Isaiah Mustafa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isaiah Mustafa
Mustafa at the 2024 WonderCon
Born	(1974-02-11) February 11, 1974 (age 51) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Alma mater	Arizona State University
Occupation	Actor football player
Years active	1997–present
Spouse(s)	Lisa Mitchell ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2
Football career
No. 18
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Career information
High school:	Oxnard (CA) Santa Clara
College:	Arizona State
Undrafted:	1997
Career history
Tennessee Oilers (1997)* Barcelona Dragons (1998) Tennessee Oilers (1998)* Oakland Raiders (1999)* Cleveland Browns (1999)* Seattle Seahawks (2000)*

Isaiah Amir Mustafa (born February 11, 1974) is an American actor and a former American football player. He is famous for being the main character in the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" TV commercials for Old Spice. Isaiah Mustafa also played Luke Garroway in the fantasy TV series Shadowhunters and an older Mike Hanlon in the movie It Chapter Two.

Early Life and Education

Isaiah Mustafa was born in Portland, Oregon. He was the youngest of seven children in his family. When he was five years old, his family moved to Mission Viejo, California. Sadly, his father passed away in a car accident a few years later.

Isaiah went to Santa Clara High School. After that, he studied at Santa Monica College and then Moorpark College. He later went to Arizona State University and graduated in 1995 with a degree in history.

Sports Career

Playing Football

In high school, Isaiah Mustafa played basketball and ran track. He didn't play football then. However, he tried out for the football team at Moorpark College. He hoped to get a scholarship to help pay for college. He started as a free safety and later became a wide receiver.

In 1995, Mustafa moved to Arizona State University. He played as a starting wide receiver for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He played in the 1997 Rose Bowl Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

After college, Isaiah thought about becoming a high school teacher. But a sports agent suggested he try out for NFL teams. He was signed by the Tennessee Oilers for their practice team. Then, he played for the Barcelona Dragons in Europe in 1998. He also spent time on the practice teams for the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns in 1999. In 2000, he went to training camp with the Seattle Seahawks.

Acting Career

Mustafa in August 2010

After his football career, Isaiah Mustafa started acting. He had small roles in TV shows like Ugly Betty and Days of Our Lives.

In 2010, he got a deal with NBC. He also appeared in the comedy movie Horrible Bosses. Isaiah hosted the TBS show Funniest Commercials of the Year in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was a guest star in two episodes of ABC's Charlie's Angels. He played Detective Ray Goodson. The next year, he was in two episodes of The CW's Nikita.

In 2013, Mustafa was in a commercial for Maccabee beer. In 2014, he starred in the first episode of the TV comedy Sirens. In 2015, it was announced that he would play Luke Garroway in the TV series Shadowhunters. This show is based on The Mortal Instruments books.

In 2019, Isaiah Mustafa played the adult Mike Hanlon in It Chapter Two. This was the follow-up to the 2017 horror movie It.

In 2022, Mustafa played a Civil War veteran in the movie Home Team.

Old Spice Commercials

In February 2010, Isaiah Mustafa became very famous for his role in the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" commercials for Old Spice. These commercials featured his funny speeches. After the first commercial, Old Spice made many short, funny videos on YouTube. Mustafa played the same character and answered questions from people on social media.

In July 2011, Old Spice started a new campaign called Mano a Mano in el Baño. It was a challenge between Mustafa and Fabio. Mustafa won the challenge. He continued to appear in Old Spice ads in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, he even appeared alongside actor Terry Crews in some of the commercials.

Personal Life

Isaiah Mustafa has a daughter from a previous marriage. He married Lisa Mitchell on May 26, 2018. They have one son together.

In 2000, he owned a restaurant called Jo Jo's Barbecue in Los Angeles. It is now closed.

Mustafa is a big fan of comic books. His knowledge of Doctor Doom's first name helped him win $47,000 on the game show The Weakest Link. He used this money to help start his acting career. He has also shown interest in playing the comic book superhero Luke Cage. He even appeared as Luke Cage in a short video for Marvel Comics.

Film and Television Roles

Film

Television

Video games

External links

See also

In Spanish: Isaiah Mustafa para niños