Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | |
|---|---|
 Abdul-Mateen at the 2018San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | (1986-07-15)July 15, 1986 (age 39) New Orleans,Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BArch) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (/ˈjɑːhiə/;[1] born July 15, 1986[2]) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles asBlack Manta in the superhero filmsAquaman (2018) andAquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023),Bobby Seale in theNetflix historical legal dramaThe Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), andMorpheus /Agent Smith inThe Matrix Resurrections (2021). For his portrayal of Cal Abar /Doctor Manhattan in theHBOlimited seriesWatchmen (2019), he won aPrimetime Emmy Award. He also starred in episodes ofThe Handmaid's Tale (2018) andBlack Mirror (2019).
He made hisBroadway debut in theSuzan-Lori Parks playTopdog/Underdog for which he received aTony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play nomination. He has playedSimon Williams / Wonder Man in media set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe, starring in theDisney+ seriesWonder Man (2026).
Abdul-Mateen was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana. His father Yahya Abdul-Mateen I (1945–2007) was Muslim,[3][4] and his mother Mary was Christian.[5][2] He is the youngest of six children.[6] He spent his childhood in theMagnolia Projects of New Orleans, and then moved toOakland, California,[7][8] where he attendedMcClymonds High School. At McClymonds, he was an athlete[a] and self-described geek who enjoyed chess but was also votedprom king.[10] The family was eventually priced out of Oakland and moved toStockton, California.[9]
During his time at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, Mateen became a member ofAlpha Phi Alpha[11] and competed as ahurdler for theCalifornia Golden Bears.[2] A teammate suggested he take a theater class; that class helped him overcome his stutter.[12] He graduated with a degree in architecture, and then worked as acity planner inSan Francisco.[13] After being laid off from his job, he enrolled atYale School of Drama[4] and graduated with aMaster of Fine Arts degree.[8][14]
Early in his career, Abdul-Mateen was adamant about not altering his Muslim name or using a stage name, countering the implications that having a Muslim name would impede his success.[15] In 2016, Abdul-Mateen began his acting career withStephen Adly Guirgis andBaz Luhrmann's musical drama seriesThe Get Down, which premiered onNetflix. His character Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell is a prince of the disco world.[14] He was praised for his performance in the series.[7][16]
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In 2017, Abdul-Mateen appeared inShawn Christensen's drama filmThe Vanishing of Sidney Hall, in the role of Duane. It premiered at the2017 Sundance Film Festival.[17]
Abdul-Mateen played a police officer, Garner Ellerbee, in the 2017 action comedy filmBaywatch along withDwayne Johnson andZac Efron, and directed bySeth Gordon.[18] He also played acrobat W. D. Wheeler in the musical filmThe Greatest Showman, which also starred Efron as well asHugh Jackman,Michelle Williams,Rebecca Ferguson, andZendaya.[19]
In 2018, he starred in the road trip drama filmBoundaries, along withVera Farmiga andChristopher Plummer, directed and written byShana Feste;[20] and playedDC Comics villainBlack Manta in the filmAquaman, which started shooting in May 2017 in Australia.[21]
In the 2019 filmUs, directed byJordan Peele, Abdul-Mateen appears in a flashback as the main character's father.[22] He also starred in "Striking Vipers", the first episode of the fifth season of Netflix'sscience-fictionanthology seriesBlack Mirror.[23] Later in the year, he played Cal Abar, known asDoctor Manhattan, in theHBOsuperhero drama miniseriesWatchmen,[24] which earned him his firstEmmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special in September 2020.[25]
Abdul-Mateen starred asMorpheus /Agent Smith in the 2021 filmThe Matrix Resurrections.[26] He also starred inNia DaCosta's 2021 filmCandyman.
In September 2022, he made hisBroadway debut in the revival of theSuzan-Lori Parks playTopdog/Underdog alongsideCorey Hawkins. He remained in the role until January 2023, and earned aTony nomination forBest Leading Actor in a Play.
In 2022, Abdul-Mateen was cast as theMarvel Comics characterSimon Williams in theDisney+ seriesWonder Man which premiered on January 27, 2026.[27][28]
Abdul-Mateen lives in New York City.[6] After his father's death in 2007, Abdul-Mateen began researching his family history, explaining that "My father grew up and passed away with the longing to know where his father was from and about his father's history."[29] His father hadWest Indian heritage.[30]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Vanishing of Sidney Hall | Duane Jones | |
| Baywatch | Sergeant Garner Ellerbee | ||
| The Greatest Showman | W. D. Wheeler | ||
| 2018 | First Match | Darrel | |
| Boundaries | Serge | ||
| Aquaman | David Kane / Black Manta | ||
| 2019 | Us | Russel Thomas / Weyland | |
| Sweetness in the Belly | Aziz | ||
| 2020 | All Day and a Night | Big Stunna | |
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 | Bobby Seale | ||
| 2021 | Candyman | Anthony McCoy andCandyman | |
| The Matrix Resurrections | Morpheus /Smith[31] | ||
| 2022 | Ambulance | Will Sharp | |
| 2023 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | David Kane / Black Manta | |
| 2026 | The Adventures of Cliff Booth | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | By Any Means | TBA | Post-production |
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2017 | The Get Down | Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell | Main role |
| 2018 | The Handmaid's Tale | Omar | Episode: "Baggage" |
| 2019 | Black Mirror | Karl | Episode: "Striking Vipers" |
| Watchmen | Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan | Miniseries; 8 episodes | |
| 2026 | Wonder Man | Simon Williams / Wonder Man | Lead role; 8 episodes |
| Man on Fire† | John Creasy | Lead role |
| † | Denotes series that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | Topdog / Underdog | Booth | John Golden Theatre, Broadway debut |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)After the release of the trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, many long-time fans of the franchise have pondered what role Yahya Abdul-Mateen II would be playing, given his eerily similar appearance to Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus. Fans can now rest easy (or not, depending on your perspective), as the Candyman star has confirmed on Instagram that he is, in fact, taking over the role of Morpheus for the franchise's fourth installment.
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