Don Cheadle Shares The Sweetest Story About A Random Aretha Franklin Phone Call
Don Cheadle remembered the late Aretha Franklin by recounting the time she unexpectedly called to congratulate him on a movie.
On Thursday’s broadcast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the award-winning actor and filmmaker recalled how the Queen of Soul used a fake voice at the start of the telephone call “in case she got someone else.”
Franklin then heaped praise on Cheadle for “Miles Ahead,” the biopic of legendary jazz musician Miles Davis that he directed and starred in.
“I was knocked out,” Cheadle said of the conversation. “I mean, Aretha Franklin called me. It was crazy, a huge blessing.” Franklin died Thursday at age 76 from pancreatic cancer.
Cheadle also shared details of Franklin’s sweet phone call on Twitter, adding “her call meant as much or more to me than any compliment ever received.”
1) january last year my phone rings. i don't recognize the number... "hello?" a woman responds, "hello. i have miss aretha franklin for don cheadle?" "what?!? wow! um, yes. of course. please, put her on!" then the same voice changes slightly "this is aretha, honey ..." 😂
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) August 16, 2018
2) she called to say she loved my movie @MilesAheadFilm and wanted to share some stories about when she met him (i'm keeping those to myself) and also to let me know she's been watching me and to stay in touch. i didn't want to let her go but didn't want to overstay me welcome.
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) August 16, 2018
3) i told her i would reach out from time to time and asked her to please do the same. "bye." i just stood there for a minute, floored. i wanted to call my mom immediately but mom wasn't with us anymore. i hope she's with her now and tells her the same miles story she told me.
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) August 16, 2018
4) mom has the same kind of humor. it'll definitely crack her up. her call meant as much or more to me than any compliment ever received. there will never be about her like her. the undeniable g.o.a.t.! and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. freedom. freedom. freedom ...
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) August 16, 2018
He also shared a screenshot of a text message from Franklin:
she funny ... pic.twitter.com/rF10TWvQkN
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) August 16, 2018
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.