Barkhad Abdi
Barkhad Abdi | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 10, 1985 Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, DJ |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Portrayal of Abduwali Muse in Captain Phillips |
| Notable work | Captain Phillips, Eye in the Sky, Good Time, The Pirates of Somalia, Blade Runner 2049, Castle Rock, The Curse |
Barkhad Abdi (, ; born April 10, 1985) is an actor of Somali-American descent. He made his acting debut portraying pirate leader Abduwali Muse in the 2013 biographical drama Captain Phillips, a role that garnered him the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor along with nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Following this initial success, Abdi featured in films such as Eye in the Sky (2015), Good Time (2017), The Pirates of Somalia (2017), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). His television work includes a main cast position on Hulu’s Castle Rock (2019) and a recurring role in Showtime’s satirical comedy series The Curse (2023).
Early life
Abdi was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, to Somali Omar Mahmoud Majerten parents. Amid the Somali Civil War, his family moved to Yemen before eventually immigrating to the United States in 1999. They settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city known for its significant Somali population.
He completed his education at Roosevelt High School in 2003 and pursued further studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Prior to entering acting, Abdi held various jobs including selling mobile phones at his brother's store, working as a limousine driver, and performing as a DJ.
Captain Phillips
Abdi’s first film role was in Paul Greengrass’s Captain Phillips (2013), where he played pirate captain Abduwali Muse.<ref>He was selected to star alongside Tom Hanks after an extensive global casting process that included over 700 candidates at a 2011 casting event in Minneapolis. The casting director referred to the four chosen actors as exceptional talents who stood out from the rest.<ref> For this role, Abdi received $65,000 and returned to work at his brother’s shop following filming.<ref> His portrayal earned him the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as nominations for prestigious honors including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.<ref> Captain Phillips served as Abdi's entry point into the film industry.<ref>
Later career
In 2015, Abdi guest-starred in an episode of Hawaii Five-0, portraying the ex-warlord Roko Makoni. That same year, he contributed to the comedy Trainwreck, although his scenes were ultimately cut from the released version. He appeared as Kenyan undercover operative Jama Farah in the 2015 thriller Eye in the Sky and also held a role in The Brothers Grimsby.
By 2017, Abdi took on the character of a Somali government agent and interpreter in The Pirates of Somalia, facilitating interviews related to Somali piracy prior to the Maersk Alabama hijacking. In October of that year, he had a brief part as a scientist in Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049. Abdi ventured into directing with his debut on the Somali-language film Ciyaalka Xaafada and has since directed multiple music videos. In 2019, he reunited with former Captain Phillips co-star Faysal Ahmed for a ten-episode arc during the second season of Castle Rock.
In 2022, Abdi appeared in the films Tyson's Run and Agent Game, which featured Mel Gibson, and made a guest appearance in the Apple TV+ anthology series Little America. The following year, he assumed a leading role alongside Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, and Benny Safdie in the satirical comedy-drama series The Curse, produced by A24 and Showtime.
Philanthropy
In 2013, Abdi was named Ambassador for Adeso, an NGO established by Somali environmental advocate Fatima Jibrell.
Personal life
By 2014, Abdi was living in Los Angeles, California, and had relocated to Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, Minnesota by 2016. The noticeable bump on his forehead is the result of a car accident that occurred before he auditioned for Captain Phillips.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Captain Phillips | Abduwali Muse | |
| 2015 | Eye in the Sky | Jama Farah | |
| Wolf Who Cried Boy | Reggie | Short film | |
| 2016 | Grimsby | Tabansi Nyagura | |
| 2017 | Extortion | Miguel Kaba | |
| Good Time | Dash | ||
| Blade Runner 2049 | Doc Badger | ||
| The Pirates of Somalia | Abdi | ||
| 2018 | The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir | Wiraj | |
| 2019 | A Girl from Mogadishu | Hassan | |
| 2020 | Beneath a Sea of Lights | Caweys | |
| 2022 | Tyson's Run | Aklilu | |
| Agent Game | Omar | ||
| 2025 | Run | ||
| TBA | Synthetic | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Hawaii Five-0 | Roko Makoni | Episode: "E 'Imi pono" |
| 2016 | Family Guy | Abduwali Muse (voice) | Episode: "Road to India" |
| 2019 | Castle Rock | Abdi Omar | 10 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Blade Runner: Black Lotus | Doc Badger (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Little America | Mohamed | Episode: "Camel on a Stick" |
| 2023 | The Curse | Abshir | 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Carol & The End of The World | Bashiir Hassan (voice) | Episode: “ The Life & Times of Bashiir Hassan ” |
Additional Resources
- 1985 births
- 21st-century African-American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winners
- Living people
- Male actors from Minneapolis
- Male actors from Minnesota
- Minnesota State University Moorhead alumni
- People from Mogadishu
- Roosevelt High School (Minnesota) alumni
- Somali DJs
- Somalian emigrants to the United States
- Somalian male actors