Yahya Abdul-Mateen planned to become an architect. But to fill a credit at UC Berkeley he first took an acting class. “At the end of the semester, the teacher told me, ‘You know, you’re pretty good,”” he recalls. Abdul-Mateen decided to give himself a couple of years to see if acting would stick. It did.
From a 70s hustler on the Netflix series The Get Down, to a dynamic acrobat in The Greatest Showman, Abdul-Mateen is becoming a familiar Hollywood face. Most famously, he appeared opposite Jason Momoa as the vengeful “Black Manta” in DC Comics’ Aquaman.
Following his debut in the world of comic-books-turned-blockbuster-movies, Abdul-Mateen continues to pursue his career in Watchmen, already predicted to be the next Game of Thrones for HBO.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Multi-Faceted Background
One of the Abdul-Mateen’s strengths is his ability to embrace any role. He credits some of this ability to his own diverse background.
“My father was Muslim and my mom was Christian,” he explains. “So I always had this appreciation for different cultures. Between those two dichotomies and with eight people in the house, there was always [enjoyable] drama.” In its own way, growing up in the Magnolia Projects in Louisiana with six siblings prepared Abdul-Mateen for the chaos of Hollywood life.
But Abdul-Mateen remains keenly aware of the unique role he plays as a celebrity figure. “I think it would be irresponsible of me not to be aware of the climate [in Hollywood] when it comes to the conversation about diversity,” he says. “But I like to consider myself an actor, and one of the assets that I have is that I’m black. And that I’m 6’3!”
Chasing fame and celebrity does not drive Abdul-Mateen. “I just want to do work that gets people excited and makes them feel things, no matter their economic or racial background,” he explains.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Moves from Skyscrapers to Showbiz
The drama of Abdul-Mateen’s childhood prepared him for a career in film and television. But before he pursued that career, the young man first planned to become an architect.
At UC Berkeley, Abdul-Mateen ran track and studied architecture. He even briefly worked as a city planner in San Francisco. But his father’s sudden death drove the young man to pursue his career in acting, rather than letting it fall aside as a hobby.
“My best friend had died,” he recalls. “So it taught me to do the thing that makes me happy and to really chase my dreams.” From there, he went on to earn his MFA from Yale School of Drama and launched his career.
Coming Down to Earth
Abdul-Mateen has proven his ability to thrive in larger-than-life roles like Black Manta. He will continue to develop his career in the world of DC comics in HBO’s Watchmen, as well as a potential Aquaman sequel and the 4th installation of the Matrix franchise.
However, the actor does not want to limit himself to blockbuster hits and comic book adaptations. His long list of upcoming projects also includes more grounded roles. He will soon play an Ethiopian revolutionary in Sweetness in the Belly.
“I really like to start to put together a line of work that just really represents…a simple guy with two feet on the ground with really complex problems. That’s what my appetite is calling for… that, and getting on a horse,” he jokes.
“I hope people know the simpler me. Not everything is flashy or big or shiny or super charismatic,” he says, speaking about his transition from Aquaman to Sweetness in the Belly.
But for those enjoying Abdul-Mateen’s exciting career in the superhero world, Watchmen will air each Sunday on HBO, and remain available by subscription to HBO Now or DC Universe.
