Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (; born July 15, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Black Manta in the superhero films Aquaman (2018) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Bobby Seale in the Netflix historical legal drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), and Morpheus / Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections (2021). For his portrayal of Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan in the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019), he won a Primetime Emmy Award. He also starred in episodes of The Handmaid's Tale (2018) and Black Mirror (2019).
He made his Broadway debut in the Suzan-Lori Parks play Topdog/Underdog for which he received a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play nomination. He has played Simon Williams / Wonder Man in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring in the Disney+ series Wonder Man (2026), for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Early life Abdul-Mateen was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother, Mary, is Christian, while his father (1945–2007) was Yahya Abdul-Mateen I (birth name John Ford), a member of the New Orleans Masjid of Al-Islam, a former Nation of Islam temple founded in the 1960s that later adopted Sunni Islam. He is the youngest of six children. He spent his childhood in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans, and then moved to Oakland, California, where he attended McClymonds High School. At McClymonds, he was an athlete and self-described geek who enjoyed chess and was voted prom king. The family was eventually priced out of Oakland and moved to Stockton, California.
During his time at the University of California, Berkeley, Mateen became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and competed as a hurdler for the California Golden Bears. A teammate suggested he take a theater class; that class helped him overcome his stutter. He graduated with a degree in architecture, and then worked as a city planner in San Francisco. After being laid off from his job, he enrolled at Yale School of Drama and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Career Early in his career, Abdul-Mateen was adamant about not altering his Muslim name or using a stage name, countering the implications that having a Muslim name would impede his success. In 2016, Abdul-Mateen began his acting career with Stephen Adly Guirgis and Baz Luhrmann's musical drama series The Get Down, which premiered on Netflix. His character Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell is a prince of the disco world. He was praised for his performance in the series.
In 2017, Abdul-Mateen appeared in Shawn Christensen's drama film The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, in the role of Duane. It premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
Abdul-Mateen played a police officer, Garner Ellerbee, in the 2017 action comedy film Baywatch along with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, and directed by Seth Gordon. He also played acrobat W.D. Wheeler in the musical film The Greatest Showman, which also starred Efron as well as Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya.
In 2018, he starred in the road trip drama film Boundaries, along with Vera Farmiga and Christopher Plummer, directed and written by Shana Feste; and played DC Comics villain Black Manta in the film Aquaman, which started shooting in May 2017 in Australia.
In the 2019 film Us, directed by Jordan Peele, Abdul-Mateen appears in a flashback as the main character's father. He also starred in "Striking Vipers", the first episode of the fifth season of Netflix's science-fiction anthology series Black Mirror. Later in the year, he played Cal Abar, known as Doctor Manhattan, in the HBO superhero drama miniseries Watchmen, which earned him his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special in September 2020.
Abdul-Mateen starred as Morpheus / Agent Smith in the 2021 film The Matrix Resurrections. He also starred in Nia DaCosta's 2021 film Candyman.
That November, Abdul-Mateen launched a production company called House Eleven10, which is named after his childhood home in Oakland, California, and focused on Abdul-Mateen bringing to life stories of his youth, and to uplift talent from under represented communities. The company launched with a creative partnership through Netflix which included Abdul-Mateen starring and producing in films for the streamer.
In September 2022, he made his Broadway debut in the revival of the Suzan-Lori Parks play Topdog/Underdog alongside Corey Hawkins. He remained in the role until January 2023, and earned a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play.
In 2022, Abdul-Mateen was cast as the Marvel Comics character Simon Williams in the Disney+ series Wonder Man which premiered on January 27, 2026. In March of that same year, the show was renewed for a second season. Around the same time, he was set to star as John Creasy in the Netflix tv adaptation of Man on Fire.
Personal life Abdul-Mateen lives in New York City. After his father's death in 2007, Abdul-Mateen began researching his family history, explaining that "My father grew up and passed away with the longing to know where his father was from and about his father's history." His father had West Indian heritage.
Acting credits Film
Year Title Role Notes 2017 The Vanishing of Sidney Hall Duane Jones Baywatch Sergeant Garner Ellerbee The Greatest Showman W. D. Wheeler 2018 First Match Darrel Boundaries Serge Aquaman David Kane / Black Manta 2019 Us Russel Thomas / Weyland Sweetness in the Belly Aziz 2020 All Day and a Night Big Stunna The Trial of the Chicago 7 Bobby Seale 2021 Candyman Anthony McCoy and Candyman The Matrix Resurrections Morpheus / Smith 2022 Ambulance William "Will" Sharp 2023 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom David Kane / Black Manta 2026 By Any Means Agent Wayne Strider The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth Roderick "Hot Rod" Harrison Post-production TBA Liminal Filming
Television Year Title Role Notes 2016–2017 The Get Down Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell Main role 2018 The Handmaid's Tale Omar Episode: "Baggage" 2019 Black Mirror Karl Episode: "Striking Vipers" Watchmen Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan Miniseries; 8 episodes 2026 Wonder Man Simon Williams / Wonder Man Lead role; 8 episodes Man on Fire John Creasy Lead role; Also executive producer
Theater Year Title Role Notes 2022–2023 Topdog / Underdog Booth John Golden Theatre, Broadway debut
Accolades Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2020 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series Watchmen Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Florida Film Critics Circle Awards Best Ensemble 2021 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards Best Ensemble Austin Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble Black Reel Awards Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male Critics' Choice Awards Best Acting Ensemble Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Best Ensemble Georgia Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards Best Cast Ensemble San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Best Ensemble Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Acting Ensemble 2022 Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actor in a Horror Movie Candyman Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Lead Performance 2023 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Topdog/Underdog Theatre World Awards Outstanding Debut Performance in a Broadway or Off-Broadway Production Tony Awards Best Leading Actor in a Play 2026 Astra TV Awards Best Actor in a Comedy Series Wonder Man Black Reel Awards Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actor in a Superhero Series Dorian Awards Best TV Performance — Comedy Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
See also African-American Tony nominees and winners Notes
References
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