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.
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).
External links
Filmography (Movies)
Shiver
Character:
Release Date:02/07/2026
Twisted
Character:
Release Date:06/02/2026
A Quiet Place: Day One
Character:Henri
Release Date:26/06/2024
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
Character:Titus
Release Date:19/04/2024
Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon
Character:Self
Release Date:18/04/2024
Ozi: Voice of the Forest
Character:Jo Jo (voice)
Release Date:07/03/2024
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
Character:Titus
Release Date:15/12/2023
Gran Turismo
Character:Steve Mardenborough
Release Date:09/08/2023
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Character:Wizard
Release Date:15/03/2023
Black Adam
Character:Wizard
Release Date:19/10/2022
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Character:Sumo (voice)
Release Date:14/07/2022
The King's Man
Character:Shola
Release Date:22/12/2021
Kimana Tuskers
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:05/12/2021
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
Character:Korath (voice) (archive footage)
Release Date:12/11/2021
A Quiet Place Part II
Character:Man on Island
Release Date:21/05/2021
Charlie's Angels
Character:Edgar Bosley
Release Date:14/11/2019
Shazam!
Character:Wizard
Release Date:29/03/2019
Captain Marvel
Character:Korath
Release Date:06/03/2019
Serenity
Character:Duke
Release Date:24/01/2019
Aquaman
Character:King Ricou (voice)
Release Date:07/12/2018
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
Character:Host
Release Date:10/03/2018
Same Kind of Different as Me
Character:Denver
Release Date:20/10/2017
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Character:Bedivere
Release Date:10/05/2017
I Am Heath Ledger
Character:Self
Release Date:23/04/2017
The Legend of Tarzan
Character:Chief Mbonga
Release Date:29/06/2016
Air
Character:Cartwright
Release Date:14/08/2015
The Vatican Tapes
Character:Vicar Imani
Release Date:23/07/2015
Furious 7
Character:Mose Jakande
Release Date:01/04/2015
Seventh Son
Character:Radu
Release Date:12/12/2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
Character:Korath
Release Date:30/07/2014
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Character:Drago (voice)
Release Date:05/06/2014
Baggage Claim
Character:Quinton Jamison
Release Date:27/09/2013
Special Forces
Character:Commander Kovax
Release Date:02/11/2011
Elephant White
Character:Curtie Church
Release Date:17/05/2011
The Tempest
Character:Caliban
Release Date:11/09/2010
Black Panther
Character:T'Challa
Release Date:18/01/2010
Push
Character:Henry Carver
Release Date:04/02/2009
Never Back Down
Character:Jean Roqua
Release Date:04/03/2008
A Place in Time
Character:Self
Release Date:26/04/2007
Eragon
Character:Ajihad
Release Date:14/12/2006
Blood Diamond
Character:Solomon Vandy
Release Date:08/12/2006
Strength and Honor: Production Pods
Character:Self
Release Date:23/08/2005
The Island
Character:Albert Laurent
Release Date:21/07/2005
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
Character:Self
Release Date:07/06/2005
Beauty Shop
Character:Joe
Release Date:22/04/2005
Constantine
Character:Midnite
Release Date:08/02/2005
Renegade
Character:Woodhead
Release Date:09/02/2004
In America
Character:Mateo
Release Date:22/09/2003
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
Character:Kosa
Release Date:21/07/2003
Biker Boyz
Character:Motherland
Release Date:31/01/2003
The Four Feathers
Character:Abou Fatma
Release Date:08/09/2002
Dead Weight
Character:Detective Youssouf
Release Date:10/04/2002
The Middle Passage
Character:Narrator (voice - U.S. Version)
Release Date:09/09/2000
Gladiator
Character:Juba
Release Date:04/05/2000
Deep Rising
Character:Vivo
Release Date:30/01/1998
Amistad
Character:Cinque
Release Date:10/12/1997
Ill Gotten Gains
Character:Fyah
Release Date:05/12/1997
Stargate
Character:Horus
Release Date:28/10/1994
Killing Zoe
Character:Moïse (voice)
Release Date:01/10/1993
Unlawful Entry
Character:Prisoner on Bench
Release Date:26/06/1992
Without You I'm Nothing
Character:Ex-Boyfriend
Release Date:11/05/1990
Television Appearances
BIANCA
Character:Self - Guest
What If...?
Character:Korath (voice)
INVINCIBLE
Character:Martian Emperor (voice)
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Character:Self
The Longest Day in Chang'an
Character:Ge Lao
Dragons: Race to the Edge
Character:Drago (voice)
Wayward Pines
Character:CJ Mitchum
Black Panther
Character:Black Panther (voice)
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Character:Self - Guest
Alias
Character:Kazari Bomani
Soul Food
Character:Victor Onuka
The Wild Thornberrys
Character:Villager (voice)
The View
Character:Self
ER
Character:Mobalage Ikabo
Beverly Hills, 90210
Character:Nightclub Doorman
The Oscars
Character:Self
Images
