Djimon Gaston Hounsou (; ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor, model, and Beninese expatriate in the United States. Hounsou began his career appearing in music videos. He made his film debut in the Sandra Bernhard film Without You I'm Nothing (1990) and gained widespread recognition for his role as Cinqué in the Steven Spielberg film Amistad (1997). He gained further recognition for his roles in Gladiator (2000), In America (2004) and Blood Diamond (2006). He has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Academy Awards.