Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou

Birth : 1964-04-24, Cotonou, Benin

History

Djimon Gaston Hounsou 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).

Profile

Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou

Movies

Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver
Part two of Zack Snyder's 2023 sci-fi epic, Rebel Moon.
Ozi - Voice of the Forest
Ozi's Father (voice)
This is the story of Ozi, an orphan orangutan, who uses her influencer skills to save her forest and home from deforestation.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
Titus
When a peaceful colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch Kora, a young woman with a mysterious past, to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.
Gran Turismo
Steve Mardenborough
The ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won him a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Wizard
Billy Batson and his foster siblings, who transform into superheroes by saying "Shazam!", are forced to get back into action and fight the Daughters of Atlas, who they must stop from using a weapon that could destroy the world.
Black Adam
Wizard
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Sumo (voice)
A hard-on-his-luck hound finds himself in a town full of cats in need of a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's wicked plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant mentor, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day.
The King's Man
Shola
As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them.
Kimana Tuskers
Narrator (voice)
There are fewer than 20 tuskers left on earth, where ivory still sweeps the ground. Filmed throughout the Greater Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya, Kimana Tuskers is a short film of epic proportions. Follow the famous tusker known as Craig, and the younger elephant bulls who entrust their lives to him as they navigate a vanishing landscape through the Kimana Wildlife Corridor. This is the passage of experience, a brotherhood, built on respect, trust and loyalty, and what awaits them is the promised land, so that one day their sons will rise to be kings…
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
Korath (voice) (archive footage)
Explore the Disney+ series of the MCU—past, present and future.
A Quiet Place Part II
Man on Island
Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Charlie's Angels
Bosley
When a systems engineer blows the whistle on a dangerous technology, Charlie's Angels from across the globe are called into action, putting their lives on the line to protect society.
Shazam!
Wizard
A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
Captain Marvel
Korath
The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Serenity
Duke
The quiet life of Baker Dill, a fishing boat captain who lives on the isolated Plymouth Island, where he spends his days obsessed with capturing an elusive tuna while fighting his personal demons, is interrupted when someone from his past comes to him searching for help.
Aquaman
King Ricou (voice)
Half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry is taken on the journey of his lifetime to discover if he is worth of being a king.
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
Host
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven captures the vibrant tales of Voodoo in West Africa. Following actor Djimon Hounsou back to Benin, the country of his birth, the film shines a positive light on this way of life that has been misrepresented and diabolized in Western culture for many years.
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
Director
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven captures the vibrant tales of Voodoo in West Africa. Following actor Djimon Hounsou back to Benin, the country of his birth, the film shines a positive light on this way of life that has been misrepresented and diabolized in Western culture for many years.
Same Kind of Different as Me
Denver
International art dealer Ron Hall must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the journey of their lives.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Bedivere
When the child Arthur’s father is murdered, Vortigern, Arthur’s uncle, seizes the crown. Robbed of his birthright and with no idea who he truly is, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone, his life is turned upside down and he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy... whether he likes it or not.
I Am Heath Ledger
Self
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
The Fate of the Furious
Mose Jakande (archive footage) (uncredited)
When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.
The Legend of Tarzan
Chief Mbonga
Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.
Air
Cartwright
In the near future, breathable air is nonexistent. Virtually all of humanity has disappeared, and those chosen to reestablish society reside in a controlled state of suspended animation. Two engineers tasked with guarding the last hope for mankind struggle to preserve their own sanity and lives while administering to the vital task at hand.
The Vatican Tapes
Vicar Imani
In a highly secured vault deep within the walls of Vatican City, the Catholic Church holds thousands of old films and video footage documenting exorcisms/supposed exorcisms and other unexplained religious phenomena they feel the world is not ready to see. This is the first tape - Case 83-G - stolen from these archives and exposed to the public by an anonymous source.
Furious 7
Mose Jakande
Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.
Seventh Son
Radu
John Gregory, who is a seventh son of a seventh son and also the local spook, has protected the country from witches, boggarts, ghouls and all manner of things that go bump in the night. However John is not young anymore, and has been seeking an apprentice to carry on his trade. Most have failed to survive. The last hope is a young farmer's son named Thomas Ward. Will he survive the training to become the spook that so many others couldn't?
Guardians of the Galaxy
Korath
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Drago (voice)
Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider who turns out to be Hiccup's mother, Valka. Hiccup and Toothless then find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago.
Baggage Claim
Quinton Jamison
Determined to get engaged before her youngest sister's wedding, flight attendant Montana Moore finds herself with only 30 days to make a connection. Fortunately, her friends have cooked up a high-flying scheme to help Montana land...the perfect guy!
Special Forces
Commander Kovax
Afghanistan. War correspondent Elsa Casanova is taken hostage by the Taliban. Faced with her imminent execution, a Special Forces unit is dispatched to free her. In some of the world’s most breathtaking yet hostile landscapes, a relentless pursuit begins between her kidnappers who have no intention of letting their prey escape them and a group of soldiers who risk their lives in pursuit of their single aim – to bring her home alive. This strong, independent woman and these men of duty are thrown together and forced to confront situations of great danger that inextricably bind them – emotionally, violently and intimately.
Elephant White
Producer
An assassin is hired by a businessman to avenge the murder of his daughter by white slave traders in Thailand.
Elephant White
Curtie Church
An assassin is hired by a businessman to avenge the murder of his daughter by white slave traders in Thailand.
The Tempest
Caliban
An adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare. Prospera (a female version of Shakespeare's Prospero) is the usurped ruler of Milan who has been banished to a mysterious island with her daughter. Using her magical powers, she draws her enemies to the island to exact her revenge.
Black Panther
T'Challa
Black Panther is the ruler and protector of the African nation of Wakanda. Using technology, wits, and extraordinary fighting ability he must protect his nation from an invasion led by Ulysses Klaw, the man who killed his father.
Push
Henry Carver
After his father, an assassin, is brutally murdered, Nick Gant vows revenge on Division, the covert government agency that dabbles in psychic warfare and experimental drugs. Hiding in Hong Kong's underworld, Nick assembles a band of rogue psychics dedicated to destroying Division. Together with Cassie, a teenage clairvoyant, Nick goes in search of a missing girl and a stolen suitcase that could be the key to accomplishing their mutual goal.
Never Back Down
Jean Roqua
Jake, full of anger after his father's death, is just starting to find a place for himself at his new Orlando high school - until Ryan, head of an underground MMA fight club, picks Jake out as a prime opponent. After being trounced by Ryan in front of the entire school, Jake begins training under the firm, moral guidance of a MMA master, where he learns how to fight... and how to avoid a fight. But it becomes obvious that a rematch will be inevitable if Jake wants to stop Ryan and his bullying, once and for all.
A Place in Time
Self
The film takes a look at the daily lives of people in more than two dozen countries around the world during the course of a week. In the film, celebrity friends of Jolie visit orphanages, refugee camps and other areas of concern in an effort to raise awareness and encourage cultural understanding. It is an experimental documentary that seeks to capture both the diversity of life around the globe and the similarities of the human spirit by filming in many places in the world at precisely the same moment.
Killers Kill, Dead Men Die
The Champ
The most ambitious portfolio in the 13-year history of Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue, this year's homage to noir had its own dramatic imperatives.
Eragon
Ajihad
In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.
Blood Diamond
Solomon Vandy
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed countrywide.
The Island
Albert Laurent
In 2019, Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly "Utopian" but contained facility. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully-controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to The Island — reportedly the last uncontaminated location on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie.
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
Self
An in-depth look at the entire making of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Consisting of: Tale Of The Scribes: Story Development, The Heat Of Battle: Production Journals, Attire Of The Realm: Costume Design, Shadow And Dust: Resurrecting Proximo, The Glory Of Rome: Visual Effects, Tools Of War: Weapons, Echoes In Eternity: Release And Impact,and final Production Credits.
Beauty Shop
Joe
Far from Chicago, hairdresser Gina Norris has relocated to Atlanta with her daughter and has quickly established herself as a rare talent in her profession. But after repeatedly butting heads with her shady, over-the-top boss, Jorge, Norris sets out to create her own salon -- even snagging a few of Jorge's employees and clients. Now, Jorge will do anything to shut her down.
Constantine
Midnite
John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.
Blueberry
Woodhead
U.S Marshal Mike Donovan has dark memories of the death of his first love. He keeps peace between the Americans and the natives who had temporarily adopted and taken care of him. The evil actions of a white sorcerer lead him to confront the villain in the Sacred Mountains, and, through shamanic rituals conquer his fears and uncover a suppressed memory he would much rather deny.
In America
Mateo
A family of Irish immigrants adjusts to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
Kosa
Tasked by MI6 to find the mythological Pandora's Box, an ancient object supposedly containing one of the deadliest plagues on Earth, Lara Croft must beat evil Nobel Prize-winning scientist turned bioterrorist Jonathan Reiss to it.
Biker Boyz
Motherland
A mythic motorcycle tale of father and son", this is the story of Manuel Galloway, also known as "the King of Cali", the president of a motorcycle club whose members are all African-American men, mostly white-collar workers who exchange their suits and ties at night and on weekends for leather outfits and motorcycle helmets.
The Four Feathers
Abou Fatma
The story, set in 1885, follows a British officer (Heath Ledger) who resigns his post when he learns of his regiment's plan to ship out to the Sudan for the conflict with the Mahdi. His friends and fiancée send him four white feathers which symbolize cowardice. To redeem his honor he disguises himself as an Arab and secretly saves the lives of those who branded him a coward.
Dead Weight
Detective Youssouf
Prison guard Reggio lets Moltes have a weekly lottery ticket in exchange for his suave relationship advice. When Moltes learns that he has a winning lottery ticket, he breaks out of jail to claim his money. However, Reggio's girlfriend, Pauline , has the ticket with her in Africa. The action involves the odd couple teaming up to find the ticket while being chased by Det. Youssouf , along with the vengeful Turk and the Giant.
The Middle Passage
Narrator (voice - U.S. Version)
A realistic look at the horrors of the slave trade, told entirely through the voice of a dead African slave whose spirit haunts the ocean route.
Gladiator
Juba
In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
Deep Rising
Vivo
A group of heavily armed hijackers board a luxury ocean liner in the South Pacific Ocean to loot it, only to do battle with a series of large-sized, tentacled, man-eating sea creatures who have taken over the ship first.
Amistad
Cinque
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.
Ill Gotten Gains
Fyah
WEST AFRICA 1869 - Slave trade is illegal. There is a revolt on a slave ship - twenty four men fight for their lives. Out-gunned, the revolt fails but a second uprising is planned.
Stargate
Horus
An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.
Killing Zoe
Moïse (voice)
Zed is an American vault-cracker who travels to Paris to meet up with his old friend Eric. Eric and his gang have planned to raid the only bank in the city which is open on Bastille day. After offering his services, Zed soon finds himself trapped in a situation beyond his control when heroin abuse, poor planning and a call-girl named Zoe all conspire to turn the robbery into a very bloody siege.
Unlawful Entry
Prisoner on Bench
After a break-in at their house, a couple gets help from one of the cops who answered their call. He helps them install a security system, begins dropping by on short notice and unofficial patrol angling to pry into the couple's problems with the wife. The husband begins wondering if they're getting too much help.
Without You I'm Nothing
Ex-Boyfriend
Sandra Bernhard stars in a studio version of her off-Broadway show, blending re-enactments of the original show's pieces with concept vignettes and 'testimonials' to underscore the relationship between a performer and an audience.
Panzi
Denis Mukwege
Last Breath
A diver is stranded on the bottom of the North Sea, and when his umbilical cord snaps because of rough seas and an equipment mishap on the ship above, he is left with only five minutes of oxygen, in total darkness and freezing water, with no chance of rescue for at least thirty minutes.
African History Y