Djimon Hounsou
Acting • Born 1964-04-24
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
85 credits
Gladiator
Movie • 2000
Juba
Constantine
Movie • 2005
Midnite
Blood Diamond
Movie • 2006
Solomon Vandy
Stargate
Movie • 1994
Horus
The Island
Movie • 2005
Albert Laurent
In America
Movie • 2003
Mateo
Renegade
Movie • 2004
Woodhead
Eragon
Movie • 2006
Ajihad
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
Movie • 2003
Kosa
Amistad
Movie • 1997
Cinque
Never Back Down
Movie • 2008
Jean Roqua
Biker Boyz
Movie • 2003
Motherland
Deep Rising
Movie • 1998
Vivo
The Four Feathers
Movie • 2002
Abou Fatma
Push
Movie • 2009
Henry Carver
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
Movie • 2021
Korath (voice) (archive footage)
Beauty Shop
Movie • 2005
Joe
Kimana Tuskers
Movie • 2021
Narrator (voice)
The Tempest
Movie • 2010
Caliban
Dead Weight
Movie • 2002
Detective Youssouf
A Quiet Place: Day One
Movie • 2024
Henri
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Movie • 2014
Drago (voice)
Special Forces
Movie • 2011
Commander Kovax
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
Movie • 2023
Titus
Elephant White
Movie • 2011
Curtie Church
The Middle Passage
Movie • 2000
Narrator (voice - U.S. Version)
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
Movie • 2024
Titus
Baggage Claim
Movie • 2013
Quinton Jamison
Guardians of the Galaxy
Movie • 2014
Korath
Air
Movie • 2015
Cartwright
Furious 7
Movie • 2015
Mose Jakande
Seventh Son
Movie • 2014
Radu
The Vatican Tapes
Movie • 2015
Vicar Imani
Black Adam
Movie • 2022
Wizard
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Movie • 2017
Bedivere
Gran Turismo
Movie • 2023
Steve Mardenborough
Same Kind of Different as Me
Movie • 2017
Denver
The Legend of Tarzan
Movie • 2016
Chief Mbonga
Without You I'm Nothing
Movie • 1990
Ex-Boyfriend
Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon
Movie • 2024
Self
Unlawful Entry
Movie • 1992
Prisoner on Bench
The Zealot
Movie
The Bleeding Ground
Movie
Idoma Kwali
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Movie • 2022
Sumo (voice)
Thrash
Movie • 2026
Dale Edwards
I Am Heath Ledger
Movie • 2017
Self
Black Panther
Movie • 2010
T'Challa
Serenity
Movie • 2019
Duke
Shazam!
Movie • 2019
Wizard
Aquaman
Movie • 2018
King Ricou (voice)
Charlie's Angels
Movie • 2019
Edgar Bosley
Captain Marvel
Movie • 2019
Korath
The King's Man
Movie • 2021
Shola
A Quiet Place Part II
Movie • 2021
Man on Island
Killing Zoe
Movie • 1993
Moïse (voice)
A Place in Time
Movie • 2007
Self
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
Movie • 2018
Host
African History Y
Movie
Ill Gotten Gains
Movie • 1997
Fyah
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
Movie • 2005
Self
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Movie • 2023
Wizard
Twisted
Movie • 2026
Dr. Kezian
One Last Fight
Movie
Tiga
Strength and Honor: Production Pods
Movie • 2005
Self
Red Card
Movie
Max Elmi
Highlander
Movie
Sunda Kastagir
Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
Movie • 2022
Thrash
Movie • 2026
OZI: Voice of the Forest
Movie • 2024
Jojo
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self - Guest
Alias
TV • 2001
Kazari Bomani
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Soul Food
TV • 2000
Victor Onuka
Dragons: Race to the Edge
TV • 2015
Drago (voice)
ER
TV • 1994
Mobalage Ikabo
Black Panther
TV • 2010
Black Panther (voice)
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
BIANCA
TV • 2022
Self - Guest
The Wild Thornberrys
TV • 1998
Villager (voice)
What If...?
TV • 2021
Korath (voice)
Wayward Pines
TV • 2015
CJ Mitchum
The Longest Day in Chang'an
TV • 2019
Ge Lao
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
Invincible
TV • 2021
Martian Emperor (voice)
Beverly Hills, 90210
TV • 1990
Nightclub Doorman