Don Cheadle on Why Jeffrey Tambor Should Win the Emmy and 5 Other Nominee Questions

“I think he’s doing very interesting work,” the “House of Lies” star tells TheWrap

Getty Images

Don Cheadle is up for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy, but he thinks the award should go to someone else in the category.

Jeffrey Tambor probably should win,” the “House of Lies” star told TheWrap in an interview. Cheadle also says fellow nominee Louis C.K deserves to win for his work on the FX series “Louie.”

Cheadle also discussed his thoughts on awards in general, what song he would choose as an Emmy victory song, and “Captain America: Civil War.”

Read on for TheWrap’s full conversation with Cheadle:

Who is the stiffest competition in your category?
Jeffrey Tambor probably should win. I think he’s doing very interesting work. He’s a veteran and he’s — is Louis C.K. in the category?

Yes, he is.
Yeah, either one of those guys I think could win. Louis for just his overall everything that he does on his show. Jeffrey for the kind of role that he’s taken on, I think he’s a shoo-in. But the stiffest I would say is probably — no, I was gonna go to some sexual joke but I won’t.

What were the biggest snubs this year, either on your show  or in general?
Well, I don’t know about snubs. I don’t even know how you quantify that. I mean, if there was a singular body — I don’t know how a group of people snubs a person. It’s all, at the end of the day, somewhat of a popularity contest.

And it’s a very inexact and subjective kind of a contest where we’re trying to decide who’s funnier, their own paradigm versus someone else’s very different sort of paradigm. It’s a very inexact science and I don’t know how you make these determinations anyway.

Have you been actively campaigning, and if so, do you have a secret weapon?
No and no. [Laughs] I mean, we’ve already done our work. Regardless of what happens as a result of it or any sort of accolades, that doesn’t really effect, I don’t believe, how we do what we do. It’s great for any of us to have the attention that it could potentially bring to our shows, and there’s a desire if you’re doing work that you think is worthy to have people tune in and watch it and these things help that. So in that regard it’s great.

As far as it affecting what we do day to day on our respective shows, I don’t imagine any of us would say that the awards changes that. Other than the fact that you may get to continue to do it if you’re on the bubble. If your network’s thinking, “Do we stay with this show or not?” This kind of attention could help you stay on the air.

Did you have any naysayers as you were coming up as an actor?
Well, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do growing up. When I graduated from high school, I was pursuing vocal jazz and instrumental jazz  as well and I had scholarships to pursue both of those paths, and I chose acting. So it wasn’t clear until I was 17 what I wanted to do anyway. And nobody ever tried to discourage me.

What would your Emmy victory song be?
“Knee Deep” by Parliament Funkadelic.

Is there anything you can share with us about “Captain America: Civil War?”
I could, but then I’d have to find you and kill you. It’s Marvel and Disney — I think they’d find you.

Comments