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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
April 24, 1964
Place of Birth
Cotonou, Dahomey [now Benin]
Also Known As
- Djimon
- Djimon Gaston Hounsou
- Djimon Hounso
- Djimon Housoun
- 디몬 하운수
- ジャイモン・ガストン・フンスー
- Джимон Унсу
- Джаймон Унсу
- جیمون هانسو
Djimon Hounsou
3.6 Popularity
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).
Known For
0.0
Shiver
2026
6.7
Henri
A Quiet Place: Day One
2024
6.1
Titus
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
2024
6.0
Self
Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon
2024
5.9
Jo Jo (voice)
Ozi: Voice of the Forest
2024
6.2
Titus
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
2023
7.7
Steve Mardenborough
Gran Turismo
2023
6.4
Wizard
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
2023
6.8
Wizard
Black Adam
2022
0.0
Self - Guest
BIANCA
2022
Credits
Shiver
2026
0.0
A Quiet Place: Day One
as Henri
2024
6.7
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
as Titus
2024
6.1
Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon
as Self
2024
6.0
Ozi: Voice of the Forest
as Jo Jo (voice)
2024
5.9
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
as Titus
2023
6.2
Gran Turismo
as Steve Mardenborough
2023
7.7
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
as Wizard
2023
6.4
Black Adam
as Wizard
2022
6.8
BIANCA
as Self - Guest
2022
0.0
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
as Sumo (voice)
2022
6.7
The King's Man
as Shola
2021
6.7
Kimana Tuskers
as Narrator (voice)
2021
0.0
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
as Korath (voice) (archive footage)
2021
6.9
What If...?
as Korath (voice)
2021
8.1
A Quiet Place Part II
as Man on Island
2021
7.4
INVINCIBLE
as Martian Emperor (voice)
2021
8.6
Charlie's Angels
as Edgar Bosley
2019
6.4
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2019
6.3
The Longest Day in Chang'an
as Ge Lao
2019
8.4
Shazam!
as Wizard
2019
7.0
Captain Marvel
as Korath
2019
6.8
Serenity
as Duke
2019
5.4
Aquaman
as King Ricou (voice)
2018
6.9
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
as Host
2018
0.0
Same Kind of Different as Me
as Denver
2017
6.8
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
as Bedivere
2017
6.5
I Am Heath Ledger
as Self
2017
7.4
The Legend of Tarzan
as Chief Mbonga
2016
5.9
Air
as Cartwright
2015
5.0
The Vatican Tapes
as Vicar Imani
2015
5.4
Dragons: Race to the Edge
as Drago (voice)
2015
8.4
Wayward Pines
as CJ Mitchum
2015
6.9
Furious 7
as Mose Jakande
2015
7.2
Seventh Son
as Radu
2014
5.5
Guardians of the Galaxy
as Korath
2014
7.9
How to Train Your Dragon 2
as Drago (voice)
2014
7.7
Baggage Claim
as Quinton Jamison
2013
5.3
Special Forces
as Commander Kovax
2011
6.7
Elephant White
as Curtie Church
2011
4.9
The Tempest
as Caliban
2010
5.3
Black Panther
as T'Challa
2010
6.2
Black Panther
as Black Panther (voice)
2010
6.8
Push
as Henry Carver
2009
6.1
Never Back Down
as Jean Roqua
2008
6.8
A Place in Time
as Self
2007
6.5
Eragon
as Ajihad
2006
5.1
Blood Diamond
as Solomon Vandy
2006
7.6
Strength and Honor: Production Pods
as Self
2005
0.0
The Island
as Albert Laurent
2005
6.7
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
as Self
2005
7.3
Beauty Shop
as Joe
2005
6.3
Constantine
as Midnite
2005
7.1
Renegade
as Woodhead
2004
4.8
In America
as Mateo
2003
7.2
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
as Kosa
2003
5.8
Biker Boyz
as Motherland
2003
6.2
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - Guest
2003
5.5
The Four Feathers
as Abou Fatma
2002
6.6
Dead Weight
as Detective Youssouf
2002
5.8
Alias
as Kazari Bomani
2001
6.8
The Middle Passage
as Narrator (voice - U.S. Version)
2000
3.0
Soul Food
as Victor Onuka
2000
7.0
Gladiator
as Juba
2000
8.2
The Wild Thornberrys
as Villager (voice)
1998
7.0
Deep Rising
as Vivo
1998
6.2
Amistad
as Cinque
1997
7.0
Ill Gotten Gains
as Fyah
1997
2.0
The View
as Self
1997
4.3
Stargate
as Horus
1994
7.0
ER
as Mobalage Ikabo
1994
7.8
Killing Zoe
as Moïse (voice)
1993
6.2
Unlawful Entry
as Prisoner on Bench
1992
6.2
Beverly Hills, 90210
as Nightclub Doorman
1990
7.3
Without You I'm Nothing
as Ex-Boyfriend
1990
4.8
The Oscars
as Self
1953
7.0
The Bleeding Ground
as Idoma Kwali
N/A
0.0
🎬
Highlander
N/A
0.0
🎬
African History Y
N/A
0.0
🎬
Red Card
as Max Elmi
N/A
0.0
🎬
One Last Fight
as Tiga
N/A
0.0
🎬
Twisted
N/A
0.0
🎬
The Zealot
N/A
0.0