseman, Donald Glover, Michael B Jordan, Anthony Mackie and Craig Robinson. Idris Elba was also keen, after his Stephen King film, The Dark Tower, 2016. This was the 262nd of King’s staggering 313 screen credits … and his second biggest hit! The first? It, 2016, of course. (King Kameo: Pawnbroker).
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 6