Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Bio
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (born July 15, 1986) is an American actor widely recognized for his work across major film and television productions. He is best known for portraying the DC Comics villain 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 a version of Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections (2021). His performance as Cal Abar, also known as Doctor Manhattan, in the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019) earned him a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also appeared in acclaimed anthology series including The Handmaid’s Tale and Black Mirror.
Beyond his screen roles, Abdul-Mateen has built a respected presence on stage. He made his Broadway debut in the Suzan-Lori Parks play Topdog/Underdog, a performance that led to a Tony Award nomination. He continues to take on ambitious projects, including the title role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Wonder Man.
Early Life and Background
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the youngest of six children. His father, Yahya Abdul-Mateen I (1945–2007), was Muslim, and his mother, Mary Abdul-Mateen, was Christian. He spent his early childhood in the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans before his family relocated to Oakland, California, where he attended McClymonds High School. At McClymonds, he was a student athlete and a self-described geek who enjoyed chess, and he was also 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, Abdul-Mateen joined Alpha Phi Alpha and competed as a hurdler for the California Golden Bears. A teammate suggested that he take a theater class, and the experience helped him overcome a stutter. He graduated with a degree in architecture and later worked as a city planner in San Francisco. After being laid off, he enrolled at the Yale School of Drama, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Path to Acting
Abdul-Mateen’s transition into acting came after his years at Yale School of Drama, where he received formal classical training. Early in his career, he was adamant about not altering his Muslim name or adopting a stage name, countering assumptions that a Muslim name might limit his opportunities. His professional screen debut arrived in 2016 with Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix musical drama series The Get Down, in which he played Clarence “Cadillac” Caldwell, a prince of the disco world. His performance drew early critical praise.
He followed that with supporting roles in the 2017 drama film The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, the action comedy Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, and the musical The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya. These early credits established him as a versatile performer capable of moving between drama, action, and musical genres.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Career
Early Career (2016–2017)
Abdul-Mateen launched his career with a string of supporting film and television roles in 2016 and 2017. His debut in The Get Down introduced him to a wide Netflix audience and earned him early recognition. He then appeared in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, and in Baywatch, released on May 25, 2017.
In the same year, he played WD Wheeler, a hand-to-hand acrobat partner, in The Greatest Showman, the musical about American showman P.T. Barnum. These roles allowed him to share the screen with major stars and demonstrated his range across genres.
Breakthrough (2018–2021)
In 2018, Abdul-Mateen starred in the road trip drama Boundaries alongside Vera Farmiga and Christopher Plummer and took on the role of DC Comics villain Black Manta in Aquaman, which began shooting in May 2017 in Australia. That same year, he was cast in a flashback role as the main character’s father in Jordan Peele’s horror film Us, released in March 2019. In February 2019, it was confirmed that he was in talks to lead the Jordan Peele-produced Candyman reboot, released to positive reviews on August 27, 2021.
Also in 2019, he was announced as part of the fifth season of Netflix’s Black Mirror. Later that year, he played Cal Abar, known as Doctor Manhattan, in the HBO superhero drama miniseries Watchmen. In September 2020, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for that role. He then portrayed Bobby Seale in the 2020 Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7 and starred as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections in 2021.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Abdul-Mateen’s signature projects are his portrayal of Black Manta in the Aquaman franchise, Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen, and Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections. His Emmy-winning performance in Watchmen stands as his most decorated role, and his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Wonder Man marks a defining new chapter in his career.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Award Nominations
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut in the revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Topdog/Underdog, which ran from September 2022 to January 2023 alongside Corey Hawkins. The nomination recognized his commanding stage presence in one of the most celebrated plays of the modern American theater.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Awards Won
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special in 2020 for his portrayal of Cal Abar, also known as Doctor Manhattan, in the HBO limited series Watchmen. The award confirmed his standing as one of the leading actors of his generation.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Family
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was born to Yahya Abdul-Mateen I (1945–2007) and Mary Abdul-Mateen. He is the youngest of six children. His father, who was Muslim, had West Indian heritage. After his father’s death in 2007, Abdul-Mateen began researching his family history, motivated by his father’s lifelong longing to learn more about his own father and roots.
Personal Life
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II resides in New York City. His personal interests include chess, a hobby he developed during his high school years, and he has spoken publicly about the importance of preserving his family name and heritage in his professional life.
