Barkhad Abdi | |
|---|---|
 Abdi at the2014 New York Film Festival | |
| Born | (1985-04-10)April 10, 1985 (age 40) |
| Education | Minnesota State University, Moorhead |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Awards | Full list |
Barkhad Abdi (Somali:Barkhad Cabdi,IPA:[bàrxád̪ʕábd̪ì];[1] born April 10, 1985) is a Somali and American actor. He made his acting debut as the pirateAbduwali Muse in the biographical drama filmCaptain Phillips (2013), which earned him aBritish Academy Film Award forBest Actor in a Supporting Role, along withAcademy Award,Golden Globe Award, andScreen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Following his breakthrough, Abdi appeared in the filmsEye in the Sky (2015),Good Time (2017),The Pirates of Somalia (2017), andBlade Runner 2049 (2017). Outside of film, he was featured as a series regular on the second season of theHulu horror anthologyCastle Rock (2019) and a recurring role in theShowtime satirical comedy seriesThe Curse (2023).
Barkhad Abdi was born to Somali Omar MahmoudMajerten parents on April 10, 1985, inMogadishu,Banaadir, Somalia. The nameBarkhad in the Somali language literally meanscistern, with water representing life.[2] Around the age of six or seven, when theSomali Civil War broke out, he and his family moved toYemen to join his father, who had taken up teaching.[3][4] In 1999, Abdi and his family relocated toMinneapolis,Minnesota, home to a largeSomali community.[4]
He graduated fromRoosevelt High School in 2003 and attendedMinnesota State University Moorhead.[4] Before entering the film industry, Abdi sold mobile phones at his brother's shop at a mall in Minneapolis. He also worked as a limousine driver at a relative's chauffeur company and as aDJ.[5][6]
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Abdi made his debut in thePaul Greengrass directed filmCaptain Phillips (2013), playing ship hijacker and pirate leaderAbduwali Muse.[7][8] He was cast oppositeTom Hanks, following a worldwide search for the lead roles. Abdi and three other actors were chosen from more than 700 participants at a 2011 casting call in Minneapolis. According to the casting director, the four were selected because they were "the chosen ones, that anointed group that stuck out".[9] He was paid $65,000 for his appearance in the film and returned to working in his brother's shop afterwards.[10] For his performance Abdi earned theBAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also received nominations for theAcademy Award,Golden Globe Award, andScreen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor.[11] Abdi's experience inCaptain Phillips was his first in the film industry.[12]
In 2015, Abdi appeared in an episode of the seriesHawaii Five-0, playing former warlord Roko Makoni.[13] Later that year, he began work on the comedy filmTrainwreck, though he did not appear in the finished film.[14] He appeared in the 2015 thrillerEye in the Sky as Kenyan undercover agent Jama Farah, and he had a role inThe Brothers Grimsby.[15] In the 2017 filmThe Pirates of Somalia, Abdi played the Somali government-sponsored local agent and translator for Canadian freelance journalistJay Bahadur. His character coordinates interviews between local pirate leaders and Bahadur, who records the motivations ofSomali piracy in the weeks leading up to theMaersk Alabama hijacking. In October 2017, Abdi featured inDenis Villeneuve'sBlade Runner 2049, in a minor role of a scientist.[16] Abdi made his directorial debut with the Somali filmCiyaalka Xaafada. He has directed several music videos.[4] In 2019, Abdi reunited withCaptain Philips castmateFaysal Ahmed, in the second season ofCastle Rock, in which he starred in 10 episodes.[17]
In 2022, he acted in the filmsTyson's Run andAgent Game starringMel Gibson and appeared in theApple TV+ seriesLittle America.[18] In 2023 he acted in theA24 /Showtime satirical comedy-drama seriesThe Curse starringEmma Stone,Nathan Fielder, andBenny Safdie.
In 2013, Abdi began to serve as an Ambassador forAdeso, anon-governmental organisation founded by the Somali environmentalistFatima Jibrell.[19]
Abdi resided inLos Angeles, California as of 2014[20] and in 2016 lived inCedar-Riverside, Minneapolis, Minnesota.[21] The bump on his forehead is from a car crash he was in prior to auditioning forCaptain Phillips.[22]
| 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[23] | Caweys | |
| 2022 | Tyson's Run | Aklilu | |
| Agent Game | Omar | ||
| 2025 | Run | ||
| TBA | Synthetic[24] | Post-production |
| 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[17] |
| 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” |
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