Fast chat: Don Cheadle on "The Guard"

Don Cheadle has the kind of credits almost any actor would envy. Ever since he achieved widespread notice as the homicidal Mouse Alexander in the 1995 film "Devil in a Blue Dress," the 46-year-old native of Kansas City, Mo., has run off a string of memorable performances: As the Cockney-accented Brasher Tarr in the "Ocean's" films; wild man DJ Petey Greene in "Talk To Me"; a troubled policeman in "Crash"; a teacher in the HBO film "A Lesson Before Dying" (for which he was nominated for an Emmy); and hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina in "Hotel Rwanda," which earned him a best actor Oscar nomination. Cheadle also is known for his philanthropic work, particularly his efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur. In his latest film, "The Guard" (opening July 29), the thoughtful actor plays an FBI agent sent to rural Ireland to stop a drug deal. Lewis Beale caught up with him by phone on his way to a press junket.

"The Guard" seems like a real fish-out-of-water tale. Is that what attracted you to it?

I loved the script, I thought the story really popped, the writing was smart and unique. It was really fun to go to the area where I would be a fish out of water , and it was unique to be the fish out of water when you were playing the fish out of water.

Your co-star, Brendan Gleeson, is one of the great Irish actors. Did he give you any tips on how to comport yourself on the Emerald Isle?

He said, "Make sure you drink the Guinness, and you'll be all right."

Your mom was a teacher, and your dad a psychologist. How'd you get into acting?

I started acting in school in the fifth grade. It was something I liked to do, to make believe at the highest level, and that's still what we do. It was just the opportunity to try to experience other people, other characters. The first thing I did was "Charlotte's Web." I was a rat, and I kept going, "How would a rat think?" Things like that.

Any particular career advice that helped or hurt?

When I was going to school at the California Institute of the Arts, they tried to discourage us from going to L.A. and auditioning. It was a very conservatory atmosphere, the business was anathema to them. But there was a group that came out of school together as actors, we bum-rushed auditions, we were a little support group. So I guess the best advice is cliched -- It's "don't stop. Never say die."

Your career seems to really have been kick-started thanks to your portrayal of the flamboyant killer Mouse in "Devil in a Blue Dress." You won several critics' awards for that performance. What did it mean for your future?

That was a part I didn't think I was right for. When I read the piece, I didn't see me. But that was a leg up for me, just being able to work with Denzel and Franklin, real role models. There was an uptick, but the reality is, it's been a grind; until a few years ago, I was a hustling actor. There were no roles created for me.

Really? Your credits and roles are truly impressive.

It's a grind, and the reasons are many. Studios are making less movies than years ago, and the movies are franchises, tentpoles, not the movies I and my peers came up on. And you look at TV, they're stars, movie stars, and it's hard to break in. When that happens, the parts that were marginalized will be even more marginalized.

So what about your role as the hotel manager fighting to save lives during a genocide in "Hotel Rwanda"?

It meant a lot. I was happy to have done it for what it woke me up to in the world, and the work I got into outside the film business. The nomination meant a lot for the movie, it raised its profile, and the work that was done around justice and genocide. The nomination itself -- that's nice, but it doesn't mean you're off the hustle. The hustle remains.