Djimon Gaston Hounsou (; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese–American actor and model. Hounsou began his career appearing in music videos. He made his film debut in "Without You I'm Nothing" (1990) and earned widespread recognition for his role as Cinqué in the Steven Spielberg-directed film "Amistad" (1997). He gained further recognition for his roles in "Gladiator" (2000), "In America" (2003), and "Blood Diamond" (2006), receiving Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations for both the latter films. He also played an antagonist in "Furious 7" (2015). He has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. Djimon Hounsou plays an important role as well in the French film "Forces spéciales" in 2011.