Image of Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Gaston Hounsou is a Beninese-American actor and model. 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 the 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 parts 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 is now a naturalized United States citizen and resides in Los Angeles.  


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Apr 24, 1964 In Cotonou, Benin
Movie/TV Credits:
61
First Appeared:
In the movie Without You I'm Nothing 1990-05-11
Latest Project:
Movie Beneath the Storm 2025-07-31
Known For
Filmography
Movie Beneath the Storm 2025-07-31
Movie Ozi: Voice of the Forest Jo Jo (voice) 2024-02-23
Movie Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon Self 2024-04-18
Movie Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver Titus 2024-04-19
Movie A Quiet Place: Day One Henri 2024-06-26
Movie Gran Turismo Steve Mardenborough 2023-08-09
Movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods Wizard 2023-03-15
Movie Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire Titus 2023-12-15
Movie Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank Sumo (voice) 2022-07-14
Movie Black Adam Wizard 2022-10-19
Movie A Quiet Place Part II Man on Island 2021-05-21
Movie Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special Korath (voice) (archive footage) 2021-11-12
Movie The King's Man Shola 2021-12-22
Movie Serenity Duke 2019-01-24
Movie How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Drago Bludvist (voice) 2019-01-03
Movie Captain Marvel Korath 2019-03-06
Series The Longest Day in Chang'an Ge Lao 2019-06-27
Movie Shazam! Wizard 2019-03-29
Movie Charlie's Angels Edgar Bosley 2019-11-14
Movie Aquaman King Ricou (voice) 2018-12-07
Movie I Am Heath Ledger Self 2017-04-23
Movie The Fate of the Furious Mose Jakande (archive footage) (uncredited) 2017-04-12
Movie Same Kind of Different as Me Denver 2017-10-20
Movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword Bedivere 2017-05-10
Movie The Legend of Tarzan Chief Mbonga 2016-06-29
Movie Furious 7 Mose Jakande 2015-04-01
Series Wayward Pines CJ Mitchum 2015-05-14
Movie Air Cartwright 2015-08-14
Movie The Vatican Tapes Vicar Imani 2015-07-23
Movie How to Train Your Dragon 2 Drago (voice) 2014-06-05
Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Korath 2014-07-30
Movie Seventh Son Radu 2014-12-12
Movie Baggage Claim Quinton Jamison 2013-09-27
Movie Elephant White Curtie Church 2011-05-17
Movie Special Forces Commander Kovax 2011-11-02
Series Black Panther Black Panther (voice) 2010-01-16
Movie Black Panther T'Challa 2010-01-18
Movie The Tempest Caliban 2010-09-11
Movie Push Henry Carver 2009-02-04
Movie Never Back Down Jean Roqua 2008-03-04
Movie Eragon Ajihad 2006-12-14
Movie Blood Diamond Solomon Vandy 2006-12-08
Movie Beauty Shop Joe 2005-04-22
Movie Constantine Midnite 2005-02-08
Movie Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator' Self 2005-06-07
Movie The Island Albert Laurent 2005-07-21
Movie Renegade Woodhead 2004-02-09
Movie Biker Boyz Motherland 2003-01-31
Movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life Kosa 2003-07-21
Movie In America Mateo 2003-10-31
Movie Dead Weight Detective Youssouf 2002-04-10
Movie The Four Feathers Abou Fatma 2002-09-08
Movie Gladiator Juba 2000-05-04
Movie The Middle Passage Narrator (voice - U.S. Version) 2000-09-09
Movie Deep Rising Vivo 1998-01-30
Movie Ill Gotten Gains Fyah 1997-12-05
Movie Amistad Cinque 1997-12-10
Movie Stargate Horus 1994-10-28
Movie Killing Zoe Moïse (voice) 1993-10-01
Movie Unlawful Entry Prisoner on Bench 1992-06-26
Movie Without You I'm Nothing Ex-Boyfriend 1990-05-11