This month's featured actor on "LAMB Acting School 101" is another one of my personal favs - Don Cheadle. I truly believe he's one of the best current actors, as he always brings an interesting interpretation of various characters. For my entry, I highlight my 3 favourite scenes from his films. Check 'em out below.
N.B. - Youtube wouldn't let me embed some of the links, so you'll just have to click on the links to direct you to the youtube page.
#3 - Boogie Nights
http://youtu.be/MR6UYc5GUsw
In this scene Cheadle shows his great comic timing, as he takes on the character of Buck Swope. In the first introduction to the character (correct me if I’m wrong), I was so tickled by the amusing sight of this black man in a cowboy outfit. As he makes his sales pitch, it is evident that this a versatile and talented actor. He brings authenticity to a character that could have easily slipped into annoying caricature. Instead, he actually makes Buck Swope kinda cool!
#2 - Crash
http://youtu.be/8tKROt4o55w
In one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in a heavy-handed film, Cheadle goes to comfort his mother after his brother’s death. You can feel his internal strife as he realizes that he has lost his family, through the death of his brother and his mother’s rejection. He begins to explain that it was really him who came to look after her, but ultimately decides against it. You can practically read all the conflicting thoughts on his face. Nothing flashy, but perfectly executed.
#1 - Talk To Me
In a film where Cheadle shows his greatest range, my favourite scene comes when his character is required to deliver the crushing news about Martin Luther King’s assassination. Petey Greene is a hilarious, over-the-top character, but Cheadle is still able to deliver a poignant dramatic scene. He stays fully embedded within his character, accent and all. A deceptively difficult task, as he has to portray anger and sadness before composing himself to comfort a frustrated nation of black people. When he returns for the final address, his speech is particularly poetic and jazzy in its delivery.
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