Trivia

Came to Paris from Benin at the age of 13, couldn't find a job and ended up a vagrant, sleeping under bridges and rummaging in trash cans for food. Things changed for the better when fashion designer Thierry Mugler discovered him and made him a fashion model.

Learned English by watching television.

Name pronounced Jie-mon Hahn-soo.

Was in Janet Jackson video "Love Will Never Do Without You" (1992).

Eighth black male to receive an Oscar-nomination for acting. The seven others are: 1963 Sidney Poitier for Lilies of the Field--Best Actor; 1982 Louis Gossett, Jr. for An Officer and a Gentlemen--Best Supporting Actor; 1989 Denzel Washington for Glory--Best Supporting Actor; 1996 Cuba Gooding, Jr. for Jerry Maguire--Best Supporting Actor; 2001 Denzel Washington for Training Day--Best Actor; 2005 Jamie Foxx for Ray--Best Actor; 2005 Morgan Freeman for Million Dollar Baby--Best Supporting Actor; 2007 Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland--Best Actor.

Has a son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou (born 30 May, 2009), with ex-fiancée Kimora Lee Simmons.

On Urgences (1994), he played Mobalage Ikabo, a refugee from Nigeria. His actual homeland of Benin shares its largest border with Nigeria.

Engaged to Kimora Lee Simmons from June 2008 to November 2012.

Born on exactly the same date as Cedric the Entertainer.

Whilst filming the sequel to Tomb Raider, (Cradle Of Life), he was approached by local children in Kenya who were speaking to him in Swahili, but he was unable to understand them because he was born in Benin, thus only knowing the Beninese language, plus French, and English, so he couldn't effectively communicate with them.

Shares same day and month of birth as Aidan Gillen, Joe Keery, and Terry McGinnis.