Emmys 2012: Don Cheadle talks of his nomination and his vodka intake

To hear Don Cheadle tell it, he’s a one-man TMZ episode waiting to happen. To celebrate his fifth Emmy nomination, the actor compares his phone exploding with calls this morning to another incident (of dubious authenticity).

“It was like that time they found my car upside down in the canyon and I was like, ‘No, guys, I was just drunk and walked away,” Cheadle says by phone from the edge of his bed, where he spent the morning watching the British Open on TV.

As for his nomination day celebration, Cheadle has more surprises up his sleeve. “I’m gonna do what I do most days, and drink an ounce -- no, I get confused -- a liter or two liters of vodka,” the actor said. “I don’t remember how much I drink, because I usually pass out before that.”

It should be noted that Cheadle is the occasional star of Funny or Die’s series of “Drunk History” shorts in which severely inebriated people attempt to deliver a history lesson, with actors such as Cheadle or Will Ferrell re-enacting events as they are drunkenly described.

Cheadle was discussing his role on Showtime’s “House of Lies,”which earned him a best actor in a comedy series nomination, but was surprised that the management consultant he plays in the series would be compared to GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

“There are 50 things I’m not going to say right now,” he said.

In reality, Cheadle had a low-key day planned, including some “business stuff” for the currently filming “Iron Man 3.” And, of course, the vodka.

“Do you know where I could get a super-long straw?” he asked.

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More on Emmy nominations 2012:

Interactive: Play-At-Home Ballot

Photos: Snubs and surprises

Photos: And the nominees are...