Exclusive Interview: Don Cheadle Suits Up for ‘Iron Man 3’By Max Evry
April 26, 2013
Since his breakout role opposite Denzel Washington in 1995’s “Devil in a Blue Dress” Don Cheadle has been one of America’s premiere character actors in films like “Rosewood,” the “Ocean’s Eleven” movies, “Crash,” as well as starring roles in biopics like “Hotel Rwanda” and “Talk to Me.”
Perhaps his most high profile gig was taking over Colonel James Rhodes, a.k.a War Machine in “Iron Man 2” from Terrence Howard, and now he’s reprising the role in “Iron Man 3.” The twist is his armor is now painted red, white and blue to create the more PR-friendly Iron Patriot, and he spends the film protecting the President of the United States (William Sadler) from the Osama bin Laden-esque terrorist leader The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Besides exchanging gunfire with bad guys, Cheadle also trades plenty of quips of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, as they both get out of their armor and take on the genetically enhanced villains.
We got to chat 1-on-1 with the actor about this latest “Iron Man,” which some are calling a concluding chapter, as well as his continuing work on the Showtime series “House of Lies” and whether a reunion with “Boogie Nights” director Paul Thomas Anderson is in the cards.
You and Robert spend a good deal of screentime outside your suits in this one. What aspects of Colonel Rhodes make him a hero even when his toys get taken away?
DON CHEADLE: It was a lot of fun to run around and be the action dude and play with the stunt team and fly on wires, all that stuff. It’s nice to be in an action movie and actually be in the physical action.
Is it fair to say that the Iron Patriot armor, as it’s represented in the film, is almost poking fun at American ra-ra jingoism?
CHEADLE: I imagine you could say that. I didn’t see it as being that serious in terms of a parody that was happening. It’s explained in the movie as being a rebrand. The President wanted it to be strong, I don’t think we play it for yucks, but that could be your takeaway for sure, why not?
These movies have always walked a fine-line between being a right wing and left wing fantasy. This guy with all these weapons operating autonomously from the government, and then there’s all the anti-military industrial complex/clean energy stuff.
CHEADLE: Basically they’re entertainment. It’s there to be a big summer tentpole movie. I think you could read those things into it and I wouldn’t say you’re necessarily wrong but that feels to me like… it could be read that way but I dunno, that’s not necessarily the intention, but yes there’s always an aspect of these movies that’s a bit tongue-in-cheek and trying to take the air out of things. You could be dead-on, I never really made that connection that strongly.
Right, and political commentary or not these films exist to sell toys. What’s the weirdest piece of merch you’ve seen with your face on it?
CHEADLE: Anything with my face on it that’s a piece of merchandise is pretty weird. I was not anticipating that, I never saw that happening in my “career,” but it’s kinda funny. I’ve only seen the action figures. Have you seen anything?
Not really, but I figured you had to approve all that stuff, but maybe you don’t!
CHEADLE: No, the image for the toy is one thing I need to approve, but other than that I think somewhere I signed my life away and they just make as many pieces of stuff as they want.
This time you have a new director, and Shane Black and Jon Favreau actually have a lot in common: They both started as actors, branched out into screenwriting, eventually became directors in their own right. What are the key differences between their styles as filmmakers?
CHEADLE: When we do these movies the director and all of us are just kinda hanging on for dear life. We work in a very collaborative nature. Shane having penned this one was a little different, you know. We didn’t have to pull the writer in when we started tugging and pulling on the strands in the script, Shane was right there and Drew was there too. They both know that the big job is trying to marry these very real aspects of the filmmaking with the technical CGI and all the greenscreen, and to that end we’re all trying to wrap our arms around it together.
At this point everyone knows that these movies involve a fair amount of improv. Can you tell us your favorite moment/line that you guys came up with on the spot?
CHEADLE: I can’t even remember the written lines, I’m definitely not going to be able to remember all of our improvs! It was constantly Downey and I trying to break each other up the whole time. Who can make who crack? That’s kinda what the game was.
Have you seen the finished film yet?
CHEADLE: I saw it a couple days ago.
Does it differ greatly from what they started with at the beginning of production?
CHEADLE: I think the first assembly of the movie was three-hours long, so yeah there’s a lot of stuff that isn’t in there that would have been there before.
Right, I know that there was a whole subplot involving China that they shot, and Wang Xueqi has a cameo at the beginning of our version. Was that never intended for the American release, just for overseas?
CHEADLE: I don’t know, I really wasn’t involved with the China part of it.
So in “Iron Man 2” you guys even threw in a line referencing your having replaced another actor. Now that you’re reprising the character, do you feel like people can finally accept not only you in the role but the arc of Rhodey and Tony’s friendship?
CHEADLE: That’s an audience member question. I accepted it but I’m doing it, but that’s a question for people watching it. Hopefully they will, hopefully we dealt with the transition and that’s not still lingering but you never know. Some people are probably gonna see it and say, “Wow, I wish Terrence was back,” but you never know.
Do you feel like that arc is nicely wrapped up, that you have a good solid trilogy here?
CHEADLE: Yeah! I think that it ends in a satisfying manner and if this is the last one then it did what it’s supposed to do. It could go on or this could be it, I don’t know. That’s really where Marvel has to look at the entire universe of movies they’re making and figure out if there’s another bite of the apple.
You’ve talked for a long time, including to this site, about your neverending mission to play Miles Davis. How much closer is that to reality?
CHEADLE: I’m kinda gonna stop talking about it, ’cause I don’t think that’s getting us any closer to actually doing it. We’re in the trenches, we’re still doing what we have to do, but I think all conversations about it I’m gonna cease and desist.
That’s fair! Wish you the best of luck, I know you’ve been at that for a long time.
CHEADLE: Appreciate it.
Going into the past a bit, you’re one of the few actors from “Boogie Nights” NOT to do another movie with P.T. Anderson. Any chance you guys will work together again someday, perhaps on “Inherent Vice?”
CHEADLE: I dunno, if the right thing comes along I’m sure that we will. There’s no bad blood, we’re friends, it’s just a matter of what kinds of projects he’s working on and the schedules lining up.
You’re coming to the end of season 2/beginning of season 3 of “House of Lies.” What do fans have in store?
CHEADLE: The end of season 2 saw the pod all sorta dismantled, so we’re gonna go into season 3 figuring out how we’re all going to connect on all these different islands.
“Iron Man 3” is in theaters everywhere May 3rd.
