Donald Glover, famously known as Childish Gambino, was born in California on September 25, 1983, to his father, Donald Glover Sr., and mother, Beverly Glover.

His family moved to the community of Stone Mountain in Georgia when he was very young. 

Though the parents had made a move for the betterment of their children, the new neighborhood was rough, filled with violence and Confederate flags. 

"If people saw how I grew up, they would be triggered," Glover told Esquire in February 2018.

Sharing the hardships of being the only Afro-American family in the suburb, the 38-year-old explained how parents of his white friends would act sweet in front of him but ask their kids never to date him.

"I saw that what was being offered on Sesame Street didn't exist," Glover remarked.

While the actor's childhood was already rough because of the environment, his parents' kindness apparently added to the difficulties. 

Donald Glover's Parents Brought in Foster Kids

When Glover was still young, his parents opened their home for foster kids.

They had five kids — Glover, his brother, his sister, and two adopted siblings. The fostering plan added a rotating cast of foster children in the family.  

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in August 2017, Glover implied that his parent's choice had somehow made his childhood chaotic, disturbing, and hugely informative. 

"I saw kids dying of AIDS in our house," he recounted, elaborating that he went through things a kid his age shouldn't have. 

"I saw people getting stabbed. I saw drug dealers stealing people's address books so they could get to my house because people [there] owed them money," he detailed. 

Then, the California native shared that his rough childhood inspired him to build his own safer world.

As a result, Glover labored to make himself known through his creativity, representing his race and breaking stereotypes. 

Donald Glover Lost His Father in 2018

Glover lost his dad in late 2018. He announced the saddening news during his 'This Is America' tour in Los Angeles on December 17, 2018. 

"I lost my father a couple weeks ago," Glover shared. He mentioned how he wanted to play his father some of his new songs, but he wouldn't want to hear them.

The famed singer added he denied it because he was like, "I know they'll be great."

Almost two years later, Glover shared that his father's death had changed his perspective on so many things during an interview with USA Today. 

The major effect it had was on his role of Simba in the re-make of The Lion King. When his father died, Glover had already packed up filming the movie. But after he lost him, he wanted to re-do some of the lines. 

"I had to because I was like, I understand this in such a different way," Glover recalled in the interview.

With director Jon Favreau's permission, he re-did the lines he wanted as a tribute to his late dad.