Donald Glover

Donald McKinley Glover Jr., born September 25, 1983, is an American actor, rapper, singer, comedian, and filmmaker who also performs musically under the stage name Childish Gambino. He is widely recognized for his work across television, film, and music, including his roles on the sitcom Community and his creation of the acclaimed FX series Atlanta, alongside a successful recording career.

Glover was born at Edwards Air Force Base in California and grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His mother was a daycare provider and his father was a postal worker, and his family also included foster children, his brother Stephen, and his sister Brianne. Glover attended Stephenson High School and the DeKalb School of the Arts before graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2006 with a degree in dramatic writing. During college, he was a member of the sketch comedy group Derrick Comedy and began self-producing music.

In 2006, Glover was hired by Tina Fey to write for the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, writing for the show through 2009 and sharing a Writers Guild of America Award in 2008. He gained widespread popularity playing college student Troy Barnes on the NBC sitcom Community from 2009 to 2014. During this era, Derrick Comedy released the feature film Mystery Team (2009), and Glover signed with Glassnote Records, releasing his debut studio album, Camp, in 2011.

Performing as Childish Gambino, Glover released his second album, Because the Internet, in 2013, featuring his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, "3005". His 2016 single "Redbone" won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance and preceded his third album, "Awaken, My Love!". In 2018, his single "This Is America" debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 and won four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. He later released the albums 3.15.20, its reworking Atavista, and Bando Stone & the New World.

Glover created, starred in, wrote, and occasionally directed the FX series Atlanta (2016–2022), winning two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. His film career includes roles in The Lazarus Effect (2015), Magic Mike XXL (2015), The Martian (2015), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and playing Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). He also produced and starred in the short film Guava Island (2019) and voiced adult Simba in the 2019 remake of The Lion King.

In addition to serving as a primary inspiration for the Marvel Comics character Miles Morales—whom he voiced in the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man—Glover co-created the series Swarm (2023) and created and starred in the Prime Video series Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024). His ongoing projects include creative deals with Amazon Studios, various film developments, and voicing Yoshi in the animated video game film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.