Barkhad Abdi Of ’Captain Phillips’ Film Is Broke; BAFTA Winner & Somalian Actor Attended Award Shows On Loaned Clothes, Borrowed Car; Studio To Blame?

Barkhad Abdi of “Captain Philips,” who played as the aggressive Somalian pirate that took over the Maersk, has earned rave reviews, multiple nominations, and a British Academy award for his role. But a story from the New Yorker a few weeks ago divulged that despite all this, the actor is broke.

“When Abdi is in Los Angeles to promote the film, he subsists on a per diem, the town car is available only for official publicity events. His clothes are loaners,” the New Yorker reported, which broke the story on Abdi’s financial state.

The Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor was said to have earned $65,000 for his role in “Captain Phillips.” He was given the supposed talent fee two years ago and has since spent all of it.

Questions have since rose if the producers or studio is to blame for his financial state, considering that his role has led to such high-profile stakes. Many are suggesting that the studio, Sony Pictures for this matter, should have helped Abdi in handling his finances.

According to the report, after the actor finished working on the film, he started working at a mobile phone store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When “Captain Phillips” premiered, he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles.

“Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks had a $55 million budget and has since grossed $107 million domestically and $217 million worldwide. Abdi, however, who played the role as one of the pirates, hasn’t seen any bonuses or extra paychecks despite the film’s blockbuster success.

According to AOL, a writer for the IndieWire claimed that $65,000 for an actor’s first gig is fair. But the publicity surrounding Barkhad Abdi’s finances maybe just what he needs.

"Sometimes, when a studio is embarrassed by negative PR like this ... it tries to correct things. So it's very possible that Sony Pictures will give Abdi a huge financial bonus in reaction to the New Yorker article, which would be fair and very well deserved,” the writer observed, as posted by AOL.

The Hollywood Reported has noted that Abdi has been cast in a new movie, “The Place That Hits The Sun.” The upcoming film is about a South African marathon runner who develops an unlikely friendship with a local bar owner.

Thanks to his new gig, it may not be long until he’s once again cashing in a hefty paycheck. Aside from being nominated at the Academy Awards, he was also a nominee for a Golden Globe and Screen Actor’s Guild award. He took home a BAFTA award for his role in “Captain Phillips.”

UPDATE: Variety exclusively reports that Barkhad Abdi, Mike Birbiglia and Jon Glaser are in negotiations to join Judd Apatow and Universal’s “Trainwreck.” According to the story, Abdi is repped by SMS Talent and the part marks his major role after landing an Oscar nomination in Sony’s “Captain Phillips.”