Djimon Hounsou said in a recent interview with CNN that he continues to struggle as a working actor in Hollywood despite several roles in studio blockbusters under his belt and two Oscar nominations to his name. The actor noted that his continued struggles in Hollywood points to the “systemic racism” that prevails in the film industry.
“I am still struggling trying to make a living,” Hounsou said. “After 30 years…maybe the first 10 years was trying to acclimate myself to the industry, to establish myself. But I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades and with two Oscar nominations and been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially to make a living. I’m definitely underpaid.”
“That’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something you can deal with lightly,” he added. “It’s so deeply inserted in so many things we do across the board. You don’t overcome it. You just sort of have to cope with it and survive the best way you can.”
Hounsou‘s career in Hollywood has included studio tentpoles like “Furious 7,” two “Shazam!” films, the Marvel movies “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain Marvel, and the horror franchise entries “A Quiet Place: Part II” and “A Quiet Place: Day One,” plus Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning blockbuster “Gladiator.” He was nominated for two best supporting actor Oscars thanks to his work in “In America” and “Blood Diamond,” the latter of which co-starred Leonardo DiCaprio and grossed $170 million worldwide.
The actor told The Guardian in 2023 that he feels “tremendously cheated” when it comes to Hollywood pay, explaining: “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 in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well.”
“I’ve gone to studios for meetings and they’re like: ‘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 said at the time. “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.”
“I still have to prove why I need to get paid,” he added. “They always come at me with a complete low ball: ‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you so much and we really think you can bring so much’… Film after film, it’s a struggle. I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly.”
Hounsou most recently appeared in Zack Snyder’s two “Rebel Moon” movies for Netflix. His upcoming slate includes the survival movie “Beneath the Storm” with Phoebe Dynevor, the thriller “The Zealot” with Kodi Smit-McPhee and the horror movie “The Monster” from “Saw” director Darren Lynn Bousman.