by Paola Fanutti

Created on: April 18, 2008   Last Updated: May 19, 2008

When he isn't filming movies, Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Don Cheadle is raising awareness about the genocide taking place since 2003 in Darfur, Sudan, which according to the UN, has left to date more than 2 million Sudanese dead or displaced.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 1964 the rambunctious son of a bank manager and clinical psychologist never thought that he would become a world famous actor as well as a human rights activist.

Since youth, Cheadle was indeed destined for stardom. It was in drama class that the young high school student succeeded most, and it was in front of the big screen in New York, where Cheadle felt most comfortable.

As one of Hollywood's most gifted talents, Cheadle starred in such pictures as Devil in a Blue Dress, Rosewood, Boogie Nights, Mission to Mars, The Family Man, Traffic, Swordfish, Rush Hour 2 and Ocean's Eleven.

But Cheadle's acting role was about to get more complicated. His role in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda was a grippingly serious one, which prompted him to become the actor/activist he is now. Cheadle's passionate involvement in humanitarian issues began with Hotel Rwanda, a disturbing film about the 1997 Rwandan Genocide.

In an interview with phase9tv.com, Cheadle explains the personal impact of Hotel Rwanda and his future humanitarian goals. "It (Hotel Rwanda), gives me joy and allows me to grow as an actor. But the film has spurred me into other directions. We went on a congressional trip to Rwanda and we also got to put the Sudan crisis centre stage."

Since the 2004 Hotel Rwanda release, Cheadle's commitment towards using his celebrity status to raise awareness about humanitarian crises has continued.

Cheadle is currently publicly campaigning against the violence taking place in Darfur, a situation which desperately needs exposure in the global media.

His crusade for the crisis of Darfur involves courageous journeys to the troubled region to experience the horrors of the area firsthand. In an interview to cnn.com, Cheadle affirms, "I really try and feel what it would be like to possibly be like to have been attacked and (I) trudge through miles and miles of desert."

Cheadle's book, "Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond," co-authored with fellow human rights activist John Prendergast inspires youths, religious organizations, politicians and individuals at the grassroots level to speak out and take action against the crisis in Darfur.

Cheadle's documentary,

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