Danny Glover has been a part of the entertainment business for many years. He has been around for over four decades as his career kicked off in 1979 when he made his professional acting debut as an inmate in Escape from Alcatraz, a 1979 prison action film directed by Don Siegel. Beyond being an actor, he is also a producer, director, and renowned activist with an influence that has spread across the globe. As for Donald Glover who has come to be known as Childish Gambino, his career dates back to 1998 when he was featured as an extra in a TV movie titled Winner Takes All. Also a singer and a comedian, he has explored other facets of the industry, working as a writer, director, and producer.
The Family Backgrounds of Donald Glover and Danny Glover
Donald Glover and Danny Glover were both born in California; respectively in Edwards and San Francisco, but that is about as far as it goes. Donald is the younger of the two; he was born on the 25th of September 1983 and was given the name Donald McKinley Glover Jr. Known to many as Childish Gambino, the versatile entertainer was born to Donald Glover Sr. and Beverly Smith. Reports have it that Beverly used to run a daycare and Donald Sr. was a postal worker.
Although the couple had their son at Edwards Air Force Base in California where Donald Sr. was stationed, he was mostly raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. There, he attended Lakeside High School and DeKalb School of the Arts before proceeding to New York University Tisch School of the Arts where he obtained a degree in Dramatic Writing. Raised a Jehovah’s Witness, the actor is not the only child of his parents. He has a sister called Brianne and a younger brother named Stephen C. Glover. Stephen is also a multi-talented entertainer; he raps and works as an actor, screenwriter, and producer.
Given the foregoing, it is clear that Danny Glover isn’t the father of Donald Glover, even though he is old enough to be. The 54 year-old actor was born on the 22nd of July 1946. Named Daniel Lebern Glover, his parents; Carrie Hunley (mother) and James Glover (father) were both postal workers. From what we gathered, the actor inherited his activism from them.
It is said that Carrie and James were active members of the civil rights organization, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). James was also a World War II veteran and Carrie, a graduate of the historically black Methodist college located in Augusta, Georgia, Paine College. Danny has a younger brother named Martin Glover; he also works in the movie industry, mostly behind the scenes.
The Entertainers Are Both Successful In Their Careers
While Donald Glover and Danny Glover are not related, they have some things in common, especially when it comes to their career achievements. The older Glover is mostly known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series. But apart from that, his filmography has a long list of works made for both the small and big screen, including notable projects like To Sleep with Anger, A Rage in Harlem, Death at a Funeral, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Jumanji: The Next Level, and much more.
As a producer, he has at least 50 works to his credit and has directed no fewer than three projects.
From singing to rapping, writing, acting, directing, and serving as a producer, Donald Glover has accomplished a lot in his career. At the early stage of his career, he worked as a writer for 30 Rock, a satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey. After he gained popularity for playing Troy Barnes on Community, a sitcom created by Dan Harmon, he went on to create the acclaimed FX series, Atlanta, which he stars in and occasionally directs. His other popular acting projects include movies like The Lazarus Effect, Magic Mike XXL, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and The Lion King.
As a singer, he is mostly known for the 2018 smash hit, This is America. The song debuted at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been thrice-certified Platinum in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
A Comparative Look At Donald Glover and Danny Glover Career Awards
Even though Danny Glover had been in the industry for decades before Donald Glover came along, the younger Glover has received more awards for his career. But this shouldn’t come as a surprise as beyond his exploits in the movie industry, he is also an acclaimed singer. Donald has received no fewer than 152 nominations for prestigious awards, out of which he has won more than 40. Below is a list of some of the most coveted gongs he has received:
- Two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Director for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series and Best Television Series
- Five Grammy Awards for:
- Best Traditional R&B Performance (Redbone) – 2018
- Record of the Year (This Is America) – 2019
- Song of the Year (This Is America) – 2019
- Best Rap/Sung Performance (This Is America) – 2019
- Best Music Video (This Is America) – 2019
For Danny Glover, the biggest award of his career is the Oscars’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award which he was awarded in 2021 for his remarkable contributions to humanitarian causes. Even though he has not worn any, he has received five nominations for an Emmy Award. He has also been nominated four times for a Grammy under the Best Recording for Children and Best Spoken Word categories.
Key Takeaways
- Donald Glover and Danny Glover have no blood ties and are not related in any way.
- They were both born in California; respectively in Edwards and San Francisco.
- Donald was born to Donald Glover Sr. and Beverly Smith on the 25th of September 1983.
- Danny was born on the 22nd of July 1946 to Carrie Hunley and James Glover.
