Djimon Hounsou — Bellazon

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Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964), pronounced "Jie-mon Hahn-soo" is an Academy Award-nominated Beninese actor, dancer and fashion model who was born in Cotonou, Benin. He is now a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Hounsou emigrated to Paris at the age of 13 with a brother, and lived on the streets, until he was discovered by fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who made him a model. Modeling led to acting. His film debut was in Without You I'm Nothing, and he has had television parts on Beverly Hills, 90210 and ER and a guest starring role on Alias, but received a larger role in the science fiction film Stargate.

His first on-screen appearance was in the 1990 Janet Jackson video "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", which co-starred Antonio Sabato Jr.

He 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. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for In America, in 2004. That year, with Charlize Theron, a South African actress nominated for her work in Monster, was the first time that two African-born performers were nominated for an Oscar in the same year.

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 and Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for this performance.

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