The ‘dream’ journey for ‘Captain Phillips’ star

he fairy tale journey continues for Barkhad Abdi, who received a supporting actor Golden Globe nomination for his role as a Somali pirate leader in Captain Phillips.

The Globe announcement came a day after the Somali actor from Minnesota was nominated for a SAG award for his first movie part.

“This seems like a dream,” says Abdi. “And it gets more and more like that every day. I try not to even think about it and do what I have to do.”

Abdi had shot music videos and worked as a sometime director in Minnesota, but mostly his income came from being a limousine driver. That was before he responded to a trade ad looking actors to play parts in the Paul Greengrass film.

After auditioning for the lead pirate part, Abdi found himself acting alongside Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips, a role for which Hanks was also nominated.

“When I got the part that’s when I got nervous. Can I pull this thing together? I was worried,” says Abdi. “I didn’t even want to think about it. Even on set, I didn’t even want to watch the scenes that I did. As long as Paul (Greengrass) was okay with it, then I was fine with it.”

Afterwards, even his own friends didn’t recognize him onscreen.

“Some of them came to the premiere and they said, ‘How are we going to take you seriously for this part?’ ” says Abdi. “I just told them to go watch the movie. Afterwards they said they forget it was even me on the screen after ten minutes.”

Abdi has now hired a Hollywood agent and is looking for additional parts in movies.

“I haven’t got one yet, but I do want to continue acting,” says Abdi.

USA TODAY