What Happened To Sinbad?

Sinbad is a popular comedian and actor who rose to fame in the mid-1980s and 1990s. Also known by his first name David Atkins, Sinbad was born in 1956 in Benton Harber, Michigan. Currently aged 67 as of November 2023, Sinbad grew to prominence in the 1980s as a stand-up comedian who earned several exclusive HBO comedy specials. He eventually brought his comedic talents into the world of acting, appearing in popular 1980s and 1990s television series such as A Different World (1987 – 1991) and his own series The Sinbad Show (1993 – 1994).

Before becoming a famous comedian and actor, David Atkins played Division 1 basketball at the University of Denver. He also served in the United States Air Force for a brief period of time before he was discharged after a series of wrongdoings. Atkins then tried his luck at stand-up comedy and the entertainment industry and landed a spot on A Different World. He would eventually appear in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1987), All That (1995), It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2008), and Atlanta (2022). His most notable films include Coneheads (1996), Jingle All The Way (1996), First Kid (1996), Good Burger (1997), and Good Burger 2 (2023).

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What Sinbad Has Done Since The ’90s

Sinbad starred in several classic 90’s films

Sinbad received most of his most celebrated roles during the 1990s, including a stellar year in 1996 in which he appeared in two of his most iconic films and four films in total for the year. Sinbad’s final movie of the 1990s was the cult classic Good Burger and he was a recurring cast member on Cosby season 3 from 1998 to 1999. Entering the new millennium, Sinbad starred in a number of films such as Crazy as Hell (2002), Hansel and Gretel (2002), and Treading Water (2002). Since 2002, he has appeared in six feature films including the recent Good Burger sequel where he had a voiceover cameo as Mr. Wheat from the original film.

Sinbad has appeared in more television series than films, often portraying himself. Shows in which Sinbad played himself include Girlfriends (2001), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2008), Family Guy (2008), The Eric Andre Show (2012), American Dad (2013 – 2015), and Atlanta (2022). Sinbad does not currently have any announced appearances in upcoming films and television shows but that could change in the near future. Sinbad has been married twice to Meredith Adkins, the first in 1985 until they were divorced in 1992 and again in 2002. Sinbad and Adkins have remained together since 2002 and have two children together.

Why Everyone Thinks Sinbad Starred In A Genie Movie

Sinbad is often confused with Shaquille O’Neal in Kazaam

There has been a lot of speculation among many ’90s kids and millennials who claim to remember Sinbad starring in a movie called “Shazaam” in which he was believed to play a genie. Often used as pseudo-evidence of the Mandala Effect phenomenon, Sinbad’s “Shazaam” movie was actually never written, filmed, produced, or completed in any form. There is no physical evidence of Sinbad ever appearing in the supposed film, but it is incredibly similar to NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal’s role in the genie movie Kazaam, which was released in 1996.

With the amount of popularity that Sinbad had during that era, and the physical similarities between Shaq and Sinbad, it’s an understandable misunderstanding to confuse the two basketball players turned actors. It’s incredible, however, that thousands of people have taken to the internet to claim that the “Shazaam” movie did actually exist despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. It’s especially interesting given the fact that the source of the confusion, Shaq’s Kazaam, was a box office bomb, earning $18.9 million from a budget of $20 million. Kazaam currently has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of only 5%.

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Sinbad’s Health Issues Explained

Sinbad had a stroke in 2020

Sinbad’s recent absence from the entertainment industry has been due to a stroke that he suffered in October 2020. According to People, Sinbad was still learning how to walk again two years after the tragic stroke caused by a blood clot that was moving from his heart to his brain. Initially, Sinbad’s doctors were able to remove the clot and he received a good prognosis shortly after. In an awful sudden turn of events, a second blot clot formed the very next day, which forced Sinbad to undergo another surgical procedure to remove it immediately. The second surgery was reported to be more complicated than the first.

According to People, Sinbad’s “brain then started to swell, forcing doctors to perform a craniotomy to relieve the pressure, during which they discovered a bleed. He was then transported to the ICU, where doctors put him in a medically-induced coma and placed him on a ventilator.” Sinbad wasn’t able to get off the ventilator until May 2021 and started intensive speech and physical therapy programs. Finally, nine months after his stroke, Sinbad was able to return home in July 2021.

What Has Sinbad Starred In Recently

Sinbad’s most recent appearance was in Atlanta

Sinbad’s most recent appearance in film or television was in the fourth and final season of Donald Glover’s acclaimed series Atlanta. Sinbad appeared as himself in Atlanta season 4, episode 8 titled “The Goof Who Sat by the Door”, which is considered one of the best and most unique episodes of the entire Emmy-winning series. Prior to Atlanta, Sinbad portrayed Dad / Malcolm X in the Fox comedy series Rel alongside Lil Rel Howery (Get Out, Poker Face) which ran for only one season and twelve episodes between 2018 and 2019.

In 2017, Sinbad was credited in two episodes of the Disney animated series The Lion’s Guard and in one episode of CollegeHumor Originals in which he portrayed his mythical “Shazaam” character. In 2015, Sinbad appeared in one episode of the off-the-wall comedy series Comedy Bang! Bang! as Noel DeSoil Holyfield alongside hosts Scott Aukerman and Reggie Watts. Sinbad was not very active in the entertainment industry between 2008 and 2013 but he did appear in one episode of the TBS series Are We There Yet? based on the popular Ice Cube movie of the same name in 2011. His nonexistent performance in “Shazaam” continues to perplex ’90s kids and millennials to this day.

Source: People