Toyota Pro/Celebrity

Biography

At 13, Hounsou left his home of Benin, West Africa, to attend school in Paris. His modeling career was launched when he was discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler; Hounsou became a favorite subject of iconic photographer Herb Ritts. The acclaimed director David Fincher gave him his first on-screen roles, in several music videos.

Steven Spielberg’s 1997 historical drama “Amistad” marked Hounsou’s breakout role, when he performed the part of Cinque, the African who leads an uprising to regain his freedom. Following that, he appeared in roles in films including the Oscar-winning “Gladiator,” Michael Bay’s “The Island,” the thriller “Constantine,” the comedy “Beauty Shop” and Shekhar Kapur’s “The Four Feathers,” with Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson.

His current projects include voicing “The Black Panther” in BET’s Marvel comic–inspired animated series, and starring alongside Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina and Chris Cooper in Julie Taymor’s screen adaptation of “The Tempest.”

Highlights:

• First on-screen roles were music videos directed by David Fincher


• Nominated for an Academy Award for both “In America” and “Blood Diamond”


• Won an NAACP Image Award and earned a Golden Globe nomination for “Amistad”