--- name: "Mustafa Shakir" canonical: "https://film.one/person/mustafa-shakir" fi1m_id: "mustafa-shakir" imdb_id: "nm1296458" tmdb_id: 62385 wikidata_id: "Q33106588" roles: ["Actor"] born: "21 August 1976" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 63 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-10-22T02:20:38.478766+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mustafa Shakir ## Identity Mustafa Shakir - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/mustafa-shakir - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** mustafa-shakir - **IMDb ID:** nm1296458 - **TMDB ID:** 62385 - **Wikidata ID:** Q33106588 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Shakir, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33106588, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1296458/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/62385 Actor. Born 21 August 1976 in North Carolina, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 21 August 1976, North Carolina, USA - **Active:** 2016–present - **Average Fi1m score:** 63, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 81 (1), 2020s 54 (2) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 63 to 63 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 2, Romance 2, Action 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Music 1 - **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $76m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Shakir, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33106588, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1296458/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/62385 ## Streaming the US now - **Netflix:** [*Song Sung Blue*](https://film.one/film/song-sung-blue.md) (68) - **Peacock:** [*Love Hurts*](https://film.one/film/love-hurts.md) (40) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Mustafa Shakir > Mustafa Shakir brings physical commitment to threatening parts, but he can be welcome company, too. His supporting work is worth noticing, though *Love Hurts* is a reminder that an appealing actor cannot compensate for a weak script. The Raven, the poetic assassin Mustafa Shakir plays in *Love Hurts* (2025), has a more enjoyable romantic sideline than the film’s leads. We enjoyed his scenes with Lio Tipton’s Ashley because they provide welcome company when the central pairing gives us little to believe in. Shakir is often cast for physical intensity, but this small success suggests there is more use for him than another confrontation. He is worth noticing here, even though the film itself is difficult to recommend. His recurring Big Mike in *The Deuce* (2017–2019) overlapped with his breakthrough as Bushmaster in the second series of *Luke Cage* (2018). With Cheo Hodari Coker as showrunner, *Luke Cage* gave him a central antagonist and scope for the preparation that distinguishes his work: capoeira-influenced movement, accent work and cultural research. Those are concrete ways of making a threatening character particular, and they interest us more than size alone. Jet Black in the live-action *Cowboy Bebop* (2021) continued the move towards larger television parts. The trouble with *Love Hurts* is that its better supporting relationship also makes the main one look thinner. Ke Huy Quan brings warmth and nimble fighting, while Ariana DeBose has appeal, but the screenplay seems to think casting them will be enough. Shakir and Tipton cannot repair that assumption from the side of the story. Their scenes give us a little pleasure; they do not make a poor film worth an evening. In Craig Brewer’s *Song Sung Blue* (2025), Shakir plays Sex Machine, a James Brown impersonator, another supporting assignment but a change from the familiar casting as a threat. Our qualified affection for that film rests on its warmth and the honesty of Jackman and Hudson’s singing, despite a script that keeps adding misfortune until the individual blows lose their force. Start with *Luke Cage* for a fuller introduction to Shakir; *Love Hurts* is too much weak film for a few agreeable scenes. ## Biography Mustafa Shakir is an American actor. He was born on 21 August 1976 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and grew up in Harlem. He graduated from The New School in 2001. Shakir is known for his television roles as John 'Bushmaster' McIver in *Marvel's Luke Cage* (2016–2018), Big Mike in *The Deuce* (2017–2019) and Jet Black in *Cowboy Bebop* (2021). His film credits include *Brawl in Cell Block 99* (2017), *Emancipation* (2022), *Ghosted* (2023) and *Song Sung Blue* (2025), in which he played Sex Machine. *Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *Love Hurts* (2025), Fi1m 40, as The Raven — [page](https://film.one/film/love-hurts.md) - *Song Sung Blue* (2025), Fi1m 68, as Sex Machine — [page](https://film.one/film/song-sung-blue.md) - *The Night Of* (2016), Fi1m 81, as Victor — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md) ## Complete filmography (35) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Song Sung Blue* (2025), as Sex Machine — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/song-sung-blue.md) - *Love Hurts* (2025), as The Raven — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/love-hurts.md) - *Superman Doesn't Steal* (2024), as Gil Riddick - *Ghosted* (2023), as Monte Jackson - *Assassin* (2023), as Sebastian - *Emancipation* (2022), as Lt. Andrew Cailloux - *Cowboy Bebop* (2021), series, as Jet Black - *Hide and Seek* (2021), as Frankie Pascarillo - *Pretenders* (2019), as Mr. Stanish - *Jett* (2019), series, as Quinn - *The Grounds* (2018), as Dominic - *Brawl in Cell Block 99* (2017), as Andre - *Let Them Die Like Lovers* (2017), as Marko - *The Deuce* (2017), series, as Big Mike — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-deuce.md) - *American Gods* (2017), series, as Baron Samedi - *Double Play* (2017), as Manchi - *Timeless* (2016), series, as Gregory Hayes - *Marvel's Luke Cage* (2016), series, as John 'Bushmaster' McIver - *Quarry* (2016), series, as Moses - *The Night Of* (2016), series, as Victor — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md) - *Mighty Med* (2013), series, as Ambusher - *Record/Play* (2012), as Man - *The Frontier* (2012), as Armand Rossignol - *Harry's Law* (2011), series, as Bull - *Shameless* (2011), series, as D'Andre — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/shameless-2011.md) - *Geezas* (2011), as Jones - *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), series, as Guard 1 - *Within* (2005), as Gannon - *Wanted* (2005), series, as Simeon Rivers - *Numb3rs* (2005), series, as Crew Member #1 - *House* (2004), series, as D'Vontray — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/house-2004.md) - *Marci X* (2003), as Engine Trouble - *Girlfriends* (2000), series, as Javon Dennis - *Shaft* (2000), as Protester (uncredited) - *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Preston Hubbard, Mike — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) ## Gallery - ![Mustafa Shakir](https://film.one/media/person/7457/gallery-d89710f7ee2e.jpg) Mustafa Shakir — MTV International, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Mustafa-shakir.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Mustafa Shakir](https://film.one/media/person/7457/gallery-48b92613f878.jpg) Mustafa Shakir — Image via TMDB - ![Mustafa Shakir](https://film.one/media/person/7457/gallery-9820ee1a5d12.jpg) Mustafa Shakir — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/mustafa-shakir