Barkhad Abdi Joins A-List Hollywood Stars for the ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel

Remember Somali-American actor Barkhad Abdi from Captain Phillips, which scored him an Oscars nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2013?

The Hollywood Reporter reports Abdi is the latest actor to sign onto Alcon Entertainment’s Blade Runner sequel, also starring Nice Guys Ryan Gosling, Star Wars Harrison Ford, House of Cards Robin Wright and WWE champ Dave Bautista.

Abdi will begin filming the Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures production, which is currently unnamed, in July.

The Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel, based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick, takes place several decades after the 1982 Ridley Scott sci-fi noir classic.

This is Abdi’s third feature film, he also appeared in Eye In the Sky. He’s come a long way since his humble beginnings in Mogadishu and Minnesota, where he made a living as a limousine chauffeur, a DJ and sold mobile phones (gotta have your side hustle).

It’s clear the words Abdi said to Tom Hanks while portraying a Somali pirate ringleader, “I’m the captain now,” are ringing true.