Though most of the interview is focused on wristwatches (!), Don Cheadle has a few clever things to say about acting in films like Robert Zemeckis‘ Flight and TV’s House of Lies in his recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Though Cheadle is a favorite for his roles in blockbusters like Iron Man 2 and in his more personal projects like Hotel Rwanda, for which he received an Oscar nomination, he admits that he still isn’t confident about his acting. He explains, “You can hide inside a character, but if you are being honest and using the things that drive real situations, acting is about exposing who you are. And I’m never sure if I’ve done a good job.”
Humorously, Cheadle points at the career trajectory of many actors to explain why he’s been so prolific lately — even giving up his lunch breaks on House of Lies so he can practice the trumpet for a planned Miles Davis biopic. He says, “You know the five stages of an actor’s life? ‘Who’s Don Cheadle? Get me Don Cheadle. Get me a Don Cheadle type. Get me a young Don Cheadle. Who the hell is Don Cheadle?’ Well, every actor gets to that last one eventually. I’m not quite there yet, and I want to wring everything I can out of this life before I am.”
