Bambadjan Bamba (born in Abidjan) is an Ivorian actor and filmmaker known for his roles in Black Panther, Suicide Squad, and The Good Place. He is also a prominent immigrant rights advocate.

Bambadjan Bamba
Born
EducationNew York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts

Life and career

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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

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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

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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

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  1. ^ Bamba, Bambadjan. "The world's most popular superhero is an undocumented immigrant". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ Lopez, Ricardo (28 November 2017). "'Black Panther' Actor Publicly Announces His DACA Status, Lending Voice to Immigration Fight". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b "'Black Panther' actor is also a Dreamer". CNN. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "'God Friended Me' Casts Karine Vanasse; Bambadjan Bamba Joins 'Bosch'". Deadline Hollywood. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  6. ^ Bamba, Bambadjan (24 January 2018). "Actor: I'm a DACA recipient. Please don't deport me". CNN. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. ^ "American Like Me: Reflections on Life between Cultures by America Ferrera". Book Dragon. Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Actor's heart is still in Africa". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
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