Born April 14, 1964, in Benin, West Africa, this striking actor moved to France with his family at age 13. Upon finishing his education, Hounsou found himself destitute, resorting to living on the streets and hoping for a chance at something better.His break came when designer Thierry Mugler hired him as a model; that time in front of the camera soon led him to Hollywood. Hounsou's first big cinematic break was a Golden Globe-nominated performance as a rebellious slave in Steven Spielberg's Amistad.
From there, he was a semi-regular cast member on the NBC drama "ER," while also performing in films on both sides of the Big Pond -- French films such as Le Boulet and Hollywood mega-pictures Gladiator, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life, The Four Feathers and more. Hounsou struck it big when he snagged Best Supporting Actor nominations for his roles in In America (2002) and Babel (2006).
Blood DiamondIn war-ravaged Sierra Leone, diamond smuggler Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) learns that a local fisherman (Djimon Hounsou) has stumbled upon a gigantic gem, and he offers to reunite the man with his family in exchange for the diamond. When Archer befriends a journalist (Jennifer Connelly) tracing... Read More
Elephant WhiteHired by a powerful businessman to slaughter the Thai sex traffickers responsible for murdering his daughter, Curtie Church has a clear goal at the start of his mission -- but that's before he finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly gang war. Read More
EragonWhen 15-year-old Eragon (Edward Speleers) stumbles upon a dragon's egg -- and the egg hatches, quite dramatically -- he sets in motion a series of events that leads him to assume the legacy of a legendary race of dragon riders. Jeremy Irons plays the wise storyteller Brom, and John Malkovich plays... Read More
Black Panther: The Animated SeriesThis animated adventure remakes the origins of T'Challa (voiced by Djimon Hounsou), the Black Panther, who was introduced in 1966 and was the first black superhero in the Marvel Universe. The African king of Wakanda, T'Challa has mystical powers of strength and intelligence. Along with Queen Storm... Read More
The Middle PassageAfter America began to gain its independence, thousands of Africans were captured and brought to the fledgling country as slaves. Ships filled with human cargo traveled across the Atlantic, and the enslaved people would then be traded for sugar, tobacco or other products. The Middle Passage, which... Read More
Elephant White (2011) | R | |
The Tempest (2010) | PG-13 | |
TV-MA | ||
Push (2009) | PG-13 | |
PG-13 | ||
R | ||
PG | ||
The Island (2005) | PG-13 | |
R | ||
Beauty Shop (2005) | PG-13 | |
R | ||
PG-13 | ||
Biker Boyz (2003) | PG-13 | |
In America (2002) | PG-13 | |
The Four Feathers (2002) | PG-13 | |
NR | ||
R | ||
R | ||
Deep Rising (1998) | R | |
Amistad (1997) | R | |
Ill-Gotten Gains (1997) | R | |
Stargate (1994) | PG-13 | |
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