Donald Glover
A shape-shifting creative who moved from internet comedy to Emmy-winning TV, chart-topping rap, and a defining voice for a generation.
Born 1983 (age 43)·American actor and musician·Birthday: September 25·Millennials
Biography
Donald Glover’s career is a masterclass in creative restlessness. Raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia, he began as a writer for '30 Rock' straight out of NYU, his sharp wit quickly noticed. He broke out as the endearingly unhinged Troy Barnes on 'Community,' but his true arrival was 'Atlanta,' the surreal and critically adored FX series he created, which dissected race, fame, and the city's music scene with a singular, haunting vision. Simultaneously, as his musical alter ego Childish Gambino, he evolved from clever wordplay to profound social commentary, with 'This Is America' becoming a seismic cultural moment. Glover operates as a polymath, directing films, voicing Simba, and building a universe where his artistic identities constantly converse and collide.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Donald was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Donald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Donald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created, wrote, and starred in the groundbreaking FX series 'Atlanta,' winning two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work.
- Released 'This Is America' as Childish Gambino in 2018, a viral music video that sparked global discourse and won four Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year.
- Became the first Black writer on the NBC sitcom '30 Rock' at age 23, hired directly by Tina Fey.
- Voiced the adult Simba in the 2019 photorealistic remake of Disney's 'The Lion King.'
Did You Know?
His stage name 'Childish Gambino' was generated by an online Wu-Tang Clan name generator.
He was part of the YouTube comedy sketch group Derrick Comedy while at NYU.
He is a member of the writers' collective for the animated series 'Star Wars: The Bad Batch.'
He and his sister created the series 'Swarm,' about an obsessive fan of a pop star.
“I just want to tell stories that are true. And sometimes the truth is ridiculous.”
