{"id":4817,"date":"2008-07-20T19:53:33","date_gmt":"2008-07-21T02:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ethnicelebs.com\/?p=4817"},"modified":"2026-01-14T17:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T01:49:55","slug":"don-cheadle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ethnicelebs.com\/don-cheadle","title":{"rendered":"Don Cheadle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Don

Cheadle in 2013, photo by Prphotos<\/p><\/div>\n

Birth Name: Donald Frank Cheadle, Jr.<\/p>\n

Place of Birth: Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.<\/p>\n

Date of Birth: November 29, 1964<\/p>\n

Ethnicity: African-American<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don Cheadle is an American actor, writer, producer, and director. He plays James Rhodes \/ War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His roles also include Boogie Nights<\/em>, the Ocean’s Eleven<\/em> franchise, Hotel Rwanda<\/em>, Reign Over Me<\/em>, and Traitor<\/em> (2008).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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, who were slaves owned by the Chickasaw Nation. The U.S. government made a tready with the Chickasaw in 1866 to free their slaves. Don’s great-grandmother Maggie was the daughter of Henry Lewis and Caroline.<\/p>\n

Don’s paternal grandmother was Cynthia Barnes (the daughter of Joseph Smith Barnes and Clennie Carroll). Cynthia was born in Missouri.<\/p>\n

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\/Meyers Kenoly and Mary Mathilda\/Matilda, who were born into slavery.<\/p>\n

Don’s maternal grandmother was named Louisa\/Louise Maretta “Louie” Thompkins (the daughter of Rochel Turner). Louisa was born in Missouri.<\/p>\n

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show African American Lives 2<\/em> (2008) stated that Don’s genetic ancestry is:<\/p>\n

*81% Sub-Saharan African
\n*19% European<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In his 2009 book about the show, In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past<\/em>, 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. One of his DNA lines matched to Cameroon.<\/p>\n

Sources:<\/strong> Clip of Don’s appearance on African American Lives 2<\/em>, 2008 – https:\/\/www.youtube.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Genealogy of Don Cheadle – https:\/\/www.geni.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Don’s paternal grandfather, Lee Therman Cheadle, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https:\/\/www.familysearch.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Don’s paternal grandmother, Cynthia Barnes, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https:\/\/www.familysearch.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Don’s maternal grandfather, Basil Leon\/W. North, Sr., on the 1910 U.S. Census – https:\/\/www.familysearch.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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