Djimon Hounsou has had an illustrious Hollywood career that has spanned over two decades, with his work securing him multiple award nominations. However, the veteran actor recently confessed that he is still having a hard time financially despite him having been a part of critically acclaimed and/or commercially successful ventures. During his recent interaction on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, Hounsou didn’t hold back from talking about his struggles in Hollywood.
“I’m still struggling to make a living,” the Blood Diamond and Gladiator star confessed. “I’ve been in the filmmaking business for over two decades with two Oscar nominations and many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m definitely underpaid.”
Hounsou also opened up about the feeling of going unnoticed during his career, especially after his breakout role as Cinqué in Amistad (1997). The performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination. However, he strongly opines that the Oscars snubbed him due to certain preconceived notions.
“They thought I had just come off the boat and the streets,” Hounsou remarked. “I was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars because they thought I had just come off the boat and the streets even though I delivered, they didn’t see me as someone deserving of recognition.”
Hounsou, now 60, didn’t hesitate to be vocal about the entertainment industry’s ongoing struggle with diversity and consistent racism. “This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go,” he said. “Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon.” He also expressed his frustration regarding the compensation disparities he’s faced throughout his career. In a March 2023 interview with The Guardian, he confessed that he has “yet to meet the film that paid me fairly.”
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“They always come at me with a complete lowball,” he said. “‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you so much and really think you can bring so much.'”
Talking about this, Hounsou took the example of Viola Davis, who has previously spoken about wage inequality in Hollywood. “Viola Davis said it beautifully. She’s won an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony, and she still can’t get paid,” he said.
The challenges he had to go through in Hollywood have influenced the Thor star and have encouraged Hounsou to open the Djimon Hounsou Foundation. The organization’s goal is to link the African diaspora with the African continent and in the meantime, address the historical impacts of slavery.
