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 be ... en 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).
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| Organization | Category | Movie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | Best Supporting Actor | The Constant Gardener | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Constant Gardener | Won |
The Longest Day in Chang'an
as Ge Lao
Episodes: 48
First Aired: Jun 27, 2019
Wayward Pines
as CJ Mitchum
Episodes: 10
First Aired: May 14, 2015
ER
as Mobalage Ikabo
Episodes: 6
First Aired: Sep 19, 1994
Black Panther
as Black Panther (voice)
Episodes: 6
First Aired: Jan 16, 2010
Alias
as Kazari Bomani
Episodes: 3
First Aired: Sep 30, 2001
Soul Food
as Victor Onuka
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 28, 2000
Dragons: Race to the Edge
as Drago (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 26, 2015
The Wild Thornberrys
as Villager (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 01, 1998
What If...?
as Korath (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 11, 2021
INVINCIBLE
as Martian Emperor (voice)
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 25, 2021
Beverly Hills, 90210
as Nightclub Doorman
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 04, 1990
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jan 26, 2003
The View
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Aug 11, 1997
The Oscars
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 19, 1953
BIANCA
as Self - Guest
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 14, 2022
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Sep 09, 2019
Popularity History
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| 2024 | 5 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
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| 2025 | 1 | 54 | 85 | 19 |
| 2025 | 2 | 17 | 31 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 1 |
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Trending Rank
| Year | Month | Avg Rank | Max Rank |
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| 2024 | 5 | 1000 | 1000 |
| 2024 | 6 | 648 | 293 |
| 2025 | 1 | 281 | 135 |