ActorDon Cheadlehas dazzled audiences for decades now, appearing in everything from big blockbuster films to low-budget indie movies and TV shows.
Cheadle first got his start in the mid-1980s, appearing in a short called3 Daysand as “Juicy Burgers Worker” in the filmMoving Violations(viaIMDb).His breakthrough came in the 1995 movieDevil In a Blue Dress, directed by Carl Franklin (viaCinapse).
Even starring alongsideDenzel Washington, Cheadle stood out, with one critic noting the film, in retrospect, was “… supercharged by performances by a pitch-perfect Washington and a then-relatively unknown Don Cheadle, whose turn as Easy’s loyal-but-homicidal pal Mouse was one of the great star-making turns of the decade” (viaRogerEbert.com).
After that, Cheadle was well on his way to becoming the star many know and love today, racking up appearances in classics likeBoogie Nights,Traffic,Swordfishand more.
Given all of the credits Cheadle has accumulated over the years (perhaps most notablyHotel Rwandaand the TV shows he’s starred in likeHouse of LiesandBlack Monday), you might not be surprised to learn that he has a dazzling net worth of $35 million (viaCelebrity Net Worth).
A little bit of Marvel goes a long way
As Don Cheadle devotees likely know, in 2010, when Terrence Howard decided he was making his exit from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that’s when Cheadle was called upon to make his entrance (viaRepublic World).
Howard was supposed to reprise hisIron Manrole as Rhodey inIron Man 2, but salary negotiations collapsed, and he was subsequently replaced by Cheadle.
Cheadle got $1 million to appear inIron Man 2, and in the years since has brought Rhodey (also known as War Machine) to life in the franchise’s many other outings, likeIron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War,Avengers: Endgame, and more.
It’s speculated that Cheadle’s salary has increased to somewhere between $4 million and $7 million, however, the exact number is not currently confirmed (viaIGN).
While this would account for the bulk of Cheadle’s wealth, it’s worth noting that his payday for Marvel movies is significantly lower than that of his co-stars: For example, thanks to a deal that allowed him to secure a portion of the film’s profits,Robert Downey Jr.earned $75 million forEndgame, while actors like Chris Evans,Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth made $15 million for their roles.
However, with Phase 4 of the Marvel franchise beginning (viaEntertainment Weekly) and various Avengers hanging up their respective hats (viaCBR), hopefully this clears way for Cheadle to play an even bigger role and to earn the paycheck he deserves.
