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Djimon Hounsou
Actor, Producer, Director, WriterBorn April 24, 1964 (61 years)
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).
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).
Known For
Featured Videos
Filmography
| 2026 | |
| 2024 | A Quiet Place: Day One · as Henri |
| 2024 | Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver · as Titus |
| 2023 | Ozi: Voice of the Forest · as Jo Jo (voice) |
| 2023 | Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire · as Titus |
| 2023 | Gran Turismo · as Steve Mardenborough |
| 2023 | The Shazamily Reunion · as Wizard/self |
| 2023 | Shazam! Fury of the Gods · as Wizard |
| 2022 | Black Adam · as Wizard |
| 2022 | Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank · as Sumo (voice) |
| 2021 | The King's Man · as Shola |
| 2021 | Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special · as Korath (voice) (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | What If…? (TV Series) · as Korath (voice) |
| 2021 | Invincible (TV Series) · as Martian Emperor (voice) |
| 2020 | A Quiet Place Part II · as Man On Island |
| 2019 | Charlie's Angels · as Edgar Bosley |
| 2019 | The Longest Day In Chang'An (TV Series) · as Ge Lao |
| 2019 | Shazam! · as Wizard |
| 2019 | Captain Marvel · as Korath |
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | Aquaman · as King Ricou (voice) |
| 2018 | In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven · as Host |
| 2017 | Same Kind of Different as Me · as Denver |
| 2017 | King Arthur: Legend of the Sword · as Bedivere |
| 2016 | The Legend of Tarzan · as Chief Mbonga |
| 2015 | Air · as Cartwright |
| 2015 | The Vatican Tapes · as Vicar Imani |
| 2015 | Dragons: Race to the Edge (TV Series) · as Drago (voice) |
| 2015 | Wayward Pines (TV Series) · as Cj Mitchum |
| 2015 | Furious 7 · as Mose Jakande |
| 2014 | Seventh Son · as Radu |
| 2014 | Guardians of the Galaxy · as Korath |
| 2014 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 · as Drago (voice) |
| 2013 | Baggage Claim · as Quinton Jamison |
| 2011 | Special Forces · as Commander Kovax |
| 2011 | Elephant White · as Curtie Church |
| 2010 | The Tempest · as Caliban |
| 2010 | Black Panther · as T'challa |
| 2010 | Black Panther (TV Series) · as Black Panther (voice) |
| 2009 | |
| 2008 | Never Back Down · as Jean Roqua |
| 2006 | Eragon · as Ajihad |
| 2006 | Blood Diamond · as Solomon Vandy |
| 2005 | The Island · as Albert Laurent |
| 2005 | Beauty Shop · as Joe |
| 2005 | Constantine · as Midnite |
| 2004 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2003 | Biker Boyz · as Motherland |
| 2002 | In America · as Mateo |
| 2002 | The Four Feathers · as Abou Fatma |
| 2002 | Dead Weight · as Detective Youssouf |
| 2001 | Alias (TV Series) · as Kazari Bomani |
| 2000 | The Middle Passage · as Narrator (voice - U.s. Version) |
| 2000 | Soul Food (TV Series) · as Victor Onuka |
| 2000 | Gladiator · as Juba |
| 1998 | The Wild Thornberrys (TV Series) · as Villager (voice) |
| 1998 | Deep Rising · as Vivo |
| 1997 | Amistad · as Cinque |
| 1997 | Ill Gotten Gains · as Fyah |
| 1994 | Stargate · as Horus |
| 1994 | ER (TV Series) · as Mobalage Ikabo |
| 1993 | Killing Zoe · as Moïse (voice) |
| 1992 | Unlawful Entry · as Prisoner On Bench |
| 1990 | Beverly Hills, 90210 (TV Series) · as Nightclub Doorman |
| 1990 | Without You I'm Nothing · as Ex-Boyfriend |