Report: Actor Barkhad Abdi Is 'Dead Broke'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It hasn't been a great week for former Minneapolis cab driver turned movie star Barkhad Abdi. First he lost the Academy Award, and now a new report says Abdi is "dead broke."
According to the New Yorker, Abdi only made $65,000 from his role as the Somali pirate leader in "Captain Phillips."
The Academy Award-nominated film starring Tom Hanks has made more than $217 million at the worldwide box office.
The report went on to say Sony Pictures may be trying to cover up the low pay by giving Abdi free hotel rooms, town car service, and clothes during the award season.
Abdi was nominated for best supporting actor, but lost Sunday evening to Jared Leto in "Dallas Buyers Club." He did win a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award earlier this year.
The good news for Abdi is that he's in talks to star in another film about a South African marathon runner. The movie is called "The Place That Hits the Sun."