Why Ramsay From Jurassic World Dominion Looks So Familiar
It has been around three decades since Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) were first introduced us to "Jurassic Park." And while we've had many more films added to the franchise since then, many fans have no doubt been clamoring for the trio to make an appearance together ever since "Jurassic World" dropped in 2015. Sure, we've seen Dr. Malcolm return in "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," and Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler appeared in "Jurassic Park III," but "Jurassic World Dominion" marks the first movie to feature all three since the film that started it all.
But where would the "Jurassic Park" franchise be without the smaller side characters who have helped make each film successful? After all, the stakes of "Jurassic Park" might not have felt as intense if Dr. Grant hadn't been stuck with the scrappy kids Lex (Ariana Richards) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello). And similarly, Dr. Malcolm's daughter Kelly (Vanessa Chester) helped give "The Lost World" its emotional core. In "Dominion," there are a few new side characters to watch for, such as pilot Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) and dinosaur smuggler Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman).
And then there's newcomer Ramsay Cole, the ambitious head of communication for the notoriously corrupt Biosyn genetics company. If you're wondering why the actor who plays Cole looks familiar, these are a few of the things you may have seen him in.
Mamoudou Athie played Ray Malcolm in Jean of the Joneses
That is actor Mamoudou Athie as Ramsay Cole in "Jurassic World Dominion." And as with many actors, he's had a steady rise from bit parts to meatier roles. Athie's debut was a tiny role in the 2015 film "Experimenter," starring Winona Ryder and Peter Sarsgaard, and the same year he played a staffer on an episode of "Madam Secretary." But in 2016, he upgraded to a co-starring role in the film "Jean of the Joneses."
In the directorial debut of Stella Meghie, Athie plays an ambulance EMT who begins to date the main character Jean Jones (Taylour Paige) after she and her boyfriend split up. He first hits on her in the ambulance — despite a dead body sitting between them. While the film itself is a family drama between and about the various Jones women, it also showcases Athie's talents as the charming and persistent Ray as he struggles to forge a bond with Jean, refusing to be scared off by whatever baggage she's carrying.
Athie's skills are on full display in the film, and his co-star Paige spoke about her admiration for his talent and good nature during an interview with Hammer to Nail. "He just made it, it was comfortable, you know?" she said. "We're both early in our careers and just wanted to bring our natural selves to this."
Athie portrayed Grandmaster Flash in Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down
In 2016, Mamoudou Athie played the role of the real-life hip hop iconoclast Grandmaster Flash in the Baz Luhrmann Netflix series "The Get Down." The series follows a group of ambitious teens living in the Bronx during the 1970s and through their eyes, it tracks the development and rise in popularity of both hip hop and disco music, all with Luhrmann's signature maximalist flair. Athie revealed to Interview Magazine that going into the audition, he wasn't aware that he was in the running to portray such a legend. "When I auditioned ... the role was titled 'Master DJ.' That was it," Athie explained. "I was like, 'I don't know who this dude is, but it feels very specific in the text,' so I just leaned into my gut instinct."
"The Get Down" also featured Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs, veteran actor Giancarlo Esposito, and a cast of many up-and-coming talents like Jaden Smith, Shameik Moore, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Considering all the prestige behind the project, the show seemed like it couldn't fail. Unfortunately, with various issues like delays, a bloated $120 million price tag, and showrunner Shawn Ryan walking away, Netflix canceled the series after one season (via Esquire).
Athie co-starred in Brie Larson's directorial debut Unicorn Store
In 2017, Mamoudou Athie got the biggest role of his career up to that point, co-starring as Brie Larson's love interest in her directorial debut "Unicorn Store." Larson's character, Kit, is on a seemingly improbable mission to build a stable that is appropriate for a real-life unicorn, which she has been promised by a mysterious salesman (Samuel L. Jackson). Athie plays a hardware store employee named Virgil who helps Kit with her stable, and despite being initially wary of the strange task, the two end up developing feelings for one another.
"Working with Brie Larson and Sam Jackson, already huge fans of theirs, but after working with them, now I watch everything that they do, because it's such a pleasure working, and learning from them, and getting a chance to talk," Athie said of his co-stars during an interview with The Knockturnal.
While he may be less well-known than Larson or Jackson, Athie certainly holds his own in the film. While Virgil starts out as a disgruntled young man who hates his job and has a negative view of life, we see the evolution of his character as he spends more time with Kit and her this-can-work determination and eccentric nature.
Athie was nominated for an Emmy award for his work on Oh Jerome, No
In 2019, Mamoudou Athie further established himself as leading-man material with his work in the FXX avant-garde comedy series "Cake" as part of an ongoing segment called "Oh Jerome, No." Athie appeared in multiple segments of the anthology series as Jerome, a sensitive young man who's trying to navigate life, love, and the expectations placed on him by his peers and society. Unfortunately, he spends too much time listening to the advice of his friends instead of doing what he wants to do, which creates more problems for him.
Speaking to Deadline, Athie said that it was a role he could relate to. "The story about this lovelorn, sensitive young man just really spoke to me," the actor revealed. "It really means a lot to me, that kind of openhearted person and world."
For his portrayal of Jerome, Athie was also nominated for an Emmy Award. "I couldn't believe it, but it was just one of those fortuitous things that happens, when you sign on to something for the love of it," he told Deadline. "It was a weird and fun experience, let me tell you."
Athie has taken on starring roles in Uncorked and other projects
The 2020s have been a whirlwind for Mamoudou Athie so far, as he moves on to leading man status. In the Netflix original film "Uncorked," he plays Elijah, a man who wants to go into the wine business as a sommelier, but is at odds with his father (Courtney B. Vance), who wants him to take over the family restaurant, Papa's Kitchen Bar-B-Que. When a family crisis knocks his plans off course, he brilliantly balances his part as a loving son and a man who wants to follow his own path.
"I remember when Uncorked came my way, and I was so grateful that [writer-director] Prentice [Penny] wanted to cast me, because it felt useful," he said in an interview with Seventh Row. "When we had a conversation, I was like, I just want a simple story about a Black family ... It's just a family story, you know, no trauma."
Besides "Jurassic World Dominion," you can also catch Athie in Netflix's supernatural thriller series "Archive 81."