Donald Glover | |
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 Glover in 2015 | |
| Born | Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (1983-09-25)September 25, 1983 (age 42) Edwards, California, U.S. |
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| Education | New York University (BFA) |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Stephen Glover (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Comedy career | |
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| Musical career | |
| Origin | Stone Mountain, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Website | donaldgloverpresents |
Musical artist | |
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Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (/ˈɡlʌvər/; born September 25, 1983), formerly known by hismusical stage nameChildish Gambino (/ɡæmˈbiːnoʊ/), is an American actor, musician, comedian, and filmmaker. While he studied atNew York University and after working inDerrick Comedy, a comedy group, Glover was hired byTina Fey to write for theNBC sitcom30 Rock at age 23. He gained fame for portraying college studentTroy Barnes on the NBC sitcomCommunity from 2009 to 2014. He created theFX seriesAtlanta (2016–2022), which he starred in and occasionally directed.[1] For his work onAtlanta, he won various accolades including twoPrimetime Emmy Awards,[2] as well as twoGolden Globe Awards.[3]
Glover has appeared in several films, including the supernatural horrorThe Lazarus Effect (2015), the comedy-dramaMagic Mike XXL (2015), and the science fiction filmThe Martian (2015). He playedAaron Davis in the superhero filmSpider-Man: Homecoming (2017), as well asLando Calrissian in the space westernSolo: A Star Wars Story (2018).[4] He provided the voice of adultSimba inThe Lion King (2019),[5] and produced the short filmGuava Island (2019), in which he starred.[6] He co-created the comedy thriller television seriesSwarm (2023). Glover is also credited as a principal inspiration for the creation of theMarvel Comics superheroMiles Morales /Spider-Man, whom Glover himself briefly voiced in the animated seriesUltimate Spider-Man.[7][8] In 2024, he created and starred in thePrime Video seriesMr. & Mrs. Smith.[9]
After a number of independently released projects, Glover signed withGlassnote Records in 2011,[10] and released his debut studio album,Camp, in November of that year to critical and commercial success.[11] His second album,Because the Internet (2013) was supported by the single "3005", which became his firstBillboard Hot 100 entry.[12] Hispsychedelic funk-inspired 2016 single, "Redbone" peaked at number 12 on the chart, won aGrammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance, and preceded the release of his third album"Awaken, My Love!" (2016), which saw continued success.[13][14] Glover's 2018 single, "This Is America" debutedatop theBillboard Hot 100,[15] and won in all of the categories for which it was nominated at the61st Annual Grammy Awards:Record of the Year,Song of the Year,Best Rap/Sung Performance, andBest Music Video; it won aGuinness World Record as the first hip hop song to win in the former two categories.[16][17] His fourth album,3.15.20, was released in 2020.[18] In 2024, he releasedAtavista, a reworking of3.15.20, and later his fifth albumBando Stone & the New World.
Donald McKinley Glover Jr.[19] was born atEdwards Air Force Base inEdwards, California, on September 25, 1983;[20] he grew up inStone Mountain, Georgia, where his father was stationed. His mother, Beverly, is a retired daycare provider and his father, Donald Glover Sr., was apostal worker.[19][21] His parents were foster parents for 14 years. Glover was raised as aJehovah's Witness but is no longer religious.[20][22] His younger brother,Stephen, later became a writer and producer who collaborates with him.[23] He has a sister named Brianne.[21] In December 2018, Glover disclosed that his father had died.[24][25]
Donald Glover attendedStephenson High School andDeKalb School of the Arts; he was voted "Most Likely to Write forThe Simpsons" in his high school yearbook.[26][27] In 2006, he graduated from theNew York University Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in dramatic writing.[28] While at Tisch, he self-produced the independentmixtapeThe Younger I Get, which has not been released and has been disowned by Glover for being what he calls the "too-raw ramblings of...a decrepitDrake".[29] He beganDJing and producingelectronic music under the moniker MC DJ (later as mcDJ)[30] remixingSufjan Stevens' albumIllinois (2005).[31]
In 2006, Glover caught the attention of producerDavid Miner after Glover sent writing samples including aspec script that he had written forThe Simpsons.[32] Miner andTina Fey were impressed by Glover's work and hired him to become a writer for theNBC sitcom30 Rock. Glover was shocked when he was hired as he didn't think he belonged in a room of seasoned executives.[33][21][27] From 2006 to 2009 Glover wrote for30 Rock, in which he also had occasional appearances.[34] He and his co-writers were presented with theWriters Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Series in 2008 for his work on the third season.[35]
In 2008, he unsuccessfully auditioned to playPresidentBarack Obama on the sketch comedy programSaturday Night Live;[36] the role went to cast memberFred Armisen.[37] While attending NYU, Glover became a member of thesketch comedy group Derrick Comedy,[38] having appeared in their sketches onYouTube since 2006, along withDominic Dierkes, Meggie McFadden,DC Pierson, andDan Eckman. The group wrote and starred in a feature-length film,Mystery Team, a comedy about amateur teenage detectives; it premiered at theSundance Film Festival in 2009.[39] With a limited release, fans requested the film to be shown in their local theaters.[40]
Glover starred as former high school jock Troy Barnes onDan Harmon'sNBC sitcomCommunity, which premiered in September 2009.[41] He did not return as a full-time cast member for the show'sfifth season, appearing only in the first five episodes.[42] Despite speculation that Glover was leaving to pursue his music career, a series of hand-written notes which he posted toInstagram revealed that his reasons were more personal, citing a need for projects that offered him more independence as he worked through some personal issues.[43] Although Harmon approached Glover about returning to the show for its sixth season, Glover declined, feeling that his character's return would not serve the show, the audience, or himself as an actor, and that his career and he himself moved on from the show.[44]
In May 2010, a fan suggested Glover for the role ofSpider-Man/Peter Parker inThe Amazing Spider-Man film, encouraging his supporters to retweet the hashtag "#donald4spiderman".[45][46] The campaign sparked a viral response onTwitter.[47] The call for Glover to audition for the role was supported bySpider-Man creatorStan Lee.[48] However, Glover did not audition and the role went toAndrew Garfield. He later revealed that he was never contacted bySony Pictures. Comics writerBrian Michael Bendis, who announcedMiles Morales, an African-American version of Spider-Man a year later, said he had conceived of the character before Glover's campaign went viral.[49] Bendis gave credit to Glover for influencing the new hero's looks for Spider-Man; Bendis said, "I saw him in the costume [onCommunity] and thought, 'I would like to read that book.'"[7] Glover later voiced this incarnation of Spider-Man on theUltimate Spider-Man animated series.[50]
Glover received the Rising Comedy Star award at theJust for Laughs festival in July 2010, and was featured inGap's 2010 holiday advertising campaign.[51][52]
In 2013, Glover signed a deal to create a music-themed show forFX titledAtlanta, in which he would star, write, and serve as an executive producer.[53] Although several networks were interested in picking up his half-hour comedy, he chose FX due to their willingness to work around his touring schedule.[53] He had a supporting role in the romantic comedyThe To Do List (2013), which performed below expectations, and guest starred in two episodes of the comedy-drama television seriesGirls in early 2013, as aRepublican who is the brief love interest toLena Dunham's character.[54][55]
After being in development since August 2013, FX ordered theAtlanta series in December 2014, announcing a 10-episode season in October 2015, which premiered on September 6, 2016, to widespread critical acclaim.[56][57][58] Glover writes, occasionally directs, executive produces, and stars in the series as Earnest "Earn" Marks, aPrinceton dropout who manages his rapper cousin as they navigate through theAtlanta hip hop scene.[59] For his work on the show, Glover has earned various accolades, includingGolden Globe Awards forBest Television Series – Musical or Comedy andBest Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (becoming thefifth black person in Golden Globe history to win in the category) as well asPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series andOutstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, making him the first black person to win an Emmy for the latter category.[3][60][61] Due to the success of the series, FX signed Glover to an exclusive deal to write and produce more shows for the network. The first of these shows was an animated series featuring theMarvel Comics characterDeadpool, which was set to premiere in 2018 but was later canceled due to creative differences.[62][63] Glover later posted an unofficial and unproduced script to his Twitter account commenting that he was not "too busy to work on Deadpool", ending media speculation.[64]
Glover appeared in three films in 2015. InThe Lazarus Effect, he played a scientist working with a team of researchers who bring dead people back to life with disastrous consequences.[65] Next, Glover played a singer in the comedy-dramaMagic Mike XXL and performed a cover of theBruno Mars song "Marry You" in the film, which was included in thesoundtrack.[66] His third release that year wasRidley Scott's science fictionadaptationThe Martian, featuring Glover as aJet Propulsion Laboratory astrodynamicist who helps rescue an astronaut, played byMatt Damon, stranded onMars.[67]
In April 2017,Time named Glover in its annual "100 Most Influential People in the World".Tina Fey wrote the entry for Glover; she remarked that he "embodies his generation's belief that people can be whatever they want and change what it is they want, at any time".[68] Later that year, Glover appeared as criminalAaron Davis in the superhero filmSpider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Davis is the uncle of theMiles Morales version ofSpider-Man, whom Glover had voiced in theUltimate Spider-Man animated series. The casting was described as "a surprise treat for fans" by the film's directorJon Watts, aware of his 2010 campaign to portray the superhero.[45] He would later reprise this role in a live-action cameo inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
While filmingAtlanta's second season, Glover portrayed a young version ofLando Calrissian inSolo: A Star Wars Story (2018), causing him to miss appearances in some episodes; Calrissian was previously played byBilly Dee Williams in two films in theoriginalStar Wars trilogy.[4] Despite the film's turbulent production and poor box office returns, Glover's performance was praised, particularly by criticStephanie Zacharek for his "unruly, charismatic elegance".[69][70][71]
In February 2018, Glover approachedNew Regency, without a script, about a project he wanted to work on while he had free time betweenSolo promotional duties and his This Is America Tour. Due to his previous success, they accepted his offer quickly andAmazon Studios agreed to distribute the film.[72]Guava Island, the resulting film written byStephen Glover and directed by Hiro Murai, was filmed inCuba. It stars Glover as a musician who decides to throw a festival on his homeland, withRihanna co-starring as his partner and muse.[73][74] It was released in 2019 throughAmazon Prime Video to generally favorable critical appraisal after premiering atCoachella.[75][76] Glover provided guest vocals to the track "Monster" on21 Savage's 2018 albumI Am > I Was, reflecting on his negative feelings toward the music industry and why he wants to retire from music.[77] He partnered withAdidas Originals to reimagine three pairs of classicAdidas sneakers, which were launched in April 2019 under the "Donald Glover Presents" line and were promoted by a series of advertisements starring comedianMo'Nique.[78][79][80]
Glover provided the voice for adult Simba, the titular protagonist and lion prince turned king inThe Lion King (2019), a remake of the 1994Disney filmof the same name.[81] Glover praised the director,Jon Favreau, for the way he constructed the timeless story and asked him to re-record his lines as he connected to the film's story line more personally after his father's death.[5][82] Glover sang on the film's soundtrack and on the curated albumThe Lion King: The Gift, featuring songs inspired by the film.[83] Although it received mixed reviews, the film grossed $1.6 billion worldwide, making it one of thehighest-grossing films of all time.[84]
In 2021, Glover signed an overall deal withAmazon Studios.[85] It was announced that he would be producing and starring in atelevision reboot ofDoug Liman's 2005 filmMr. & Mrs. Smith, withMaya Erskine co-starring.[86] In April 2021, Glover tweeted that he was in the midst of writing a trilogy of feature films.[87] In February 2022, both seasons 3 and 4 ofAtlanta had completed filming, with season 3 premiering on March 24, 2022, and the final season on September 15, 2022.[88] In March 2022, Glover announced that he was working on aDisney+ Star Wars series based onLando Calrissian.[89]
In December 2022, it was announced that Glover would star and produce a feature set in Sony Pictures'Spider-Man universe. The film currently has no title but is said to revolve around theHypno-Hustler.[90][91] He is also the creator of the television seriesSwarm, starringDominique Fishback,Damson Idris, andChloe Bailey. Serving as a director and executive producer on the show, the series is the first project from his deal withAmazon Studios.[92][93]
In an October 2022 interview withVariety,Community creator Dan Harmon said that he believes Glover would be in the upcoming Sony Pictures andPeacock producedCommunity film. "I think that Donald is coming, based on word of mouth, but it's just the deal isn't official or wasn't official. It would be difficult to really commit to doing this thing without Donald," Harmon said. "So I believe he is coming back."[94] In April 2023, Glover confirmed he would be returning for theCommunity movie.[95]
In July 2023, it was announced that Glover and his brother Stephen would replaceJustin Simien as the head writers of the upcomingStar Wars seriesLando.[96][97] On January 8, 2024, it was announced Donald Glover would star in the biopic of British-American rap artist21 Savage, titledAmerican Dream: The 21 Savage Story, alongsideStranger Things starCaleb McLaughlin and Savage; Glover was expected to play 21 Savage.[98] On January 24, Savage revealed that the biopic's announcement was actually a "parody", though he noted that "it could be [a real movie] one day".[99]
Glover's stage name, Childish Gambino, which he used to start his musical career, comes from aWu-Tang Clan name generator.[100] In June 2008, he released the independentmixtapeSick Boi.[29] In September 2009, he released his second mixtapePoindexter.[29] A pair of mixtapes titledI Am Just a Rapper andI Am Just A Rapper 2, were released in close succession in 2010, andCuldesac, his third mixtape, was released in July of that year.[101] In March 2010, Glover performed a 30-minute set on the stand-up showcase programComedy Central Presents.[102]
His firstextended play, titledEP, was released as a free digital download in March 2011.[103] A music video for the song "Freaks and Geeks" was released in that month and Glover hosted theMTVU Woodie Awards atSouth By Southwest.[104][105] Glover commenced his nationwide IAMDONALD Tour in April.[104] The tour was a one-man live show that consisted of rap, comedy, and video segments.[104][21] He appeared at the2011 Bonnaroo Music Festival as both Childish Gambino and as a comedian, performing a set withBill Bailey.[106] His one-hour stand-up special,Weirdo, aired onComedy Central in November 2011.[107]
For his 2011 debut studio album, Glover approachedCommunity's score composer,Ludwig Göransson for production assistance; Göransson has become his most frequent collaborator.[108][109] Prior to its release, Glover signed withGlassnote Records and embarked on The Sign-Up Tour.[110] The album titledCamp, was released on November 15, 2011, backed by his debut single "Bonfire" and "Heartbeat", which peaked at number eighteen on theBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and number fifty-four onHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[111]Camp debuted at number eleven on theBillboard 200, selling 52,000 copies in the first week,[112] and was generally well received by critics,[113] withPopMatters writer Steve Lepore finding it to be "undoubtedly one of the best records of any genre to come out in 2011".[114] His Camp Gambino tour was scheduled to commence in March 2012,[115] but was postponed to April after he fractured his foot.[116]
Glover released the songs "Eat Your Vegetables" and "Fuck Your Blog" through his website in April and May 2012.[117] Throughout May and June, he premiered tracks from his sixth mixtape,Royalty, which was released as a free digital download in July. The album featured several artists, including his brotherStephen, under the alias Steve G. Lover III.[118] The single "Trouble" by British artistLeona Lewis from her albumGlassheart (2012) featured Gambino with a guest rap performance. The song peaked at number seven on theUK Singles Chart, making it his first UK Top 10 single.[119] In November 2012, Göransson said that he and Glover were in the studio generating new ideas for the next album which was to be "bigger" and "with more people involved".[120]
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His second studio album,Because the Internet, finished recording in October 2013 and was released in December,[121][122] debuting at number seven on theBillboard 200 chart.[111]Because the Internet yielded the singles "3005", "Crawl" and "Sweatpants". "3005" peaked at number eight on theUK R&B Chart and sixty-four on theBillboard Hot 100.[111] To promote the album, Glover wrote a short filmClapping for the Wrong Reasons in which he stars;Chance the Rapper, andDanielle Fishel also star. Directed byHiro Murai, it was released prior to the album's release and serves as its prelude. Additionally, a 72-page screenplay designed to sync with the album was also released.[123] TheRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified "Heartbeat" Gold for shipping 500,000 copies in June 2014–making it Glover's first Gold certification.[124]Because The Internet was also certified Gold.[125] From February to May 2014, he embarked on The Deep Web Tour.[126]
Glover directed the music video for the song "The Pressure" byJhené Aiko; he appeared in her previous single, "Bed Peace".[127] On October 2, 2014, he released a mixtape titledSTN MTN and the next day an EP titledKauai spawning the single "Sober".STN MTN was a free download; the proceeds ofKauai went to law enforcement policies as well as the maintenance and preservation ofKauai island.[128] Glover described them as a joint project and the "first concept mixtape ever" which continues the story told inCamp andBecause the Internet.[129] At the57th Annual Grammy Awards, he received his first Grammy nominations inBest Rap Album forBecause the Internet andBest Rap Performance for "3005".[12]
Glover contributed tothe soundtrack ofCreed (2015), a film in theRocky film series, providing vocals to the song "Waiting For My Moment" and co-writing another titled "Breathe".[130]
In September 2016, Glover held three musical performances, known as the "Pharos Experience", inJoshua Tree, California, where he debuted songs from his third studio album"Awaken, My Love!".[131] The album was released in December; it reached number five on theBillboard 200 and was later certified platinum accumulating 1,000,000 certified units.[132][111][125] It was considered a bold departure from his usual hip hop style as it primarily featured Glover singing rather than rapping, and saw him draw influences frompsychedelic soul,funk andR&B music,[133][134] particularly of the funk bandFunkadelic.[135]"Awaken, My Love!" produced the singles "Me and Your Mama", "Redbone" (which peaked at number twelve on theBillboard Hot 100), and "Terrified".[13] Its vinyl release featured avirtual reality headset and an accompanying app that allowed owners to access virtual reality live performances from the Pharos Experience.[136] The album was positively received by music critics and was nominated for both the 2018Grammy Award for Album of the Year andBest Urban Contemporary Album, while "Redbone" wonBest Traditional R&B Performance and received nominations forRecord of the Year andBest R&B Song.[137][17] Glover performed "Terrified" at the award show's60th ceremony.[138]
In June 2017, Glover announced his intention to retire the Childish Gambino stage name after his next album, telling the audience atGovernors Ball Music Festival, "I'll see you for the last Gambino album" before walking off stage.[139] He further explained his decision in an interview, feeling his musical career was no longer "necessary" and added "There's nothing worse than like a third sequel" and "I like it when something's good and when it comes back there's a reason to come back, there's a reason to do that."[140]
Glover signed withRCA Records in January 2018, which Glover called "a necessary change of pace".[141][142] In May 2018, he released a single titled "This Is America" while performing as both host and musical guest onSaturday Night Live.[142] The song debuted at number one, becoming both Glover's first number one and top ten single in the United States.[15] It features him singing and rapping, drawing influence fromtrap music.[143] The lyrics addressed a variety of topics includinggun violence andbeing black in the United States,[144] while its controversial video, directed by Japanese-American filmmaker and frequent collaboratorHiro Murai, showed Glover with a firearm shooting at a choir.[145] "This is America" won the Grammy for Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Record of the Year becoming the first rap song to win the latter.[146][147]
In July 2018, Glover released theSummer Pack extended play containing the songs "Summertime Magic" and "Feels Like Summer", the former of which was originally meant to be the lead single from Glover's forthcoming fourth studio album.[148][149] "Summertime Magic" debuted at forty-four on theBillboard Hot 100.[150] Glover began his fifth concert tour,This Is America Tour in September, announcing it would be his last during its opening show in Atlanta.[151] Two previously unreleased songs, "Algorhythm" and "All Night", were made available to people who bought tickets to the tour.[152]
Days after headlining Coachella in April 2019, Glover premiered a new song, "Algorythm", through the mobile app Pharos AR.[153] The augmented reality application allows users to open the virtual Pharos world with other players.[154] During his headlining performance at the 2019Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Glover drew "the biggest crowd that Outside Lands has ever had" and also announced that it was "the second to last show that we'll be doing" before retiring the Childish Gambino pseudonym.[155] When asked onJimmy Kimmel Live! about the status of retiring, Glover said he was unsure and may continue to perform after theThis Is America Tour. Glover was expected to release another album per the RCA Records contract he signed in January 2018.[156]
On March 15, 2020, Glover streamed hissurprise fourth album on his website Donald Glover Presents, where it played on a loop for twelve hours until it was taken down.21 Savage andAriana Grande feature on the album.[157] The album was released on digital services the following week under the name3.15.20.[158] It was well received by music critics and debuted at number 13 on theBillboard200.[159][160] In November 2020, in a rare appearance on hisTwitter account, Glover opined that seasons 3 and 4 ofAtlanta would be on the caliber ofThe Sopranos and that his next musical project would be his "biggest by far".[161]
In April 2024, during a radio stream by Glover's production company GILGA, Glover revealed plans to re-release3.15.20 as a "finished" album calledAtavista, as well as announcing the existence of a new album. Glover said the latter would be the final Childish Gambino album and would act as a soundtrack to an upcoming film calledBando Stone & the New World.[162][163] Later in the month, Glover previewed a track featuring aKanye West verse on his Gilga Radio show.[164]
On May 13, 2024, Glover releasedAtavista.[165] Glover announcedThe New World Tour in support of both albums in July 2024 and released thesoundtrack toBando Stone & the New World later that month.[166][167] In an interview withThe New York Times during the release ofBando Stone & the New World, he explained the retirement of the Childish Gambino moniker was due to the logistics of making albums with his film, television and family obligations as well as working on the creative incubator, Gilga.[168]
On October 4, 2024, Glover announced onTwitter that he has cancelled the remaining shows for The New World Tour due to surgery and recovery after experiencing a stroke following the New Orleans concert.[169][170] He did a rap verse onJennie's "Damn Right" fromRuby, alongsideKali Uchis.
In an interview withThe Guardian, Glover stated, "I'm influenced byLCD Soundsystem as much asGhostface Killah. A lot of the rap shows I saw as a kid were boring, but if you went to aRage Against the Machine show or aJustice show, the kids were losing their minds. Kids just want to go nuts,Odd Future know that. People want to experience something physical."[171] He also cites hip-hop duoOutkast and trioMigos,[172][173] and funk bandFunkadelic as being influences.[174]
Glover has influenced a number of younger musicians and actors. RapperVince Staples has praised Glover's ability to "[do] something different every time".[175]
Glover began dating Michelle White in 2015;[5] they married in January 2024, during the production ofMr. & Mrs. Smith, with Glover going to the production immediately after.[176][177] They have three sons, born in early 2016,[5][178] 2018,[179] and 2020.[180]
Glover has implied that he isspiritual but not religious.[181] In December 2019, he endorsed2020 Democratic candidateAndrew Yang[182] and joined hiscampaign as a creative consultant.[183]
Glover is known as a private person and rarely posts onsocial media or does interviews unless for promotional work. In an interview withThe New Yorker, he said that social media made him feel "less human" and that he only visits online discussion pages in which he can stay anonymous and communicate with people who understand what he is saying.[184]
While performing atCamp Flog Gnaw Carnival in November 2025 while ontour, Glover's first public performance since he abruptly cancelled his tour in September 2024, he revealed that he experienced astroke following his New Orleans concert and underwent surgery to fix a hole in his heart.[185][186]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mystery Team | Jason Rogers | |
| 2011 | The Muppets | Junior CDE Executive | Cameo |
| 2013 | The To Do List | Derrick | |
| Clapping for the Wrong Reasons | The Boy | Short film | |
| 2014 | Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | Greg | |
| 2015 | The Lazarus Effect | Niko | |
| Magic Mike XXL | Andre | ||
| The Martian | Rich Purnell | ||
| 2017 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | Aaron Davis | |
| 2018 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | Lando Calrissian | |
| 2019 | Guava Island | Deni Maroon | |
| The Lion King | Adult Simba | Voice role | |
| Men in Black: International | Himself | Uncredited cameo[187] | |
| 2023 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | Aaron Davis /Prowler | Live-action cameo |
| 2024 | Mufasa: The Lion King | Simba | Voice role |
| TBA | Bando Stone & the New World | Bando Stone |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Soundtrack | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Mystery Team | No | Yes | Executive | Yes | |
| 2013 | Clapping for the Wrong Reasons | No | Yes | Executive | No | Short film |
| 2019 | Guava Island | No | Story | Yes | Yes | As performer and lyricist |
| TBA | Bando Stone & the New World | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Year | Title | Actor | Writer | Executive producer | Director | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Yes | No | No | No | Various | 2 episodes |
| 2006–2012 | 30 Rock | Yes | Yes | No | No | Various | 4 episodes as actor 22 episodes as an executive story editor and wrote episode: "Episode 210; credited as Donald Glover II" |
| 2007 | Human Giant | Yes | No | No | No | College Webcam Guy | Episode: "24 Hour Marathon" |
| 2009 | Live at Gotham | Yes | Yes | No | No | Himself | Episode: "4.6" |
| 2009–2014 | Community | Yes | No | No | No | Troy Barnes | 89 episodes |
| 2010 | Robot Chicken | Yes | No | No | No | Mace Windu | Voice; Episode: "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" |
| Comedy Central Presents | Yes | Yes | No | No | Himself | Stand-up special | |
| 2011 | Regular Show | Yes | No | No | No | Alpha Dog | Voice; Episode: "Rap It Up" |
| 2012 | Donald Glover: Weirdo | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Himself | Stand-up special |
| 2013 | Sesame Street | Yes | No | No | No | LMNOP | Episode: "Figure It Out, Baby Figure It Out" |
| Girls | Yes | No | No | No | Sandy | 2 episodes | |
| 2013–2016 | Adventure Time | Yes | No | No | No | Marshall Lee | Voice; 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Ultimate Spider-Man | Yes | No | No | No | Miles Morales / Spider-Man | Voice; 2 episodes |
| China, IL | Yes | No | No | No | William "Transfer Billy" | Voice; 4 episodes | |
| 2016, 2018, 2022 | Atlanta | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Earnest "Earn" Marks "Teddy Perkins" forone episode "Mr. Chocolate" forone episode | 41 episodes; Also creator |
| 2018 | Saturday Night Live | Yes | No | No | No | Himself (host/musical guest) | Episode: "Donald Glover/Childish Gambino" |
| 2023 | Swarm | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/a | 7 episodes; Also creator |
| The Eric Andre Show | Yes | No | No | No | Himself | Episode: "Woodchipper Hijinks" | |
| Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake | Yes | No | No | No | Marshall Lee | Voice | |
| 2024–present | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | John Smith | Also creator |
| Year | Title | Album | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Giants" (Josh Osho featuring Childish Gambino)[188] | L.I.F.E. | Jordan Bahat |
| 2013 | "Bed Peace" (Jhené Aiko featuring Childish Gambino)[189] | Sail Out | Danny Williams |
| "Relations (Remix)"[190] (Kenna featuring Childish Gambino) | Land 2 Air Chronicles II: Imitation Is Suicide Chapter 1 | Jason Chen | |
| 2014 | "The Pressure" (Jhené Aiko)[191] | Souled Out | Childish Gambino |
| 2015 | "Gahdamn" (Kari Faux)[192] | Laugh Now, Die Later | Calmatic |
| 2018 | "Garden (Say It Like Dat)"(SZA) | Ctrl | Karena Evans |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2010 | Derrick Comedy videos | Various characters | Also writer, composer and executive producer |
| 2009 | I Am Tiger Woods | Tiger Woods | Funny or Die short[193] |
| 2012 | Community: Abed's Master Key | Troy Barnes (voice) | Webisode |
| 2020 | Donald Glover Presents | Himself | Also writer |
| 2024 | Hot Ones(guest appearance) | Himself |
Glover has received numerous accolades including a twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, fiveGrammy Awards, twoGolden Globe Awards, twoPeabody Awards,Critics' Choice Award, and fiveWriters Guild of America Awards as well as a nomination for aScreen Actors Guild Award.
The artist has said his next album will be his last under his musical stage name.
Atlanta may be one of the best shows of 2016 and now officially a Golden Globe winner, taking home two awards including Best Comedy and Best Actor for Donald Glover, but its universal acclaim all goes back to one little white lie.
My son had just been born, like, an hour before and I was watching the George Floyd video.
