Somali actor Barkhad Abdi earned $65,000 for his first-ever film role in Captain Phillips, he returned to selling mobile phones at his brother’s shop in Minneapolis, United States.
Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Abdi moved to the United States with his family at the age of 14.
Before entering Hollywood, he worked as a limousine driver and sold mobile phones.
His life took an unexpected turn when he was cast as Muse, the Somali pirate leader in the 2013 film Captain Phillips, which was based on the real-life hijacking of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama in 2009.
Despite having no previous film acting experience, Abdi delivered a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2014. He also won the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor that same year.