Djimon Hounsou Biography

See more photos

Quick Facts

NAME: Djimon Hounsou
OCCUPATION: Film Actor
BIRTH DATE: April 24, 1964 (Age: 49)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Cotonou, Benin
Full Name: Djimon Gaston Hounsou
ZODIAC SIGN: Taurus

Best Known For

Djimon Hounsou is an actor known for his roles in such films as Amistad and In America.

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Print Cite This

Djimon Hounsou

APA Style

Djimon Hounsou. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 03:15, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146.

Harvard Style

Djimon Hounsou. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146 [Accessed 21 May 2013].

MLA Style

"Djimon Hounsou." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 03:15 http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146.

MHRA Style

"Djimon Hounsou," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146 [accessed May 21, 2013].

Chicago Style

"Djimon Hounsou," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146 (accessed May 21, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

Djimon Hounsou [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146.

Bluebook Style

Djimon Hounsou, http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146 (last visited May 21, 2013).

AMA Style

Djimon Hounsou. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/djimon-hounsou-212146. Accessed May 21, 2013.

Synopsis

Djimon Hounsou’s acting career went into high gear when he was cast as Cinque in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film Amistad. He proved himself again in 2000's Gladiator and in 2004's In America, for which he received an Oscar nod. He earned several awards for his heart-wrenching performance in 2006’s Blood Diamond, including his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Profile

Actor, dancer, model. Born Djimon Gaston Hounsou on April 24, 1964 in Cotonou, Benin, West Africa. After living on the streets of Paris with his brother, Hounsou was discovered by a top fashion photographer and hired as a model. Soon, he was appearing in music videos and on television in such shows as Beverly Hills, 90210, ER and Alias.

Hounsou made his film debut in Without You I'm Nothing. His career went into high gear when he was cast as Cinque, the leader of a slave ship mutiny in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film Amistad. The actor proved himself again in 2000's Gladiator and in 2004's In America, for which he received an Oscar nod for his performance as a virus-afflicted artist. In 2006's Blood Diamond, Hounsou plays a father who has lost his son to rebels in the Sierra Leone Civil War. He earned several awards for his heart-wrenching performance, including his second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.