Barkhad Abdi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barkhad Abdi
Abdi at the 2014 New York Film Festival
Born	(1985-04-10) April 10, 1985 (age 40) Mogadishu, Somalia
Education	Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2013–present
Awards	Full list

Barkhad Abdi (born April 10, 1985) is an actor from Somalia who is also an American citizen. He became famous for his first movie role as the pirate leader Abduwali Muse in the film Captain Phillips (2013).

For this role, he won a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for other big awards like the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. After his first big role, Abdi appeared in several other movies. These include Eye in the Sky (2015) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). He also acted in TV shows like Castle Rock (2019) and The Curse (2023).

Early Life and Moving to America

Barkhad Abdi was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, on April 10, 1985. His family is from the Majerten group in Somalia. The name Barkhad means "cistern" in the Somali language. A cistern is a tank for storing water, which is a symbol of life.

When he was about six or seven years old, a civil war started in Somalia. His family then moved to Yemen to live with his father, who was a teacher there. In 1999, when Abdi was 14, his family moved again. They came to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. Many people from Somalia live in Minneapolis.

Abdi finished high school at Roosevelt High School in 2003. He then went to Minnesota State University Moorhead. Before he became an actor, he worked in different jobs. He sold mobile phones at his brother's shop. He also drove limousines for a family company and worked as a DJ.

Becoming an Actor

His First Big Role: Captain Phillips

Abdi at the Eye in the Sky movie premiere in 2015

Barkhad Abdi's first movie was Captain Phillips in 2013. The movie was directed by Paul Greengrass. In the film, Abdi played the role of Abduwali Muse, a pirate leader who hijacks a ship. He acted alongside famous actor Tom Hanks.

The filmmakers looked all over the world to find the right actors for the pirate roles. Abdi and three other actors were chosen from over 700 people. They attended a casting call in Minneapolis in 2011. The casting director said they were chosen because they "stuck out" from the rest. Abdi was paid $65,000 for his part in the movie. After filming, he went back to working in his brother's shop.

His performance in Captain Phillips was highly praised. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was his very first experience in the film industry.

Later Acting Roles

In 2015, Abdi appeared in an episode of the TV show Hawaii Five-0. He played a character named Roko Makoni, who was a former warlord. Later that year, he worked on the thriller movie Eye in the Sky. In this film, he played Jama Farah, a Kenyan undercover agent. He also had a role in the movie The Brothers Grimsby.

In 2017, Abdi acted in the film The Pirates of Somalia. He played Abdi, a local agent and translator for a Canadian journalist. His character helped the journalist interview pirate leaders. This helped the journalist understand why Somali piracy was happening. In October 2017, Abdi also appeared in the science fiction movie Blade Runner 2049. He had a small role as a scientist.

Abdi also tried directing. He directed a Somali film called Ciyaalka Xaafada. He has also directed several music videos. In 2019, Abdi worked again with Faysal Ahmed, who was also in Captain Phillips. They both starred in the second season of the TV show Castle Rock. Abdi appeared in 10 episodes of the show.

More recently, in 2022, he acted in the movies Tyson's Run and Agent Game. He also appeared in the Apple TV+ series Little America. In 2023, he was in the comedy-drama series The Curse. This show starred Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, and Benny Safdie.

Helping Others

In 2013, Barkhad Abdi became an Ambassador for Adeso. Adeso is a non-profit organization that helps people. It was started by a Somali environmentalist named Fatima Jibrell.

About His Life

In 2014, Abdi lived in Los Angeles, California. By 2016, he was living in Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has a bump on his forehead. This is from a car crash he was in before he auditioned for Captain Phillips.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Barkhad Abdi para niños