Bambadjan Bamba (born in Abidjan) is an Ivorian actor and filmmaker and has minor roles in Black Panther, Suicide Squad, and The Good Place. He is also a prominent immigrant rights advocate.
Life and career
Bamba was born in the Ivory Coast and illegally came to the United States at the age of 10 in the 1990s.[1] He spent his adolescent years in the South Bronx[2] and Richmond, Virginia.[3] He studied at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in New York City[4] and is the owner of Ivostar Pictures.
He has appeared on television shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The Sopranos, and Bosch,[5] and he had a recurring role on The Good Place. His film credits include Black Panther,[3] Suicide Squad, and Beginners.
Advocacy
In November 2017, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bamba disclosed that he was a DACA recipient.[4] He has since used his platform to advocate for undocumented immigrants to the United States. He has worked with Define American, a nonprofit media and culture organization which provides a venue for undocumented people to tell their own story,[6] and he contributed to the anthology American Like Me: Reflections on life between cultures, edited by America Ferrera.[7]
Bamba received the Courageous Advocate Award from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Courageous Luminary award from NILC (National Immigration Law Center).[8]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Law and Order | Henry Young | Episode: "Hindsight" |
| 2007 | I Think I Love My Wife | Rapper on Elevator | |
| 2007 | The Sopranos | Somali Cyclist | Episode: "Kennedy and Heidi" |
| 2007 | Spinning into Butter | Male Student #2 | |
| 2009 | ER | Psychotic | And in the End... |
| 2010 | Sympathy for Delicious | Guy in First Row | Uncredited |
| 2010 | Beginners | The Sads | |
| 2011 | Contagion | Dread | Uncredited |
| 2011 | Grey's Anatomy | Sefu | Episode: "White Wedding" |
| 2012 | Bones | Sam Sachs | Episode: 7x06 "The Crack in the Code" |
| 2014 | The Following | Sami | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Reality | Tony | |
| 2016 | Everything But a Man | Max's Housemate #2 | |
| 2016 | Suicide Squad | T-shirt vendor | |
| 2016-2019 | The Good Place | Bambadjan | 9 episodes |
| 2018 | A Futile and Stupid Gesture | Taxi Driver | Uncredited |
| 2018 | Black Panther | Militant Leader | |
| 2020 | Bosch | Remi Toussaint | 7 episodes |
References
- ^ Bamba, Bambadjan. "The world's most popular superhero is an undocumented immigrant". The Washington Post.
- ^ Lopez, Ricardo (28 November 2017). "'Black Panther' Actor Publicly Announces His DACA Status, Lending Voice to Immigration Fight". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ a b "'Black Panther' actor is also a Dreamer". CNN. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ a b Anderson, Tre'vell (November 28, 2017). "Actor Bambadjan Bamba comes out as undocumented: 'We just can't be scared anymore.'". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "'God Friended Me' Casts Karine Vanasse; Bambadjan Bamba Joins 'Bosch'". Deadline Hollywood. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ Bamba, Bambadjan (24 January 2018). "Actor: I'm a DACA recipient. Please don't deport me". CNN. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "American Like Me: Reflections on Life between Cultures by America Ferrera". Book Dragon. Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "Actor's heart is still in Africa". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
