Donald Glover is a talented figure in music and Hollywood. Any project featuring Glover is sure to be entertaining and tends to win several awards. Glover began his career as a writer for the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, but it was his role as Troy Barnes in the underrated sitcom Community where Glover earned recognition.
Members of Community have gone on to have successful careers in Hollywood, such as Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, and the Russo brothers. But Glover overshadows them all!
10 The Martian
The Martian is a science-fiction film starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott. The film is an adaptation of the novel, with the same name, by Andy Weir. The Martian is praised by critics and won the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Actor - Musical or Comedy at the 72nd Golden Globes, and nominated for seven awards at the 88th Academy Awards.
Donald Glover joined the star-studded cast featuring Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Jeff Daniels. Glover plays Rich Purnell, a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of astrodynamics. He creates a plan to rescue Damon's character from Mars.
9 Final Album
Donald Glover has stated his plans to retire the Childish Gambino moniker after the release of his fourth studio album. The website, donaldgloverpresents.com, featured a collection of songs on March 15, 2020, which played on a loop for around 12 hours before it was removed. Glover released the album, titled "3.15.20," a couple of days later.
The unexpected album drop had zero promotion. The album features guest appearances from Ariana Grande and 21 Savage. Only two tracks on the album include proper titles and there is no album cover. To date, Glover has released four albums and several mixtapes.
8 Production Deal With FX
Donald Glover and FX Television have a great working relationship. Glover's Atlanta television series is an FX exclusive, with future seasons set to broadcast on the channel. Due to the show's success, FX signed Glover to an exclusive deal with FX Productions in 2017.
The deal will allow Glover to continue working on Atlanta while also developing new projects for FX. One of the first projects was supposed to be an animated series starring Marvel character Deadpool. Glover and his younger brother, Stephen, were set to be the writers and showrunners for the series. Unfortunately, the series was scrapped due to creative differences between the Glovers and Marvel.
7 Guava Island
Donald Glover stars alongside Rihanna in Guava Island. The two artists secretly filmed the short film in Cuba and feature Glover performing several songs. Guava Island has a running time of 56 minutes, making it more like a visual album rather than a feature film.
Guava Island has several connections to the FX television series Atlanta. The film is written by Stephen Glover, who is a part of the writing team for Atlanta. Guava Island is directed by Hiro Murai, a frequent collaborator in Glover's music videos and director of several Atlanta episodes.
6 Spider-Man: Homecoming
Donald Glover's connection with Marvel's character Miles Morales goes back to the character's introduction in the comic books. The physical appearance of Morales is inspired by a scene in Community where Glover wears Spider-Man pajamas. Glover then voiced Miles Morales in the third season of the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man.
When Spider-Man made his solo film debut in the MCU with Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel included an easter egg for Miles Morales fans. Glover made a cameo in the film as Aaron Davis, known as the Prowler and the uncle of Morales in the comics. Davis mentions he has a nephew, hinting at Morales' existence in the MCU.
5 Solo: A Star Wars Story
Lando Calrissian is an iconic character in the Star Wars franchise. Calrissian is a playboy gambler who loses the Millenial Falcon to Han Solo from a bet. Originally an antagonist for betraying Solo, Calrissian ultimately becomes a leader in the Rebel Alliance.
The character is famously played by Billy Dee Williams. But producers required a younger actor to portray Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Donald Glover is the perfect choice for the role because he embodies the charm and wit associated with the character. Glover even met with Williams to get advice on the role.
4 "This Is America"
Donald Glover was the host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live in May 2018, where he debuted "The Is America." The song talks about gun violence and the discrimination of African-Americans in America. "This Is America" feature background vocals from artists Young Thug, 21 Savage, Migo's Quavo, Rae Sremmurd's Slim Jxmmi, and BlockBoy JB.
The music video is directed by Atlanta's Hiro Murai and was released online simultaneously with Glover's performance on SNL. Both the song and music video were praised for their message. "This Is America" won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards.
3 The Lion King
The Lion King is a classic Disney animated film. The film is praised by fans and critics for its emotional story and fantastic animation. The Lion King gain cultural significance throughout the years for its tribute to African culture and heritage.
Disney's plan to remake classic animated films into live-action includes The Lion King. The remake was released in 2019, and Donald Glover voices Simba. The rest of the cast features prominent Black actors voicing classic characters. The remake is the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
2 "Awaken, My Love!"
Donald Glover released his third studio album in late 2016. "Awaken, My Love!" has 11 tracks and received critical acclaim upon its release. The album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Grammy Awards.
The album is a complete departure from Glover's previous musical work because he relies heavily on vocals rather than rapping. The single "Redbone" is a standout track of the album and was nominated for Record of the Year at the 60th Grammy Awards. The song is famously used in Jordan Peele's horror film, Get Out.
1 Atlanta
Atlanta is an FX television series created and starring Donald Glover. The show revolves around the Atlanta rap scene and has two seasons. Atlanta is praised for its genuine characters and won Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy award at the 74th Golden Globes.
Glover plays Earnest "Earn" Marks, a Princeton dropout who becomes the manager of his cousin's rap career. Glover's first season performance earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The supporting cast features talented Black actors such as Lakeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz.
