Djimon Hounsou arrived in Paris from Benin 🇧🇯 at the age of 13 with his brother, they couldn't find work and ended up  sleeping under bridges and searching for food in garbage bins.

A chance meeting with a photographer led to an introduction to fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who encouraged Hounsou to pursue a modeling career. In 1987, he became a model and established a career in Paris. 

He moved to the United States in 1990, began  appearing in music videos wasn’t long after that he made his film debut in Without You I'm Nothing (1990) and then was cast as Cinqué in 1997 Steven Spielberg film Amistad, Hounsou received wide critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the role.

He gained further notice as Juba in the 2000 film Gladiator.