Profile
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Biography
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an African-American actor who gained popularity for playing the role of Black Manta in Aquaman, Bobby Seale in Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Morpheus / Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections (2021). He will reprise his role as Black Manta in Aquaman‘s sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premieres on December 22, 2023.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Height
Abdul stands at a rough height of 6 feet and 3 inches.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Age
Abdul is 38 years old. He was born on July 15, 1986, in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Abdul annually celebrates his birthday on July 15th.
Personal Life
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Family and Relatives
Abdul was born to Yahya Abdul-Mateen I and Mary. His father was Muslim while his mother is Christian. Abdul is the youngest of 6 siblings; Sadruddin, Dorothy, Dorothy, Khadija, and Zakiyyah. While growing up, he lived in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans before relocating to Oakland, California. They later relocated to Stockton, California.
His father passed away in 2007 at the age of 62 due to cancer. After his death, Abdul began researching his family history because his father wanted to know his ancestors and their history. He discovered that his father had West Indian ancestry but his country of ancestry is unknown.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Spouse and Children
Abdul manages to keep his marital and relationship status private. Nonetheless, we will update this information when details regarding it are available to the public. Abdul lives in New York.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Education
Abdul finished his high school education at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California. While in high school, he was an athlete and played against Marshawn Lynch before he became an NFL champion. Also, he was the prom king. Next, he joined the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and a hurdler for the California Golden Bears. His teammate recommended that he try out a theatre class. The classes helped him to surpass his stutter.
When he finished his studies, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. After attaining his degree, he worked as a city planner in San Francisco. However, he was discharged and he used the chance to join drama schools. He was accepted to New York University Tisch School of the Arts, the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University, and Yale School of Drama. He decided to join Yale School of Drama where he graduated with a Master Of Fine Arts degree. Also, he worked as a stage actor.
Professional Life
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Net Worth
Abdul has garnered a net worth ranging from $1 million to $6 million during his successful career as an actor.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Career
Abdul gained popularity for playing the role of Black Manta in Aquaman, Bobby Seale in Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Morpheus / Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections (2021). In 2019, he played the role of f Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen. For his performance, he received a Primetime Emmy Award. Additionally, he made appearances in The Handmaid’s Tale and Black Mirror. He is scheduled to appear in Disney+ ‘s Wonder Man in the MCU.
Broadway
Abdul debuted on Broadway when he appeared in Topdog/Underdog. For his role, he received a nomination for a Tony Best Leading Actor Award.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Religion/Is He Muslim?
Abdul has not revealed whether he is a Muslim or not. However, he revealed that he was raised by a Muslim father and a Christian mother.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Amber Heard
Abdul and Heard will co-star in Aquaman‘s sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom where she plays Mera, the queen of Atlantis, and he plays Black Manta, a ruthless pirate and high-seas mercenary.
Movies and TV Shows
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II The Get Down
From 2016 to 2017, Abdul portrayed Clarence “Cadillac” Caldwell in the musical drama, The Get Down. Clarence is the son of a drug Queenpin named Fat Annie and the owner of the most infamous after-hours night spot in the Bronx, Les Inferno. When he’s not displaying his dance floor prowess with the latest disco moves, he imagines himself as the legitimate successor to Annie’s criminal empire.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II The Greatest Showman
In 2017, Abdul played the role of W.D. Wheeler in The Greatest Showman. Wheeler is an acrobat and the older brother of Anne. He and Anne join PT Barnum’s circus alongside others whose features have been rejected by society. Protective of Anne, he shows hostility towards Philip Carlyle but later accepts him.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II The Trial of the Chicago 7
In 2020, Abdul portrayed Bobby Seale in the historical drama legal, The Trial of the Chicago 7. In the film, Bobby is the national chairman of the Black Panther Party and the eighth defendant who’s arrested on the grounds of crossing state lines to provoke a riot. This happened after he alongside Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, David Dellinger, Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis, Lee Weiner, and John Froines organized protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II The Matrix Resurrections
In 2021, Abdul portrayed Morpheus / Smith in the sci-fi, The Matrix Resurrections. Morpheus is a program generated as part of a modal by Neo. He takes on the attributes of the original Morpheus, a hacker who originally freed Neo from the Matrix, and Agent Smith, Neo’s affliction.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Candyman
In 2021, Abdul portrayed Anthony McCoy and Candyman in the supernatural slasher film, Candyman. Anthony is a visual artist who develops an obsession with the Candyman’s legend.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Black Mirror
In 2019, Abdul portrayed Karl in the Black Mirror episode, “Striking Vipers.” The episode follows Karl and his friend, Danny Parker as they reunite during a virtual reality fighting game named Striking Vipers. The pair engage in virtual intimacy within the game which harms Daniel’s marital relationship with Theo. After Theo finds out the truth, the three establish an annual tradition where Danny plays Striking Vipers X with Karl while she goes to the bar without her wedding ring to meet a stranger.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Black Manta/Aquaman
In 2018, Abdul portrayed the role of David Kane / Black Manta in DC’s Aquaman. In the film, David is a pirate who vows to take revenge on behalf of his father, Jesse Kane, when he dies after Arthur declines David’s plea for assistance in saving Jesse. He manages to escape using a TR-3B and later resurfaces when he has an Atlantean battlesuit.
After being equipped with armor, David adopts the moniker Black Manta and engages in a fierce battle with Aquaman. During a mid-credits scene, a marine scientist and Atlantis enthusiast named Dr. Stephen Shin strikes a deal with Manta in which he agrees to guide Shin to Atlantis in exchange for help in seeking revenge against Arthur. Before being cast in Aquaman, he did not know how to swim. He learned to swim before the film’s production
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Abdul will reprise his role as Black Manta in Aquaman‘s sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premieres on December 22, 2023. In the film, David unleashes the cursed Black Trident to avenge his father by killing Arthur/Aquaman. The film follows Aquaman as he tries to stop Black Manta by any means possible including working with his half-brother Orm. The film features stars such as
- Jason Momoa
- Nicole Kidman
- Amber Heard
- Patrick Wilson
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Other Films and TV Shows
During his career, Abdul has appeared in numerous films and TV shows including
- The Vanishing of Sidney Hall
- Baywatch
- The Get Down
- The Greatest Showman
- First Match
- Boundaries
- Us
- Sweetness in the Belly
- All Day and a Night
- Ambulance
- Watchmen
Fun Facts About Abdul;
Here are some quick fun facts of Abdul;
- He has an architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- While at the University of California, Berkeley, he played against Marshawn Lynch
- He was accepted into New York University Tisch School of the Arts, the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University, and Yale School of Drama
- He joined Yale School of Drama and graduated with a Master Of Fine Arts degree
- He worked as a city planner in San Francisco
- He has a mild stutter
- Before being cast in Aquaman, he did not know how to swim. He learned to swim before the film’s production
- He has a production company named “Eleven10”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Social Media
Abdul has active social media platforms i.e. Twitter, and Instagram. He has a following of over 400K on Instagram and a following of over 91.6K on Twitter.
Abdul has an active Instagram account where he posts about his latest film ventures and achievements in the entertainment industry. CLick Here to view his account.