Djimon Hounsou
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 | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 36.625 |
Birthday | 1964-04-24 |
Place of Birth | Cotonou, Dahomey [now Benin] |
Also Known As | Djimon, Djimon Gaston Hounsou, Djimon Hounso, Djimon Housoun, Джимон Хонсу, 디몬 하운수, ジャイモン・フンスー, ジャイモン・ガストン・フンスー, 吉蒙·韓蘇, |
2000
Gladiator
8.216/17823
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...
Watch Now
Gladiator
2005
Constantine
7.085/6869
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 in...
Watch Now
Constantine
2006
Blood Diamond
7.543/7337
An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missio...
Watch Now
Blood Diamond
2005
The Island
6.672/5192
In 2019, Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly "Utopian" but contained facility. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully-controlled envi...
Watch Now
The Island
2004
Renegade
4.831/208
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 ad...
Watch Now
Renegade
2003
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
5.744/4079
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 b...
Watch Now
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
1994
Stargate
7/3266
An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.
Watch Now
Stargate
2006
Eragon
5.101/3146
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...
Watch Now
Eragon
2003
In America
7.2/325
A family of Irish immigrants adjusts to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child.
Watch Now
In America
1997
Amistad
7.02/1245
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 th...
Watch Now
Amistad
2008
Never Back Down
6.747/2225
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 und...
Watch Now
Never Back Down
2003
Biker Boyz
6.24/348
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 clu...
Watch Now
Biker Boyz
2002
The Four Feathers
6.6/507
A young British officer 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 a...
Watch Now
The Four Feathers
1998
Deep Rising
6.166/654
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, t...
Watch Now
Deep Rising
2009
Push
6.15/2195
After his father, an assassin, is brutally murdered, Nick Gant vows revenge on Division, the covert government agency that dabbles in psychic warfare...
Watch Now
Push
2005
Beauty Shop
6.278/480
Far from Chicago, hairdresser Gina Norris has relocated to Atlanta with her daughter and has quickly established herself as a rare talent in her profe...
Watch Now
Beauty Shop
2010
The Tempest
5.4/115
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 ban...
Watch Now
The Tempest
2002
Dead Weight
5.859/352
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 l...
Watch Now
Dead Weight
2014
How to Train Your Dragon 2
7.673/9269
Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting unmapped territories. Du...
Watch Now
How to Train Your Dragon 2
2011
Special Forces
6.694/548
Afghanistan. War correspondent Elsa Casanova is taken hostage by the Taliban. Faced with her imminent execution, a Special Forces unit is dispatched t...
Watch Now
Special Forces
2011
Elephant White
5/181
An assassin is hired by a businessman to avenge the murder of his daughter by white slave traders in Thailand.
Watch Now
Elephant White
2000
The Middle Passage
3.7/3
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.
Watch Now
The Middle Passage
2013
Baggage Claim
5.3/187
Determined to get engaged before her youngest sister's wedding, flight attendant Montana Moore finds herself with only 30 days to make a connection. F...
Watch Now
Baggage Claim
2014
Guardians of the Galaxy
7.908/27416
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 Rona...
Watch Now
Guardians of the Galaxy
2015
Furious 7
7.236/10332
Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.
Watch Now
Furious 7
2014
Seventh Son
5.501/2418
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...
Watch Now
Seventh Son
2017
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
6.544/5534
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, Ar...
Watch Now
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
2015
The Vatican Tapes
5.3/731
In a highly secured vault deep within the walls of Vatican City, the Catholic Church holds thousands of old films and video footage documenting exorci...
Watch Now
The Vatican Tapes
2015
Air
4.956/417
In the near future, breathable air is nonexistent. Virtually all of humanity has disappeared, and those chosen to reestablish society reside in a cont...
Watch Now
Air
1992
Unlawful Entry
6.2/282
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 drop...
Watch Now
Unlawful Entry
2016
The Legend of Tarzan
5.902/6078
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.
Watch Now
The Legend of Tarzan
2017
Same Kind of Different as Me
6.9/242
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 wi...
Watch Now
Same Kind of Different as Me
2022
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
6.705/278
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 vil...
Watch Now
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
2017
I Am Heath Ledger
7.4/207
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
Watch Now
I Am Heath Ledger
2010
Black Panther
5.8/28
Black Panther is the ruler and protector of the African nation of Wakanda. Using technology, wits, and extraordinary fighting ability he must protect...
Watch Now
Black Panther
2019
Serenity
5.453/1479
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 el...
Watch Now
Serenity
2019
Shazam!
7.018/9205
A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
Watch Now
Shazam!
2018
Aquaman
6.896/13665
Half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry is taken on the journey of his lifetime to discover if he is worth of being a king.
Watch Now
Aquaman
2019
Charlie's Angels
6.462/2861
Elena Houghlin is a scientist, engineer and inventor of Calisto -- a sustainable energy source that will revolutionize the way people use power. It wi...
Watch Now
Charlie's Angels
2019
Captain Marvel
6.824/15256
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...
Watch Now
Captain Marvel
2021
The King's Man
6.765/4265
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...
Watch Now
The King's Man
2021
A Quiet Place Part II
7.5/6068
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 c...
Watch Now
A Quiet Place Part II
1993
Killing Zoe
6.2/317
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...
Watch Now
Killing Zoe
2007
A Place in Time
8.3/3
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, celebri...
Watch Now
A Place in Time
2018
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
0/0
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...
Watch Now
In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven
African History Y
0/0
A story of tragedy and redemption.
Watch Now
African History Y
1997
Ill Gotten Gains
2.5/2
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...
Watch Now
Ill Gotten Gains
2005
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
7.1/15
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: Product...
Watch Now
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
2023
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
6.6/2880
Billy Batson and his foster siblings, who transform into superheroes by saying "Shazam!", are forced to get back into action and fight the Daughters o...
Watch Now
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
2021
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
6.8/26
Explore the Disney+ series of the MCU—past, present and future.
Watch Now
Marvel Studios' 2021 Disney+ Day Special
2021
Kimana Tuskers
0/0
There are fewer than 20 tuskers left on earth, where ivory still sweeps the ground. Filmed throughout the Greater Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya, Kimana...
Watch Now
Kimana Tuskers
2023
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
6.368/1812
When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for surviv...
Watch Now
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
Last Breath
0/0
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,...
Watch Now
Last Breath
2022
Black Adam
6.945/5953
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 ear...
Watch Now
Black Adam
2023
Gran Turismo
7.853/2366
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 pr...
Watch Now
Gran Turismo
1990
Without You I'm Nothing
5.4/11
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 't...
Watch Now
Without You I'm Nothing
2024
A Quiet Place: Day One
0/0
As New York City is invaded by alien creatures who hunt by sound, a woman named Sammy fights to survive.
Watch Now
A Quiet Place: Day One
2024
Ozi: Voice of the Forest
0/0
A young orangutan sets out on a journey to find her parents and spread awareness about the threat of deforestation.
Watch Now
Ozi: Voice of the Forest
2024
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
6.108/734
The rebels gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge — and legends are made.
Watch Now
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
2017
The Fate of the Furious
6.88/10022
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...
Watch Now
The Fate of the Furious
2024
Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon
8.5/2
Go behind the scenes with director Zack Snyder and the cast and crew of his epic sci-fi saga as they bring a vast new sci-fi universe to the screen.
Watch Now
Creating a Universe - The Making of Rebel Moon
The Zealot
0/0
“The Zealot” follows Hassan, a Somali-American airport shuttle driver in Minneapolis, who is struggling to make ends meet. When Lloyd, a stranded twen...
Watch Now
The Zealot
The Bleeding Ground
0/0
When an entitled, newly appointed president of a big oil firm is kidnapped in Nigeria's Delta by an environmental militant, he is forced to make a dec...
Watch Now