Boris Kodjoe Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 6 ft 4 in |
Weight | 98 kg |
Date of Birth | March 8, 1973 |
Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
Spouse | Nicole Ari Parker |
Boris Kodjoe is an Austrian actor who gained popularity playing Jason in the film Love & Basketball (2000), Kelby in the movie Brown Sugar (2002), the sports-courier agent Damon Carter in the TV show Soul Food (2000-2004), and many more, along with getting noticed for his drop-dead gorgeous looks which led him to be included in the list for the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in the 2002 issue of the People magazine.
Born Name
Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe
Nick Name
Boris
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Vienna, Austria
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
He enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University on a tennis scholarship, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1996.
Occupation
Actor, Model
Family
- Father –Â Eric Kodjoe (Physician)
- Mother – Ursula (Psychologist)
- Siblings – Patrick (Brother), Nadja (Sister), Lara (Sister)
Manager
He is represented by –
- Innovative Artists
- Das Imperium Management GmbH
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft 4 in or 193 cm
Weight
98 kg or 216 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
He has dated –
- Sanaa Lathan (1993)
- Nicole Ari Parker (2005-Present) – Boris tied the knot with American actress Nicole Ari Parker on May 21, 2005. They have a daughter named Sophie Tei Naaki Lee (b. March 5, 2005) and a son named Nicolas Neruda Kodjoe (b. October 31, 2006).
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (Black and White)
He is of German and Ghanaian descent.
Hair Color
Black (Natural)
He tends to sport the ‘bald’ look.
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Tall, well-built physique
- Bald, shaven head
- Pleasant, good looks
Religion
Christianity
Boris Kodjoe Favorite Things
- Food – Falafel
- Sports – Tennis
- Tennis Event – Wimbledon
- Fitness Mantra – Simplifying workouts and making them fun, Introducing healthy habits by doing a little bit each day
Source – Instagram, Essence, ESPNFrontRow.com
Boris Kodjoe Facts
- In his name, ‘Boris’ comes from the Russian poet and writer Boris Pasternak who wrote his parents’ favorite movie Dr. Zhivago, ‘Frederic’ is his uncle’s name, ‘Cecil’ his grandfather’s. Tay-Natey in Ghana stands for the “firstborn child” and Ofuatey-Kodjoe is his family name.
- He grew up in Freiburg, Germany.
- He has disclosed that he faced discrimination and ill-treatment in his childhood for being black, like being called “Negerkuss” and being thrown bricks through the windows. Nevertheless, he was brought up by his white mother to be strong and has always identified himself to be a black man of mixed cultural heritage, and paid homage to the blackness he earned with pride and through the pain, he experienced as a child.
- Boris had tennis aspirations that got thwarted after a back injury he had. However, he was quickly signed as a model, soon after which he ventured into acting.
- He has been a star who has overcome many odds before attaining success in Hollywood, from learning English on his own to adopting an American accent.
- When he first began on Soul Food, he was not comfortable learning dialogues on his own, and supportive friends like his co-star Nicole Ari Parker would read out his lines which he would mimic back, trying to learn the pronunciation of the difficult words.
- Boris is fluent in German, French, English, as well as Spanish.
- His first child with wife Nicole, Sophie was born with spina bifida, the fact which he has stated, strengthened their marriage, the extreme circumstance having tested them and brought out their best.
- He and his wife Nicole competed against each other on a February 2019 show of the musical reality competition TV program Lip Sync Battle.
Featured Image by Gordon Correll / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0