Yahoo Lifestyle Djimon Hounsou Admits He's ‘Still Struggling To Make A Living’ Despite Oscar Noms, Blockbuster Films
Djimon Hounsou has a noteworthy resume in Hollywood, even accumulating Oscar-nominated roles throughout his decades-long career, but he says he still struggles to “make a living” despite garnering critical acclaim.
“I’m still struggling to make a living,” he said in a new interview with CNN. “I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, been in many big blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I’m definitely underpaid.”
Hounsou, 60, is known for starring in multiple popular blockbuster films, including Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator,” Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” ”Blood Diamond” opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and DC’s “Shazam!”
The Beninese-born actor alleged he was snubbed for an Oscar after facing xenophobia and racism in the industry.
“I was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought that I had just came off the boat and off the streets,” he claimed.
“Even though I successfully did [Spielberg’s ‘Amistad’ film], they just didn’t feel like I was an actor to whom they should pay any respect. This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go,” noting that “systemic racism” won’t change “anytime soon.”
After CNN correspondent Larry Madowo called Hounsou’s claims “mind-boggling” to hear because Hounsou was “one of the first big Black actors I saw in big-budget films,” the actor responded, “Well, that’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something you can deal with lightly.”
Hounsou added, “You have to cope with it and survive the best way you can.”
Hounsou has previously opened up about feeling “cheated” in Hollywood due to unfair pay disparities.
“I’m still struggling to try to make a dollar! I’ve come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades. So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well,” the star told The Guardian in March 2023.
He told the outlet that in the past, he’s visited studios for meetings only to be told, “Wow, we felt like you just got off the boat and then went back [after Amistad]. We didn’t know you were here as a true actor.”
Hounsou added, “When you hear things like that, you can see that some people’s vision of you, or what you represent, is very limiting. But it is what it is. It’s up to me to redeem that.”