Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, is a man of many talents. He raps, acts, and writes.
You may know him as the creator and star of Atlanta or for his role as Troy on Community. Or perhaps you’re a fan of his music. Either way, there are still some things you probably didn’t know about Donald.
Keep reading for five interesting facts about the actor and musician.
Donald Glover used an online name generator to come up with his stage name
Donald created his stage name, Childish Gambino, after using an online Wu-Tang Clan hip-hop name generator. He simply entered his full name into an online form, and Childish Gambino was generated.
However, Donald has since retired his stage name. His 2018 This is America Tour was his last Gambino tour, and he stated that 3.15.20, his fourth studio album, would be the last Gambino album.
Donald Glover missed out on the role of Peter Parker to Andrew Garfield
A few years before the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, fans of Donald tried desperately to get the actor cast as Peter Parker.
The fans’ efforts actually received a lot of attention due to social media hashtagging, and at one point, Donald was really considered to play the role.
Unfortunately for Donald, Andrew Garfield was chosen for the role instead.
Donald, however, was given a cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming as low-level gun-runner Aaron Davis.
Donald Glover wrote an animated Deadpool pilot
In 2017, FXX announced that Donald Glover and his brother, Stephen, were developing an animated series about Deadpool.
The plug was pulled just a year later over creative differences.
Yet, fans of Donald and Deadpool still got a taste of the pilot, as Donald tweeted screenshots of the pilot in its entirety.
Donald Glover loves coding
Donald is a man of variety. His interests seem to know no bounds, so it’s no surprise that he is an avid fan of coding.
“Coding is a beautiful thing,” he told Complex in 2014. “If there is a God, he definitely codes… I don’t want young black kids to aspire to be rappers or ballers. Even lawyers and doctors — those are service positions. I want them to be coders.”
He continued, “They can make their own worlds then. They don’t need anybody else. I love hearing those kids’ ideas, all these kids on the Internet. The excitement of making something, that’s the spark of God.”
Donald Glover was raised a Jehovah’s Witness
Donald Glover was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. This meant that his upbringing was sheltered and strict.
“I didn’t have a lot of things from the world,” he recalled during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “I was always taught that the world was kind of a bad place. So, like, whenever things came in, I’d be like, ‘Yo, this is really dope!'”