Mustafa Shakir Biography

Mustafa Shakir is an American actor best known for his work on the Marvel Netflix series Luke Cage and Quarry.

Mustafa was born in North Carolina, but grew up in Harlem, New York City. Growing up there, he would attend readings at a local theater, where he took his first step into the world of acting. After high school, Mustafa attended The New School, a private research university in New York City, where he graduated from in 2001.

Mustafa made his acting debut in 1996, appearing on an episode of the police drama New York Undercover (1996) as Ronald Taylor.

In 2000, Mustafa made his big screen debut in the action crime film Shaft (2000), playing the minor role of a protester.

He would continue to appear in films throughout his career, but would find more work on the small screen, appearing on television shows like Law & Order (2001-2004), House (2004), NCIS: Los Angeles (2014), and NCIS: New Orleans (2017).

In 2016, Mustafa landed his first regular series role when he was cast as Moses on the neo-noir crime drama series Quarry (2016).

In 2017, Mustafa appeared on the HBO drama series The Deuce (2017-2019), in the recurring role of Big Mike.

In 2018, Mustafa played the villain John "Bushmaster" McIver on the second season of the Marvel Netflix series Luke Cage (2018). He had to drop about 10 to 15 pounds in order to execute the Capoeira fighting style Bushmaster uses, training six to seven times a week on top of cardio. He was nominated for a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series for his portrayal of Bushmaster.

He has completed the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop (2021), playing the role of Jet Black alongside John Cho and Daniella Pineda.

Outside of acting, Mustafa is also a musician and poet, using the alias Mustafa Effortless. He is a huge comic book fan and was excited to play the role of Bushmaster on Luke Cage. 

In order to be in peak physical form to play physically demanding roles such as Bushmaster and Jet Black, Mustafa follows a very strict plant-based diet.
~Sean Olegario

Filmography:

Cowboy Bebop (2021)
Hide and Seek (2021)
The Pretenders (2018)
The Grounds (2018)
Fight Your Way Out (2017)
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
Double Play (2017)
Driving While Black (2015)
Geezas (2011)
Daybreak (2010)
The Cavern (2005)
Marci X (2003)
Down to Earth (2001)
Shaft (2000)