Bambadjan Bamba

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Bambadjan Bamba
Born
EducationNew York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts

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.

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 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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