The Actor Who Interviewed Himself: Donald Glover

By: Mckenzie Gerdes

Donald Glover (AKA: Childish Gambino) is a successful actor, director, writer, producer, comedian, and musician. He has received Grammy’s and Emmy’s, and his most recent project is the release of the third season of his dark comedy-drama show, “Atlanta.”

Recently, Glover wrote an article for Interview Magazine titled, “Donald Glover Interviews Donald Glover.” This became a trending topic, because of how unusual it is for actors to interview themselves. Glover’s reasoning behind this was that during celebrity interviews “the questions are usually the same,” and he wanted to answer questions that “don’t get asked.”

Glover’s personal life was talked about more in this interview than perhaps ever before because of its informal nature. When Glover asks himself where the interview is taking place, he says, “On my farm,” adding, “I love produce. We’ve got all these fruits, bees. Our cow is pregnant so we’ll have milk for a little while. It makes me happy.”

His farm isn’t the only part of his personal life he highlights in this interview. He also talks about deeper subjects, like what he wishes for his kids. Glover says he wants each one to be a good person, “Someone who knows themselves. Who loves themselves.”

He compares what he wants for his kids to who his late father was. Glover says, “My father was really gentle with us . . . I really miss him.”

This personal tone is evident throughout the article, and rather than sounding like the typical superficial Hollywood article, it stands out as a reflection on his work and life.

Glover goes on to talk about his eccentric yet successful career over the years. Glover describes his career as emanating the character, Willy Wonka, saying, “You have your factory, you make something, put it out, and then close shop to the public for a while.” This describes Glover well, as he is a person of many talents. In regards to his musical talent, he says he has been “rapping a lot” and that it is “fun again.”

For television projects in particular, Glover’s show “Atlanta” is about a guy named Earn living in Atlanta, Georgia. Throughout the show, he is trying to help manage his cousin Alfred Miles, an up-and-coming rapper, while also be there for his ex-girlfriend and daughter. The show is raw and vivid in its portrayal of the struggles Earn and his friends face, from poverty, to racism, to fighting for success. It is worth a watch, and has earned Golden Globes and Emmy’s for its quality and creativity in design.

Lastly, one of Glover’s deeper topics he addresses in his self-interview is criticism. He says that criticism is a big engine in his career. He warns about being careful with letting criticism affect a person, because there is “money and clout in loving and hating you.” He touches on the artificial nature of media, and how people have a lot of fake rage on news and talk shows. Sometimes criticism has good insight, but often, for Glover, it is about recognizing “untrustworthy takes.”

Perhaps that is why Glover wrote this self-interview. In part, he wanted to do something new and unique, but he was bothered by how much of Hollywood is built on love and hate, genuine or not. Some journalists may have found it weird for an actor to interview himself, but I believe Glover is just being as authentic as he always is.