Don Cheadle to receive indie honor

At the Los Angeles Film Festival's Awards Ceremony on June 29, Don Cheadle will be presented with the Spirit of Independence Award, which honors artists that pursue their own independent, artistic vision. With the award, Cheadle joins the likes of George Clooney, Charlize Theron and Clint Eastwood, who have each previously received the honor.

In the past few years, Cheadle has risen to be one of Hollywood's most respected actors, appearing and starring in films like Traffic, Ocean's Eleven and After the Sunset. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Paul Rusesabagina in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, a film on the Rwandan Genocide. And if you're of a relatively young generation, you probably remember him best as Ice-Trey from the "Homeboy, Sweet Homeboy" episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Why he didn't receive an award for this groundbreaking role earlier is beyond us.

On a more serious note, Cheadle has become involved in the campaign to raise awareness about the genocide that's currently taking place in Darfur. In 2005, the actor visited the region, and since then has made raising awareness about the crisis a key part of his life. He recently co-authored the book Not on Our Watch and produced and appeared in the film Darfur Now, both of which deal with the atrocities that are being committed in the Sudan. In interviews, Cheadle has not shied away from talking about the conflict. At a recent event for Darfur Now Cheadle commented,

"I came back [from Darfur], took stock and thought, ‘Where do I have influence?’ And then I realized, ‘Oh, I’m an actor.’ I go on red carpets and people ask me questions like what does Brad [Pitt] eat. And I say, 'anything,' and then I get to go into my thing.”

Here's hoping he gets to keep doing his thing.

Related links:

Don Cheadle on IMdB

NotOnOurWatch Book.com

LAFilmFest.com

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