Hounsou received wide critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role as Cinqué in the 1997 Steven Spielberg film "Amistad". He gained further notice as Juba in the 2000 film "Gladiator". In 2004, Hounsou was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "In America", making him the fourth African male to be nominated for an Oscar. In 2005 he played a mercenary in the movie "The Island" alongside Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. In 2006, he won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Blood Diamond"; he received Broadcast Film Critics Association, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award nominations for this performance.