Djimon was born in 1964 in the west African country of Benin. At the age of 13, he moved to Paris and ended up a vagrant. Discovered by Thierry Mugler, he became a fashion model and moved to Los Angeles, where he started a career in cinema. In 1997, Steven Spielberg revealed him to the world with Amistad (he got a nomination for the Golden Globe). Three years later, he co-starred with Russell Crowe in Gladiator.

So, how was the game?
It was beautiful for so many reasons, but, unfortunately, it’s part of the game that they fake some things sometimes. Ghana played strong. They played a great game.
It didn’t surprise me but I think it’s great for everybody else to see that, because there are a lot of teams in Africa that really have the talent and the ability to reach a high level. Because of so many issues, because of politics and corruption, it’s very difficult for those players to truly play for their country.
You can’t blame them, but a lot of them end up changing their nationality and playing for countries that provide for them. In that respect, a lot of players become French or English, so it can’t really help African football.

Which team did you support today?
I was supporting Ghana. You know, because this is historical, because this is the first time they have qualified for the World Cup, and the first time they’ve had the chance to go to the second round. It’s historical for the country, and also for the continent as well (note: Cameroon went to the quarter-finals in 1990). I’m definitely very excited for them.
I was expecting a lot from Ivory Coast. I was expecting a lot from Togo, too. But again, they’ve had the minimum support. Politics has interfered with games that should have remained completely politics-free. Players had to go on strike because they were not sure if they’d get paid. That’s distracting from the essence of the game.

Which matches did you see during this FIFA World Cup?
I saw the game between Germany and Poland. That was a great game. Again, I think they played with such vengeance and so much heart. I wish Germany well.

Which players impressed you the most?
Ronaldinho from Brazil. Undeniably, he’s one of the best players. To speak in general, there’s a lot of African players who are very good. Drogba is very, very talented. Eto’o is very good. Djibril Cisse is an amazing player.
Thierry Henry is one of my idols. I follow the English Premiership, but I was supporting Barcelona in the Champions League final.

Are you supporting France against Togo?
They do need serious support and I will most definitely be supporting them. My education was in France, and a lot of African players play for the French team.
Eight years ago, I saw the Final, and everybody remembers it, when France won the World Cup for the first time in their history. We still have some of the players who made that happen like Zidane.

Do you like to go to the stadium?
Of course! You’re in the heart of the lions den. It’s as if you’re in the middle of the game. The adrenaline flies high. I can’t wait to come to Germany and see the Final. If anything, this is the one event that brings the whole world together. In that sense, it’s a beautiful unifying game, it’s a one-off.

Do you play football as well?
I played when I was growing up in Africa. I used to be a really good player, too. I do play sometimes, with a group of Brazilians who live close to my house. We play by the beach, in California, but I have to be careful because I don’t want to break any bones. So now it’s not what it used to be.

Your first idol in football?
Everybody loved Pele. Everybody wanted to emulate the best; the best in the world. He was the idol for everybody.

Actuality?
I just finished something called Blood Diamond with Leonardo Di Caprio. I just came home, literally not even a week ago. A message, a charity you want to promote?
Basically, The One Campaign, you know, with Bono, and Oxfam are the good charities that I work for.
www.one.org/ www.oxfam.org/

Source: WCoffsite