Barkhad Abdi

Barkhad Abdi

Barkhad Abdirahman Abdi (Somali: Barkhad Cabdiraxmaan Cabdi, Arabic: برخد عبد الرحمن عبدي; born 10 April 1985) is a Somali-American actor. He is best known for his role as Abduwali Muse in the 2013 film Captain Phillips, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life and education Abdi was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 10 April 1985. When he was six years old, his family fled the Somali Civil War and moved to Yemen. They lived in Yemen for four years before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1999. Abdi attended Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, where he graduated in 2003.

After high school, Abdi attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where he studied business administration. He dropped out of college in 2007 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

Career Abdi's acting career began in 2009, when he appeared in the short film The Merchant. In 2012, he had a small role in the film Lawless. His breakthrough role came in 2013, when he played Abduwali Muse in the film Captain Phillips. Abdi's performance in the film was highly praised, and he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Since Captain Phillips, Abdi has appeared in a number of films, including The Fifth Estate (2013), Eye in the Sky (2015), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). He also had a recurring role in the television series Ray Donovan.

Personal life Abdi is married to Faduma Dekow. They have two children together. Abdi is a Muslim.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role 2009 The Merchant Delivery Boy 2012 Lawless Ironsides 2013 Captain Phillips Abduwali Muse 2013 The Fifth Estate Mohamed Sakhr 2015 Eye in the Sky Jama Farah 2017 Blade Runner 2049 Sapper Morton 2018 The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Tommy 2018 Hotel Mumbai Taj Employee 2019 Captain Marvel Soren 2020 The Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi 2022 The Contractor Mustafa Television Year Title Role Notes 2014–2016 Ray Donovan Amir Baraka Recurring role, 12 episodes 2017–2018 The First Kadir Hussein Main role, 12 episodes Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result 2014 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Captain Phillips Nominated 2014 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Captain Phillips Nominated 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Captain Phillips Nominated 2014 BAFTA Awards Best Supporting Actor Captain Phillips Nominated 2014 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Supporting Actor Captain Phillips Nominated