Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an American actor recognized for his work across film, television, and theater. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 15, 1986, he was the youngest of six siblings. His mother, Mary, is Christian, while his father, Yahya Abdul-Mateen I (originally named John Ford), was affiliated with the New Orleans Masjid of Al-Islam. Abdul-Mateen spent his early years living in the Magnolia Projects before his family relocated to Oakland, California, where he went to McClymonds High School, played sports, participated in chess, and was chosen as prom king.

The family eventually moved to Stockton, California. Abdul-Mateen went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and participated in track as a hurdler. Upon a teammate's recommendation, he took a theater class that assisted him in addressing a speech stutter. He earned a degree in architecture and took a job as a San Francisco urban planner, but after being laid off, he enrolled at the Yale School of Drama, where he obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree.

Refusing suggestions to change his Muslim birth name for his professional career, Abdul-Mateen launched his acting path in 2016 with the Netflix musical series The Get Down, playing disco prince Clarence "Cadillac" Caldwell. In 2017, he appeared in the drama film The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, played police officer Garner Ellerbee in the comedy Baywatch, and portrayed performer W. D. Wheeler in the musical film The Greatest Showman.

His career expanded in 2018 with roles in the drama Boundaries and as the comic book antagonist Black Manta in the superhero film Aquaman, a character he revisited in the 2023 sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In 2019, he appeared in Jordan Peele's film Us and the science-fiction series Black Mirror. That same year, his performance as Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan in HBO's miniseries Watchmen won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special. He also appeared in The Handmaid's Tale and played political activist Bobby Seale in the drama film The Trial of the Chicago 7.

In 2021, Abdul-Mateen starred as Morpheus / Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections and led the horror film Candyman. Later that year, he founded the production company House Eleven10, named after his childhood residence in Oakland, establishing a partnership with Netflix to create projects and elevate underrepresented creators. He made his Broadway stage debut in late 2022 starring in the revival of Topdog/Underdog, which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play.

Abdul-Mateen joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring as Simon Williams in the Disney+ series Wonder Man, which premiered in 2026 and earned him an Emmy nomination, prior to being renewed for a second season. He was also attached to star as John Creasy in a Netflix series adaptation of Man on Fire. Based in New York City, he conducted personal genealogical research following his father's death in 2007, discovering West Indian ancestry in his heritage.