Djimon Hounsou, a renowned Beninese-American actor with a successful two-decade Hollywood career, recently revealed he is facing financial difficulties.
In an interview on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, Hounsou expressed that he is underpaid and struggling to make ends meet despite his impressive CV, including two Oscar nominations for his roles in “Blood Diamond” and “In America.”
“I’m still struggling to make a living,” he shared. “After thirty years in this business, I’ve been in this business and making films for over two decades and still, you know, with two Oscar nominations and many big blockbuster films, and yet I have—I’m still struggling financially to make a living. I’m definitely underpaid.”
Hounsou also candidly discussed the racism he has encountered in Hollywood. He recounted being overlooked for an Oscar nomination despite receiving a Golden Globe nomination for the same performance.
““I was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought I had just come off the boat and the streets,” Hounsou explained. “Even though I successfully did that, they just didn’t feel like I was an actor for whom we should pay any respect to.”
He emphasised that systemic racism remains a significant issue within the industry and that diversity initiatives have a long way to go.
“So, this conceptual idea of diversity—it still has a long way to go. Systemic racism doesn’t change like that anytime soon. Well, that’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something that you can deal with lightly. You have to cope with it and survive the best way you can,” he concluded.
