Yahya Abdul-Mateen II facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Abdul-Mateen at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1986-07-15) July 15, 1986 (age 38) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BArch) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2012–present

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (born July 15, 1986) is an American actor. He is famous for playing exciting characters in movies and TV shows. You might know him as Black Manta in the superhero movies Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).

He also played Bobby Seale in the historical drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) and Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections (2021). Yahya won an Emmy Award for his role as Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan in the TV series Watchmen (2019). He has also appeared in popular shows like The Handmaid's Tale (2018) and Black Mirror (2019).

Yahya also acts on stage. He made his first appearance on Broadway in the play Topdog/Underdog. For this role, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play. Soon, he will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the main character in the Disney+ series Wonder Man (2025).

Early Life and Education

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the youngest of six children. His father, Yahya Abdul-Mateen I, was Muslim, and his mother, Mary, is Christian.

He spent his early childhood in New Orleans. Later, his family moved to Oakland, California. There, he went to McClymonds High School. At school, Yahya was a good athlete and enjoyed playing chess. He was also chosen as prom king! His family later moved to Stockton, California.

Yahya went to the University of California, Berkeley. He was part of a fraternity called Alpha Phi Alpha. He also ran hurdles for the California Golden Bears sports team. A teammate suggested he try an acting class, which helped him overcome a stutter. He earned a degree in architecture. After college, he worked as a city planner in San Francisco. This job involves helping design and organize cities.

When he lost his job, he decided to try drama schools. He was accepted into several top schools, including Yale School of Drama. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale. After that, he started working as a stage actor.

Acting Career

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II always wanted to keep his Muslim name. He did not want to change it or use a stage name. He believed having his real name would not stop him from succeeding.

Early Roles

In 2016, Yahya started his acting career in the musical drama series The Get Down on Netflix. He played a character named Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell, who was a "prince" in the disco world. People really liked his performance in the show.

Abdul-Mateen in 2017

In 2017, Yahya appeared in the drama film The Vanishing of Sidney Hall. He played a police officer named Garner Ellerbee in the action-comedy movie Baywatch. He acted alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in that film. He also played W.D. Wheeler in the musical film The Greatest Showman (2017). In this movie, he worked with stars like Hugh Jackman and Zendaya.

Big Movie Roles

In 2018, Yahya starred in the film Boundaries. That same year, he played the famous DC Comics villain Black Manta in the movie Aquaman. This role made him very well-known. He returned as Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023.

In 2019, he appeared in the horror film Us, directed by Jordan Peele. He played a flashback role as the main character's father. In 2019, it was announced that Yahya would play the main character in the Candyman reboot. This horror film was released in 2021 and received good reviews.

TV Shows and Awards

In March 2019, Yahya was cast in the fifth season of Netflix's science-fiction show Black Mirror. Later that year, he played Cal Abar, also known as Doctor Manhattan, in the HBO superhero series Watchmen. For his amazing work in Watchmen, he won his first Emmy Award in September 2020.

Yahya also took on the role of Morpheus in the film The Matrix Resurrections (2021). This was a new version of a character from the famous Matrix movies.

Broadway and Future Projects

From 2022 to 2023, Yahya made his Broadway theatre debut. He starred in a play called Topdog/Underdog with Corey Hawkins. His performance earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play.

In 2022, it was announced that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II would join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will play the main character, Wonder Man, in the new Disney+ series Wonder Man, set to come out in 2025.

About His Life

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II lives in New York City. After his father passed away in 2007, Yahya started looking into his family's history. He said his father always wanted to know more about where his own father came from. Yahya's father had West Indian heritage.

What He's Been In

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II para niños