12 Trivia Facts About Djimon Honsou

1. His name is pronounced Jie-mon Hahn-soo.
2. Djimon Hounsou was born on 24 April 1964 in Cotonou, Benin, West Africa, to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. 
3. He moved to Lyon, France, when he was 13. 
4. Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. He has since left his modeling career and has worked on Gladiator (2000) by Ridley Scott and Amistad (1997) by Steven Spielberg.
5. Came to Paris from Benin at the age of 13, couldn't find a job and ended as a vagrant, sleeping under bridges and rummaging in trash cans for food. 
6. A chance meeting with a photographer led to Hounsou being introduced to fashion designer Thierry Mugler, who encouraged Hounsou to pursue a modeling career.
7. He was in a Janet Jackson video "Love Will Never Do Without You" (1992).
8. On ER (1994), he played Mobalage Ikabo, a refugee from Nigeria. His actual homeland of Benin shares its largest border with Nigeria.
9. Fourth male African to receive an Oscar-nomination for acting. The other three were Basil Rathbone, Cecil Kellaway and Omar Sharif. All four men were nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor'.
10. He learned English by watching television.
11. He was in a relationship from 2007-2012 with his ex-fiancée, Kimora Lee Simmons. 
12. He has a son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, born 30 May  2009, from her ex-fiancée Kimora Lee Simmons.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djimon_Hounsou

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005023/bio?ref_=nm_dyk_trv_sm#trivia