Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (born July 15, 1986) is an Emmy-winning American actor best known for his roles as Black Manta in the Aquaman films, Bobby Seale in The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Morpheus/Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections. He earned a Primetime Emmy for his portrayal of Doctor Manhattan in HBO's Watchmen (2019) and received a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut in Topdog/Underdog. Raised in New Orleans and Oakland, he studied architecture at UC Berkeley and later earned an MFA from Yale School of Drama, where a theater class helped him overcome a stutter. He went on to star in acclaimed projects like Candyman and the Marvel series Wonder Man (2026), which brought him another Emmy nomination. Notably, Abdul-Mateen has always refused to alter his Muslim name, honoring his father's conversion to Islam while maintaining his own identity.