It is rare for someone to come out of the acting industry and become a successful and beloved artist. Winslet, Patterson, and Streep are all extremely successful actors that tried to burst into the music scene but failed. It is very rare that someone becomes successful in both. Donald Glover is a massive exception to this generalization. Donald Glover has not only made waves in the film industry but also in the music, comedy, and television business.

Glover’s professional career began in 2006 when he was hired by Tina Fey as a writer for the hit show 30 Rock. He wrote for them for a while and then was cast as one of the stars of the NBC show Community. His Comedy Central special was aired in 2010 and his first studio album was released in 2011. Since then he won a Grammy for his song “Redbone” and the show he is directing, Atlanta, is critically acclaimed and has won several awards.

Although Glover was one of Tina’s most exceptional writers when he decided he want to pursue acting she agreed.

“Donald was grateful for the opportunity, but felt like he should leave to pursue acting. Of the many writers who have suggested this over the past 20 years, Donald is the only one with whom I’ve ever agreed. One hundred percent, he should go be a star.”

And she was right. Donald became an actor for the critically acclaimed show Community and is considered by many to be the funniest character on the show. I talked to senior Zach Metzner and he agrees with this saying, “Donald really adds a lot to the show. I love the show but I don’t think I would like it nearly as much if he wasn’t in it.”

While he was acting in Community he was producing his hit album Awaken, my love! This R&B, soul, funk, rap mix is an example of an album that redefines a genre. There hasn’t been a more prolific funk album since Parliament released Mothership Connection. The album was nominated for several Grammy’s but only won one with its biggest track, “Redbone”. In addition to this fantastic album, Glover has also released two hit singles: the viral “This is America”, and “Feels like Summer”, a track about global warming and the descent of our environment.

One of the most impressive creations of Donald Glover is his massively popular show Atlanta. Atlanta is about an Atlanta rapper who is trying to make it to the next level of the industry. It has a 98% on rotten tomatoes and has won a Peabody, a Golden Globe, and several other awards for its outstanding direction by Glover.

Donald Glover is a different breed of human. He wears many hats and unlike many of the people in his industry, the hats actually fit. His versatility is shown in his writing on 30 Rock, his acting in the show Community, his music in his Awaken, my love! album, and his direction in Atlanta.