How Donald Glover Became the Most Exciting Star on the Planet

James Gill
TV Movies
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The comedian Dylan Moran once said of potential, “It’s like your bank balance, you know — you always have much less than you think.”

While this cheek-burning might apply to most, the same couldn’t be said of Donald Glover, the sort of polymath who’d make Leonardo da Vinci feel like he really ought to pull his finger out.

Potential? Glover, it once seemed, possibly had much. Since truly exploding on to the public consciousness in Community in 2009, the comedian/musician/writer/actor/producer/director has been positively bursting with the stuff.

But, for fans of Glover, there was a danger he might fall short of lofty expectations. Granted, he’s only 34, but how many promising talents have had their wings singed before even hitting 30?

Sure, Glover was charismatic, likeable and brimming with talent, but the leading roles were eluding him. There was the internet campaign for Spider-Man in 2010. No dice (and, it turns out, no audition). You’d see him in, say, 2015’s Magic Mike XXL and think, “Donald – you’re better than this.” (please note: you can see why he did it – the first outing is a minor masterpiece). And even earlier this year his planned Deadpool cartoon series bit the dust.

Was Glover spreading himself too thin? Had he missed the boat? Would the world never get to fully appreciate his genius? And then, in May 2018, Glover landed the sort of irresistible one-two combination that would prove his coup de grace: “This Is America” (his single as rapper Childish Gambino) and Solo (box-office-wise, the film has disappointed; Glover, however, did not (and, in the opinion of this writer, neither did the film, but that is for another time)). The world collectively sank to its knees to bow down.

The world will bow once again when Glover voices Simba, the Lion King himself, in Disney’s live-action/CGI retelling of the 1994 classic, which is out next year. And, tellingly, Warner Bros is circling for a mega-budget Willy Wonka origin story to give a true indication of his standing.

Right now, Glover has the world by the tail. No one is hotter. With this in mind, we at FANDOM pinpoint the five key moments that ensured Glover went from potential nearly man to hottest star on the planet. You might disagree, but we feel these are the vital building blocks that have laid the foundation for this golden age of Glover…

5. The Rise of Childish Gambino: Sick Boi mixtape (June 2008)

If you didn’t know, Childish Gambino is Glover’s rap moniker (which, fact fans, came from a Wu Tang Clan name generator). Indeed, possibly the most inspirational thing about Glover is his willingness to try so much. The temptation in life to keep painting inside the lines is too strong for most of us mere mortals. Glover, however, has tried his hand at practically everything. Has it all been a success? Of course not, but that’s missing the point. To slightly misquote Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest: “At least he tried, goddammit. At least he did that.”

When it comes to music, the greatness is undeniable. While there was output pre-2008, Glover himself has disowned some of the earlier stuff, which is why we’ll kick off with the Sick Boi mixtape of 2008 for a rich flavour of what was to come. Some musicians put out their best work first and never quite capture the raw majesty of a brilliant debut album. Not so with Glover; it feels like it’s all built up to May 2018’s internet-breaking “This Is America.” If the other points on this list are the tiki taka-style passes to put Glover through on goal, then “This Is America” is his thumping 25-yard screamer.

4. Fan Favourite: First Appearance on ‘Community’ (September 2009)

Donald Glover in Community.

Granted, as with most great sitcoms, Community is all about the ensemble (think Cheers, Taxi or The Larry Sanders Show), rather than one star. And, in the case of Community, creator Dan Harmon takes enormous credit for fashioning something so strikingly fresh. However, in a cast brimming with talent, there was something magnetic about Glover who could, it seemed, do the lot. As the definitive loveable nerd Troy Barnes, Glover would break your heart one moment (can anyone do “dejected” quite like Donald?) and have you spitting out your coffee the next.

Such was his talent that co-star Chevy Chase reportedly felt threatened, which apparently made for some awkward moments off-set. Glover brushed it off with typical élan: “I know there’s a human in there somewhere — he’s almost too human.” When Glover left in 2014 after 89 episodes, fans felt he was making a mistake (indeed, the subsequent couple of years would feel relatively quiet on the TV and film front). But then, he has always been one step ahead of the rest of us…

3. Special FX: Channel Orders First Series of ‘Atlanta’ (October 2015)

Donald Glover (r) in Atlanta.

When Glover and Atlanta hoovered up 2017 Emmys and Golden Globes, it proved a reminder to many: Oh, that’s right! Donald Glover is really talented! This surreal comedy-drama series has been a perfect showcase for Glover’s myriad talents: as well as creating the story of two Georgia cousins making strides in the rap scene, Glover co-writes, stars and occasionally directs. “For black people,” explains Oscar-winning screenwriter, director and actor Jordan Peele, “Atlanta provides the catharsis of ‘Finally, some elevated black sh*t.’” FX has just greenlit series 3, and Glover says: “This will be our most accessible, but also the realest and honest version of it, and I think the most enjoyable.”

2. World-Wide Web: ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (July 2017)

A somewhat controversial pick, given it’s little more than a cameo, but you too probably felt the collective feeling of “Yes!” from cinema audiences when Glover appeared on-screen, looking to buy weapons from two of the film’s bad guys. “Is he Miles Morales?” you possibly thought when Tom Holland’s Spider-Man first clapped eyes on him (after all, it is a role Glover has been linked with in the past, and he voiced Morales in the animated series). “For the love of god, who is he?!”

It transpired that Glover is Aaron Davies, which could see him return in future instalments as The Prowler (Davies is also Miles Morales’ uncle). Glover’s role is fleeting, but such is his megawatt charisma that he dominates the screen for the brief time he’s on it. This was a reminder to a global audience that Glover deserves juicier roles on the silver screen. They would get their wish…

1. Star in the Ascendancy: ‘Solo’ (May 2018)

There is no sugar-coating it: Solo has been a box-office disappointment. If you’re like this writer, you skipped out of the cinema positively rubbing your hands together, marvelling at the prospect of what an enormous hit the film would be. Then the opening weekend numbers came in… Nevertheless, Glover is a revelation, nailing the part of Lando Calrissian (Glover finds the sweet spot between impersonation of Billy Dee Williams, with his own take on the silver-tongued smuggler).

There was talk of a Lando spin-off movie, such was the quality of Glover’s turn, but Solo’s box-office takings have most likely put paid to that. However, the worst-case scenario is that the origin story provided yet another calling card to Hollywood, helping to cement Glover’s place on the A-list. After all, Glover, like Lando, remains a rebel everyone can depend on.

James Gill
Comedian, writer, still convinced Jimmy White will win the world championship.