Cheadle earned an Emmy nomination for just over three minutes of screen time.
The 2021 Emmy Award nominations included a tidal wave of snubs and surprises, but no single nomination is more of a head-scratcher than Don Cheadle’s bid for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. The now 11-time Emmy nominee landed a spot in the category thanks to what amounts to a three-minute cameo in the pilot episode of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Cheadle’s two scenes are hardly an acting showcase, and even he was a bit baffled by his nominations.
“Thanks, well wishers. sorry, haters,” Cheadle wrote on his Twitter page. “I don’t really get it either. buuuuuuuuuut on we go…”
Cheadle reprises his Marvel Cinematic Universe character James Rhodes in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” for two scenes, one of which does not even include any dialogue. The first scene finds James listening to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson give a speech about donating Captain America’s shield to a museum. The second scene is a brief conversation between James and Sam as they walk around the museum and reflect on Captain America’s legacy. Cheadle appears on screen for approximately just over three minutes total.
Cheadle’s nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series was the only acting nom given to “The Falcoln and the Winter Soldier,” as leading stars Mackie and Sebastian Stan did not make the cut. The series earned a total of five nominations, including Outstanding Sound Editing, Outstanding Special Visual Effects, Outstanding Stunt Coordination, and Outstanding Stunt Performance.
Marvel has a strong showing at this year’s Emmys thanks to “Falcon and Winter Soldier” and “WandaVision,” the limited series which picked up an impressive 23 nominations. “WandaVision” broke into the top categories for Best Limited Series, Best Actress in a Limited Series (Elizabeth Olsen), Best Actor in a Limited Series (Paul Bettany), and Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series (Kathryn Hahn).
As for Cheadle, he’ll next be back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the star of his own original series “Armor Wars.” There’s no current release date for the project.
thanks, well wishers. sorry, haters. agreed, 🤷🏿♂️ers. i don’t really get it either. buuuuuuuuuut on we go …
— Don” ‘t ask me google questions” Cheadle (@DonCheadle) July 13, 2021
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