Talib Kweli And Don Cheadle Talk Kendrick, Miles Davis, Marvel, And Boogie Nights | People's Party

On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with legendary actor, director, producer, writer, and Avenger Don Cheadle. The conversation covers a wide swath of his career -- as the trio discusses the backstories of what led Cheadle to take the iconic roles he became known for over the years. "Colors," "Boogie Nights," "Devil In A Blue Dress," "Iron Man," "Out Of Sight," "Rosewood" and "Hotel Rwanda" all come up in this wide-ranging discussion.
Cheadle also speaks on his contact with Kendrick Lamar, asking him to star in his self-produced and directed biopic 'Miles Ahead', and we get to hear about some of the hilarious reactions he received from Brits about the Cockney accent he used while playing Basher in the Ocean's movies.
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Interview Timing:
1:30 -- Don tells the story of what it was like to play a gang member in the movie "Colors" and act alongside real-life gang members from Los Angeles. He and Kweli also dive into the importance of the movie and how it introduced LA gang culture to mainstream audiences.
8:35 -- Talib asks Don how he landed the role of Ice Tray on "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air"
10:28 -- Jasmin asks Don about another one of his first gigs as a backup dancer for Angela Winbush in her video "It's The Real Thing."
12:35 -- Don talks about contacting Kendrick Lamar and asking him to star in his Miles Davis biopic "Miles Ahead" at the same time Kendrick was working on his album "To Pimp A Butterfly."
16:35 -- Talib mentions that he often uses Miles Davis' freethinking, genre-bending approach to jazz as a way to defend hip hop music when people frequently put it in a box claiming it only perpetuates negativity.
21:10 -- The trio discuss the common complaint people have about not being able to find good music to listen to, and how it really comes down to "your just not looking hard enough."
24:49 -- Talib mentions one of his favorite characters of Don's, being Maurice from the movie "Out Of Sight." Don goes on to tell about how he landed that role.
27:01 -- Don talks about how touchy Brits are about how their accents are portrayed in movies, and mentions getting cussed out on a few occasions by some that didn't appreciate his role of Basher in the Oceans films.
29:36 -- Don speaks on working with John Singleton on the movie "Rosewood" filmed in Sanford, Florida and mentions members of the KKK showing up during their one of their shoots.
34:02 -- Don reflects on his hesitancy in taking the role of Buck from "Boogie Nights" after glancing at the dense 130-page script and contemplating what his parents will think about him playing a porn star.
37:25 -- Talib asks Don what he thinks about Martin Scorsese's recent comments about Marvel movies not qualifying as cinema, and him saying that they are essentially the amusement parks of the film industry.
39:33 -- Talib asks Don how much research is involved on his part when developing a character from the Marvel Universe like War Machine, being cognizant that there is so much history tied into these roles.
43:20 -- Jasmin asks Don and Talib if there is a movie or song that they wish they could erase from their catalog. They go on to discuss the pitfalls of creating art out of desperation.
49:20 -- Don and Talib talk about how they became friends tag-teaming Twitter trolls, and Talib asks Don about his twitter profile bio noting "single-issue dem voter in 2020." They go on to discuss the progressive agenda and strategy for beating Trump.
1:00:03 -- Don speaks on some of the activist movements he's been a part of including the current state of Rwanda, still recovering from after-effects of government-sponsored genocide in the mid-90s. as well as his work in climate change awareness.
1:02:37 -- Talib asks Don how much fun he had playing the role of Mouse in the movie "Devil In A Blue Dress".
1:05:31 -- Don and Talib discuss the controversy of choosing Cynthia Erivo a Nigerian born actor to play the role of Harriet Tubman, and Don explains the most notable differences between biopics and documentaries that people should keep in mind.
1:10:07 -- Don tells about the crossroads he came to when receiving scholarships in both acting and music and how he made his final decision of pursuing an acting career even though his first love was actually music.
More Jasmin Leigh:
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/ realjasminleigh
#TalibKweli #DonCheadle #PeoplesParty #UPROXXVideo #UPROXX #JasminLeigh #colors #cheadle #oceans11

[@uproxx]

Thanks for watching party people! Be sure to check the audio podcasts: Apple -- applepodcasts.com/peoplesparty Spotify -- open.spotify.com/show/72bYFZBBZIwc7kdYUmRgFe

[@uproxx]

@HOSTILE MGTOW awesome -- glad you like it!

[@dextergreysun]

I hope you folks are able to get some of the Democratic nominees on this podcast

[@quincybogany6146]

Probably one my favorite black actor's 👏💯✌🏾🖤✊🏾

[@patricesankara3081]

Amazing guest. Still waiting on Lupe Fiasco.

[@uproxx]

Working on it, for sure!

[@unknownx7252]

Love Lupe, bought his first and second cd.

[@allenedwards2940]

I have met Don a few times. The most time I spent with him was during a golf tournament. He is one of the most real brothers I have ever met. I have nothing but respect and admiration for this brother.

[@raynarounds8957]

Wow. Like seriously. I am envious. He seems like a casual deep guy.

[@RuthIessVillain]

That's what's up 💯

[@jaymack9442]

Don is so underrated. Traitor, Hotel Rwanda, Boogie Nights, Oceans 11, Mouse in Devil in Blue Dress. His line “Man I ain’t no time to be tying no one up” Brooklyn’s Finest, Out of Sight. So many classic roles.

[@sliccchicc]

I LOVE DON CHEADLE!!! ONE OF MY FAVE ACTORS EVER!!!

[@uproxx]

He's a kind man and a true talent!

[@Juiceish1]

Me Too.

[@keithtaylor7238]

When I saw Don in Devil in a Blue Dress as Mouse acting toe to toe with Denzel, I knew he was a star

[@dawolf856]

He was great in the role. Unbelievable!! But having read the book, and the ones afterwards, with the characters. Larenz Tate would be PERFECT as Mouse.

[@keithtaylor7238]

@@dawolf856 i agree, he would have been too young then but a reboot he would kill

[@dawolf856]

@@keithtaylor7238 Yo... seriously! The way he's described in the books. It's Larenz... just give him colored contacts. Especially the way he played that character in "Menace to Society". Still... Cheadle fucking killed the roll. But, if they ever did the series on cable or something...

[@keithtaylor7238]

@@dawolf856 Don Cheadle said the director thought he was too young and he is 11 years older than Lorenz

[@slmeucalesa1]

oh hell yes!!!!

[@LiyaZuluM]

I loved this conversation. I am glad this is my first Don Cheadle "long-length" interview, because it was great. Thank you for sharing this conversation with us. I am also a new subscriber, so I'm about go down the rabbit-hole of all the interviews from this show.

[@intellectno3]

First off, props to Don Cheadle. Big ups to Kweli though, his questions and smooth transitions show a keen sense of journalism.

[@ComyaBee]

His best role was in the movie Talk to Me playing Petey Green. He did that!

[@mcook-69don]

Yea he always great at his roles. He got too many movies that were amazing. I love his characters on Showtime. House of lies and black monday were amazing series.

[@danyelleiman2248]

It was Devil in a blue dress for me

[@matejoh]

I loved him as Petey Green!

[@ronash2031]

"That man" Mr. Don Cheadle.....Devil in a Blue Dress, probably my favorite part he played.....opposite Denzel Washington ☝️✊🌍

[@72pathz]

Mouse.......

[@48LawsofYoutube]

*"REBOUND" IS STILL ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES EVER. THIS MILES DAVIS JOINT MIGHT BE HIS "MALCOLM X"!*

[@DeTriniJam]

Earl The 🐐 Manigault

[@drewa6891]

Killing it every week! Love this show

[@uproxx]

Thanks for the shares and the love -- it means a lot!

[@davidsmith5885]

I remember years ago I seen Don Cheadle downtown Brooklyn on Atlantic Avenue.. I wouldn't say he's an underrated actor but he's definitely underappreciated!! Big up Don Cheadle!!

[@seansaga_]

Don Cheadle is a great actor. Colors, Hotel Rwanda, Traitor, Rosewood, War Machine in the MCU. Incredible body of work

[@charlesdoberman2457]

Don Cheadle brings an unparalleled level of class and professionalism to every interview.

[@uproxx]

We agree

[@lezliecole9494]

Don cheadle as mouse in devil in a blue dress was everything

[@alistairevans8204]

The expression on Talib's face for a moment after Jasmin said she listens to Drake every day. Priceless.

[@mukhtarsharmarke251]

When was that

[@alistairevans8204]

@@mukhtarsharmarke251 22.48. Go a few seconds before for the climatic buildup effect.

[@patricesankara3081]

I wonder if Jasmine has listened to Blackstar or Train of thought. Kweli changed my life with those albums alone.

[@leftylion816]

I really enjoyed this interview. Thank you! I was really glad that talked about his journey through the industry and representing our people in such an exemplary way. Growing up in Brooklyn, as a Marine Corps veteran and as a long time comic book fan I absolutely appreciated Cheadle's portrayal of one of my favorite characters - WAR MACHINE! I recently bought an expensive War Machine figure from Hot Toys and the facial sculpt of Don Cheadle is flawlessly accurate! Awesome man, great mind and I was glad to get to know him better on this platform. Thank you Talib & Co.! BLESS UP!

[@b.e.francis1272]

I have been rocking with Don from playing "Icetray" on Fresh Prince through his iconic "Mouse" in a "Devil in a Blue Dress" 👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾

[@cesarsjogren]

This one is underrated. I saw it and was interested but not immediately. I'm coming back to it and I'm glad I did

[@uproxx]

💥Don is worth coming back for. Favorite part ????

[@cesarsjogren]

@@uproxx his story about meeting the crip on the set of Colors was hilarious😅😅😅. I also liked the Rosewood back story, that was fascinating. The dancing story had me cracking up too, lol

[@kingares9768]

Fantastic conversation. I loved it from all three of y'all

[@youtubed3951]

underrated actor, fucking loved him in House of Lies

[@nickromero7140]

Great show Kweli! I'm loving it! Thank you for doing this! I would love to see you interview Kool Kieth!

[@rechad]

I love how Jasmin has such a genuine smile. You can tell she a truly good person.

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

hhahahaha

[@didierleclair2310]

Man, Mouse in Devil in a blue dress was dope! I hope he gets to play him again.

[@denises.8710]

Don Cheadle is one of my FAVORITE actors!!!

[@daniel.j9062]

The Man the Myth and the Legendary Don Cheadle!! ❤ He's a genuine intelligent Human Being . Kudos to the peoples party for inviting the Man to your show. 👏 👏

[@fishoutofwaterseries1424]

I love Jasmin smile it makes me smile

[@c.mlopez893]

Love the show...Respect to Kweli...I watched Mr. Cheadle in the Earl Manigault story years ago.. I'm a fan man.. respect to u all and all your doing! ✌✊

[@Juiceish1]

Reign Over me is a Underrated Movie. One of my all time Favs.

[@keybler539]

I want to see Pharoah Monch and KRS on the show. Or even LL Cool J

[@gugulethu4155]

And busta Rhymes

[@henrygodfrey3612]

House of lies one of my favorites.

[@garyphillips5510]

right underrated show.. "shut the fuck up doug"

[@henrygodfrey3612]

Black Friday is also underrated

[@garyphillips5510]

@@NateDFunkt yea marty kaun is a alltime great character.

[@stephaniecrosby5294]

Yes! 💘 House of Lies.

[@G_Anonymous123]

Absolutely…and House of Lies was legit

[@tbiggie2003]

Another amazing interview keep doing your thing

[@somenothing7914]

this was a great interview, cool to see Don so comfortable and open, love it PART 2??

[@gemsound]

How could u not be a fan of Don Cheadle?? He's g.o.a.t status when it comes 2 acting...like Denzel, Leo, Sam Jackson, Pacino, De Niro level...

[@stephaniecrosby5294]

Ikr, everyone loves Don. House of Lies is one of my fav show.

[@gemsound]

@@stephaniecrosby5294 I love and miss House of Lies...mad they cancelled it.

[@AwakenedHebrew]

Brilliant interview!

[@letlhogonolomankge8539]

Don is one of my favorite actor chill out dude loved the show it was very insightful ...🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@aliadiagne6396]

Thanks you Talib and the team for your great job ! That's a REAL things for "real" 😁. Big up from Reunion Island. Much luv bruv'. God bless ya

[@edajrettip6525]

Traitor is my favourite movie from Don...it was crazy

[@thelastradacompany]

"Just me from Manchesta'!" Lol😂

[@DJaySplitSecond]

Hey Cutie! 🙂

[@dawolf856]

Good grab Talib... long been a fan of Don Cheadle. 👍✌

[@nocturnenoble2468]

Great interview! Thank you to everyone who made it happen!

[@Jedimonk]

The girl throws off the vibe of the show. IJS.

[@chadtep7571]

Hopefully she gets better. She seems young

[@UKLeonie]

Everyone has a learning curve and this is her's, plus she is an addition to the host.

[@patricesankara3081]

They should have a segment where she asks her questions because her knowledge is not that deep. Sway and Heather B have chemistry for instance.

[@SaheerMusic]

I guess that's why she's not at the table, im just wondering how far away she actually is...

[@deegreenlee8931]

Chad Tep exactly!

[@wfields37]

I’m just found this podcast and been bingeing for days. Bro ask some many great questions🔥🔥🔥🔥 cast

[@JB-vb6dh]

Great choice of guest! Keep doing your thing Kweli! Love the show!

[@Mentagasm]

One of my fave guest spots Talib did was for Dj Quirk when he said "I'm the Don Cheadle of Rap" so its great that the self proclaimed Don Cheadle Of Rap is interviewing Don Cheadle cause he is one of my Favorite Blacktors.

[@clutch8685]

Snoopy Miller is who i always think of when I see him. What a great actor. He can play anyone.

[@faysalharoun2899]

All these Legends and Icons enjoy talking to Kweli comes from him being very well respected, and that comes from him acting well as a young man, coz respect cant be bought its about how people look at you.

[@Cneph1964]

This is an awesome interview - thank you!

[@daughterofdiaspora]

Don Cheadle ladies and gentlemen!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾✊🏾

[@gpproductionz]

Jasmin is so beautiful!

[@tylerstanley578]

Don is an amazing actor and this is an amazing episode of The People's Party

[@TH3x3NT1TY]

One of the most versatile actors ever💯

[@kudabeen]

He was great in Out of Sight!! Forgot about that...

[@dluena]

Hotel Rwanda is a forever classic 💪🏾

[@phily78]

Out Of Sight is one of the best films ever made. Cheadle could not have been better. Unforgettable character

[@ahmadu82]

Great interview...

[@uproxx]

gratitude

[@MarloStringerBell]

Incredible content, information, interview & 🆓📚

[@Neenerella333]

Talking about War Machine action figures, we need Captain Planet. He's so good in those.

[@Woar2ski]

Rosewood. My guy killed it 🔥

[@bigwash8598]

This has definitely become a must watch channel and must listen to podcast when I can’t watch ! Simply awesome ! Thanks for the work your doing brother @uproxx

[@0vabyte]

Great interview of a great mind! Keep it up guys!

[@kincamell2]

Much Gratitude.

[@dr.dionpeoples]

...another great conversation - thank you for setting this one up.

[@ocieboyd2249]

One of the best yet!!! Don C is An Iconic artist...

[@Ready_for_apocalypse]

That kendrick story was crazy. I always always thought he'd make a great actor. I hope he gives it a shot one of these days.

[@luciferpitchblack3217]

It's Decided I'm Subscribing !

[@juicev25]

Don was awesome as Sammy Davis Jr in an HBO “Rat Pack” movie a long time ago, with Ray Liotta and Joe Mantegna. He sang, danced, played a couple different instruments. It was great. I wish he was asked about that part. Sammy dealt with racism, addiction, and all sorts of stuff.

[@devinkk]

damn this was dope

[@uproxx]

love that people are connecting with it!

[@AfroAmercanXpress]

Once again! Fantastic content guys. I made some notes on some of the movies he mentioned that I don't quite remember watching. Especially, Colors and Out of sight. Plus I completely had to google him on Fresh Prince, I forgot about Ice Pick* Lol Great Work, and good transitions. Appreciate the fluidity of the conversation. Keep em Comming! Btw, I've introduced this channel to coworkers and its pretty much a part of our wkly convo

[@vharris5503]

Colors is a must watch film

[@benjaminsmith8549]

Y’all forgetting about Mouse from Devil in the blue dress !!! He killed that

[@spanonemusic]

Don Cheadle in House of Lies is underrated.

[@marcus.6487]

right on, shid ✊🏿

[@clintwarner3008]

Cheadle the man...luv him in Talk To Me and Traitor.

[@retromatic588]

Y’all keep getting better and better!! I can’t wait to watch the rest when I get home! The time stamps are a huge help btw 🙌🏽

[@16barspublishingsixteenbar82]

What kind of hat is that

[@retromatic588]

16barspublishing sixteenbarspublishing ???

[@theurbanlifestylechannel2825]

Miles Ahead. Hands down. If you haven't seen it you need to see it.

[@LiyaZuluM]

I had to listen to this part ( Don speaks on some of the activist movements he's been a part of including the current state of Rwanda, still recovering from after-effects of government-sponsored genocide in the mid-90s. as well as his work in climate change awareness.) twice, because I think both of you were talking about 2 different issues. Kweli asked Cheadle about an update on Rwanda, because he reference the film "Hotel Rwanda". Cheadle responded about Sudan (because his activism was for Sudan, not Rwanda).

[@Va2nG]

Dope interview!

[@moonknightbliss]

Great conversation 🙌🏿

[@leekyoverhere]

Don Cheadle is a cool guy 👍🏾👍🏾 love the show Black Star 4ever

[@naturalbeauty637]

I had to Google that Angela Winbush video. Don had some moves. LOL!

[@thetimdmiller]

This show is great.

[@MarlonD805]

I became a fan after Rebound

[@retromatic588]

If I could make a suggestion, y’all should get Roc Marci or any of the members of the Griselda camp on here! Just because they’ve been really representing the culture fully this decade so it would be an exciting episode if one of them made it here!

[@uproxx]

It is in the works!

[@retromatic588]

UPROXX Video appreciate you all!! Best channel on KZbin

[@fairplayterrific147]

Oddisee, Torae, Termanology, Statik Selektah, Blu, Jean Grae, Phonte+Rapper Big Pooh(Little Brother) Soul Council, The Roots/Black Thought, Styles P, J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, Anderson .Paak, Skyzoo, Fashawn, Big K.R.I.T, Joell Ortiz, KING Crooked I, Royce Da 5'9", Sean Price, Mac Miller, Danny Brown, Freddie Gibbs, Madlib, Oh No, The Alchemist, Evidence, Brother Ali, CZARFACE(Inspectah Deck+Esoteric) Apathy, Rapsody, Sa-Roc, Apollo Brown, Pharoahe Monch, Nas The List Goes On....

[@fairplayterrific147]

R.E.K.S, Lil Fame It's Like There's Been Folks Reppin All Decade Long....

[@retromatic588]

Fairplay Terrific oooooooweeeee we’re on the same page!!! Disagree on Nas though, I couldn’t stand that Nasir album. Life is Good was such a great comeback album though after his previous two disappointments but it was a shame he couldn’t keep up that same energy afterwards. It’s like he wants to choose bad beats on purpose lol. I’ll take Jay-Z’s “4:44” over Nasir ANY day of the week lol

[@kudabeen]

Dating Karen Parsons...casual Drop on them...

[@uproxx]

Lol, right???!!!

[@ShinobiAFC]

Lol, not even mad.

[@AlchemyCAWS]

You guys camera quality is top notch

[@DJaySplitSecond]

The GOAT Earl Managault is his best role with his younger brother playing the same character as well!

[@k2datrack]

@23:40 when Kweli said J cole asked about reparations in the White House. Oh that's what J.Cole was talking about in "High for hours"

[@tcfolks7479]

Love this show and Jasmin so so so so so fine omg 😱!!! I wanna see snoop k dot and Cole please!! Keep up the good work fam.

[@darylreed803]

Really good interview. Talib has skills no doubt but as someone mentioned before, listen just a little bit more. Also, let the guest finish their answers. Interjecting at the right time is an art. Loved the interview. Don was so patient and thorough with his answers without drawing them way out. Very concise and painted a good picture. The one the I didn't get from this interview is that Talib asked nothing about House of Lies in which Don was the Executive Producer. Really???? Oh well, good interview all the same. Don plays all type of roles however this interview displayed his intelligence as well.

[@blakartist2000]

I enjoyed Don's interview he have a great perspective of the world and would like one day to share a conversation with him. I was a little fearful when you guys got into the political landscape but he stayed masterfully generic but pointing out actual issues of the political matrix and I agree we need to address securing the voting process and not just use it as a talking point (Russigate) to evade real issues.

[@orrytownes2766]

"The Snap-back", nice one Roadie.

[@metalahhhhhhhhhhhh]

Traitor. One of the most underrated action movies ever amazing plot Don Cheadle is flawless

[@dextergreysun]

It is a really hard movie to watch but, to me, Don Cheadle's best performance was in this Showtime movie called Things Behind The Sun. That movie made me a huge Don Cheadle fan!

[@dragonfly4484]

His cap actually has red and blue on it ..LOL

[@earnestlynch716]

I certainly look up to Don Cheadle. And I bet the role was Earl Manigault.

[@earnestlynch716]

Jarrel Ely no way I didn’t know that

[@s4mp_founder]

The most underrated black actor of all time.

[@stephaniecrosby5294]

Nah, I don't think he's underrated at all...he is just low key. I think black folks...and others love appreciate him.

[@sheritadavis9228]

Never knew he was born in my hometown Kansas City 💯

[@fairplayterrific147]

This Interview Connects His Character Ice Trey Briefly On "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" Had An Unaired Pilot Show Title's "In The House" Debbie Allen Playing On LL's "In The House" Alfonso Ribero Being On Both "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" & "In The House" Props To Don Cheadle "Devil In A Blue Dress" Top 5 Favorite Film Of Mine.....