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Name: Djimon Hounsou
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Date of Birth:
April 24, 1964
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Place of Birth:
Cotonou, Benin
Mini-bio:
Actor Djimon Hounsou first gained acting attention in Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997). Born in West Africa, he moved with his family to Paris, France, at age 13. When he left school, he became homel... read moreess and spent a couple of years wandering the streets of Paris before being discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler. After he resettled himself, Hounsou moved to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting. While on the way to stardom, Hounsou appeared in music videos, including those of Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Steve Winwood. After his turn as a rebellious slave in Amistad, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, he found increasingly steady employment on both the big and small screens, becoming a semi-regular on the hospital drama ER and appearing in such films as the historical epic Gladiator (2000). After such high-profile projects, Hounsou's success in the following two years would prove no surprise to anyone who glanced at his filmography. Aside from prominent roles in such high-profile French films as 2002's Le Boulet (Dead Weight) and the following year's Muraya -- l'Expérience Secrète de Mike Blueberry (The Adventures of Mike S. Blueberry), Hounsou's bid for screen stardom was simultaneously on display in such stateside features as The Four Feathers (2002), Biker Boyz, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider -- The Cradle of Life (both 2003).In 2003, Hounsou received his first Oscar nomination for his acclaimed supporting role in Jim Sheridan's In America. And while he spent much of the next three years appearing in films that earned mixed reactions from both audiences and critics, he was back in top form in 2006's Blood Diamond, which found him opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. The film appeared on a number of Top Ten lists, garnered Hounsou accolades from countless critics groups and snagged him his second Oscar nod. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
Djimon Hounsou mini-bio: is an Academy Award-nominated African actor, dancer and fashion model who was born in Cotonou, Benin. Hounsou immigrated to Paris at the age of 13 with a brother, and lived on the streets, until he was discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who made him a model. Modeling led to acting. His film debut was in Without You I'm Nothing, and he has had parts on Beverly Hills, 90210 and ER and a guest starring role on Alias, but his first major role was in the science fiction film Stargate. His first on-screen appearance was in the 1990 Janet Jackson video "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", which co-starred Antonio Sabato Jr.
