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. 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 a Muslim family. When he was five years old, his family moved to Mission Viejo, California. Sadly, a few years later, his father passed away in a car accident.

Mustafa went to Santa Clara High School. After high school, he attended Santa Monica College and then Moorpark College. He later studied history at Arizona State University, graduating in 1995.

Career Journey

Playing Football

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

In 1995, Mustafa moved to Arizona State University. He became a starting wide receiver for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He played in the 1997 Rose Bowl Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. His team was undefeated at the time.

After college, Mustafa planned to become a high school teacher. However, a sports agent suggested he try out for NFL teams. He joined the Tennessee Oilers practice squad. He also played for the Barcelona Dragons in 1998. Later, he spent time on the practice squads for the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. In 2000, he attended Seattle Seahawks training camp.

Becoming an Actor

Mustafa in August 2010

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

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

In 2014, he starred in the pilot episode of the TV series Sirens. In 2015, it was announced that Mustafa would play the werewolf Luke Garroway in the fantasy series Shadowhunters. This show was based on the The Mortal Instruments books.

In 2019, Mustafa played the adult Mike Hanlon in It Chapter Two. This was the sequel to the 2017 horror film It. In 2022, he played Cicero in the movie Murder at Yellowstone City.

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 created many short, funny videos on YouTube. Mustafa played the same character and answered questions from people and celebrities on social media.

In 2011, Old Spice launched a new campaign on YouTube. It was a funny competition between Mustafa and Fabio. Mustafa won this challenge. He continued to appear in Old Spice ads in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, he appeared alongside actor Terry Crews in 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.

Mustafa once owned a restaurant called Jo Jo's Barbecue in Los Angeles. It is now closed.

He is a big fan of comic books. His knowledge of comic book characters helped him win $47,000 on the game show The Weakest Link. This money helped him follow his dream of becoming an actor. 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.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Isaiah Mustafa para niños