| Bambadjan Bamba | |
| Birth Place: | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Education: | New 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.
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 and is the owner of Ivostar Pictures.
He has appeared on television shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The Sopranos, and Bosch,[4] and he had a recurring role on The Good Place. His film credits include Black Panther, Suicide Squad, and Beginners.
In November 2017, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bamba disclosed that he was a DACA recipient.[5] 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]
| 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 | The Following | Sami | 3 episodes | |
| 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 |