Djimon Hounsou Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Djimon Hounsou
Hounsou in 2016
Born	Djimon Gaston Hounsou (1964-04-24) April 24, 1964 (age 61) Cotonou, Dahomey
Citizenship	Benin United States
Occupation	Actor model
Years active	1986–present
Partner(s)	Kimora Lee Simmons (2007–2012)
Children	1

Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964) is an actor and model. He was born in Benin, a country in West Africa, and is also an American citizen. He is known for his strong performances in many films.

Djimon Hounsou started his career appearing in music videos. He then moved into movies. He became widely known for his role as Joseph Cinqué in the film Amistad (1997). This role earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in In America (2002) and Blood Diamond (2006).

You might recognize him from superhero movies! In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he plays Korath the Pursuer in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Captain Marvel (2019). He also voiced Korath in the animated series What If...? (2021). In the DC Extended Universe, he appeared as the Fisherman King in Aquaman (2018). He also played the wizard Shazam in Shazam! (2019), Black Adam (2022), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).

Some of his other famous films include Stargate (1994), Gladiator (2000), Constantine (2005), The Island (2005), Furious 7 (2015), and A Quiet Place Part II (2021). He also directed a documentary film called In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven (2018).

Early life and beginnings
Acting career highlights
Other projects
Personal life
Awards and recognition
Images for kids
See also

Early life and beginnings

Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin. His parents are Albertine and Pierre Hounsou. When he was 12 years old, he moved to Lyon, France, with his brother Edmond. After arriving in France, he left school and was homeless for a while.

One day, he met a photographer by chance. This meeting led him to fashion designer Thierry Mugler. Mugler encouraged Djimon to try a career in modeling. In 1987, he became a model and started his career in Paris. He then moved to the United States in 1990.

Acting career highlights

Hounsou at a reception in 2013

Between 1989 and 1991, Djimon Hounsou appeared in several popular music videos. These included "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul, "I Don't Wanna Lose You" by Tina Turner, and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" by Janet Jackson. He also appeared in Madonna's "Express Yourself" and En Vogue's "Hold On".

His first movie role was in the 1990 film Without You I'm Nothing. He also had parts in TV shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and ER. He had a bigger role in the science fiction movie Stargate (1994).

Djimon Hounsou received great praise for his role as Joseph Cinqué in the 1997 Steven Spielberg film Amistad. He also gained more attention as Juba in the 2000 film Gladiator. In 2004, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for In America. This made him one of the first African men to be nominated for an Oscar.

In 2005, he played a mercenary in The Island with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. In 2006, he won an award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Blood Diamond. He also received more Academy Award nominations for this performance.

In 2009, Hounsou had a supporting role in the science-fiction film Push. In 2011, he starred in the French film Special Forces.

He voiced Drago Bludfist in How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014). He also played Korath the Pursuer in the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). In 2015, he played villains in Seventh Son and Furious 7.

In 2016, he joined the TV series Wayward Pines. He also played Chief Mbonga in The Legend of Tarzan.

In 2018, Hounsou joined the DC Extended Universe. He voiced the Fisherman King Ricou in Aquaman. He then played the Wizard Shazam in Shazam! (2019). He played this role again in Black Adam (2022) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). In 2019, he also played Korath again in the Marvel film Captain Marvel.

In 2022, it was announced that Hounsou joined the cast of the film Gran Turismo, based on the video game.

In 2025, Djimon Hounsou shared that he has faced challenges as a Black actor in Hollywood. He mentioned being often chosen for similar roles and feeling that he has not been paid fairly. He said that even though he was nominated for two Academy Awards, he sometimes struggles financially.

Other projects

In 2007, Djimon Hounsou became a model for Calvin Klein underwear.

In 2010, he was the narrator for ESPN's "32 Teams, 1 Dream" commercials for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also spoke at the Summit on Climate Change at the United Nations in 2009. He said that developed countries should be responsible for their part in climate change.

In 2018, Hounsou directed his first documentary film, In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven. This film explores the history and religious practices of West African Vodun. The documentary was first shown at the Miami International Film Festival.

In 2024, Hounsou was featured on a song called "Ode to Ancestors" by South African DJ Black Coffee. This song was part of an album inspired by the movie Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver.

Personal life

In 2007, Djimon Hounsou started dating model Kimora Lee Simmons. In 2008, they visited Hounsou's family in Benin. They had a traditional ceremony there to show their strong commitment to each other. In 2009, Kimora gave birth to their son. Djimon Hounsou and Kimora Lee Simmons announced their separation in 2012. They were never legally married in the United States.

Awards and recognition

Djimon Hounsou has been recognized for his acting many times. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Amistad. He also received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in In America and Blood Diamond. He has won several other awards, including the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Male for In America and multiple NAACP Image Awards.