Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou

  • Birthday: 1964-04-24
  • Place of birth: Cotonou, Dahomey [now Benin]
  • Also know as: Djimon

Biography

Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor and model. He began his career appearing in music videos, made his film debut in Without You I'm Nothing and earned widespread recognition for his role as Cinqué in the Steven Spielberg film Amistad. As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards. Hounsou became a naturalized American citizen in 2007. He was reluctant to renounce his Beninese citizenship and therefore opted to become a dual citizen of both Benin and the United States, effectively rendering him a Beninese-American. Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1964, to lbertine and Pierre Hounsou. He immigrated to Lyon in France at the age of thirteen with his brother, Edmond. In 1987, he became a model and established a career in Paris. He moved to the U.S. in 1990. One year before obtaining his college degree, he dropped out of school. In 1989, he appeared in a music video of Straight Up by Paula Abdul. Hounsou's film debut was in the 1990 Sandra Bernhard film Without You I’m Nothing, and he has had television roles on Beverly Hills, 90210 and ER and a guest starring role on Alias, but received a larger role in the science fiction film Stargate. His first on-screen appearance was in the 1990 Janet Jackson video “Love Will Never Do (Without You).” He also starred in a 2002 Gap commercial directed by Peter Lindbergh, dancing to a rendition of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" by Arrested Development's Baba Oje. He received wide critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role as Cinqué in the 1997 Steven Spielberg film Amistad. He gained further notice as Juba, in the 2000 film Gladiator. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for In America, in 2004, becoming the fourth African male to be nominated for an Oscar (along with Basil Rathbone, Cecil Kellaway and Omar Sharif). In 2006, he won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Blood Diamond; he received Broadcast Film Critics Association, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award nominations for this performance. In 2007, Hounsou began dating model/CEO of Baby Phat, Kimora Lee Simmons. In 2008 Hounsou and Simmons visited Hounsou's family and while there, the two participated in a traditional commitment ceremony. On May 30, 2009, Simmons gave birth to their son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, reportedly named because Kenzo means 3 (Kimora's third child).

Filmography

The Middle Passage

2000

As Narrator (voice - U.S. Version)

Black Panther

2010

As T'Challa

Ill Gotten Gains

1997

As Fyah

Kimana Tuskers

2021

As Narrator (voice)

Blood Diamond

2006

As Solomon Vandy

Special Forces

2011

As Commander Kovax

Elephant White

2011

As Curtie Church

Air

2015

As Cartwright

The Island

2005

As Albert Laurent

Last Breath

0000

As

Constantine

2005

As Midnite

Amistad

1997

As Cinque

Never Back Down

2008

As Jean Roqua

Biker Boyz

2003

As Motherland

The Four Feathers

2002

As Abou Fatma

Push

2009

As Henry Carver

Beauty Shop

2005

As Joe

Dead Weight

2002

As Detective Youssouf

The Vatican Tapes

2015

As Vicar Imani

Gran Turismo

2023

As Steve Mardenborough

A Quiet Place: Day One

2024

As Island Man

Renegade

2004

As Woodhead

In America

2003

As Mateo

The Legend of Tarzan

2016

As Chief Mbonga

Serenity

2019

As Duke

A Place in Time

2007

As Self

Ozi: Voice of the Forest

2024

As Ozi's Father (voice)

Shazam!

2019

As Wizard

Charlie's Angels

2019

As Bosley

Captain Marvel

2019

As Korath

A Quiet Place Part II

2021

As Man on Island

Gladiator

2000

As Juba

Seventh Son

2014

As Radu

I Am Heath Ledger

2017

As Self

Eragon

2006

As Ajihad

The King's Man

2021

As Shola

Baggage Claim

2013

As Quinton Jamison

How to Train Your Dragon 2

2014

As Drago (voice)

Killers Kill, Dead Men Die

2007

As The Champ

Stargate

1994

As Horus

Deep Rising

1998

As Vivo

The Tempest

2010

As Caliban

Unlawful Entry

1992

As Prisoner on Bench

Killing Zoe

1993

As Moïse (voice)

Furious 7

2015

As Mose Jakande

Black Adam

2022

As Wizard

Aquaman

2018

As King Ricou (voice)

Without You I'm Nothing

1990

As Ex-Boyfriend

Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special

2021

As Korath (voice) (archive footage)

The Fate of the Furious

2017

As Mose Jakande (archive footage) (uncredited)

Production

Elephant White

2011

As Producer

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