A former model who also appeared in music videos, Djimon Hounsou was seemingly plucked from obscurity by producer Debbie Allen and director Steven Spielberg to portray Joseph Cinque, the leader of a slave ship mutiny, in "Amistad" (1997). A tall, powerful, commanding presence, he delivered a critically-praised performance that immediately sparked talk of a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

Born in a small village in the West African nation of Benin, Hounsou, the youngest of five, eventually went to live with an older brother in Lyons, France, ostensibly to pursue his education. Bored with school, he