The Leroy Awards

Think of Don Cheadle today, and you will no doubt think of the many historical figures he portrays on film: Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda, Petey Greene in Talk to Me. But before he was an Oscar nominee, Cheadle had well earned his Leroy as a trendsetting model of early 90s fashion.

The Golden Girls had just finished the run of their highly successful 80s sitcom, and you know what comes after a highly successful 80s sitcom: a spinoff! The Golden Palace took over that run, with the same opening theme and nearly the same cast, however it was especially apropos to throw in a token black character for color and levity in an otherwise monochrome show. Cue the high-top-fade in the blue suit; the natural choice for chemistry with three spunky geriatrics:

And yes, that was Cheech Marin earing his Manuel Award as a chef (I’m sure he made great brownies), but that’s for another website. Cheadle went on to other small roles with range varying from a guest spot on ER to supporting roles like in Traffic, but his next great Leroy would come as a brief spokesman for the NFL. Watch as he parses the mundane with the powerful prose and cool demeanor of a stereotypically cool black spokesman:

Mr. Cheadle, you have earned your Leroy. Your future Oscar awaits.