Djimon Hounsou has revealed that after decades of being an actor in Hollywood, he’s still struggling financially.
Hounsou recently sat down with CNN Africa and spoke about what he’s experienced in the film industry, from struggles to systematic racism. “I’m still struggling to make a living,” he said. “I’ve been in the filmmaking business for over two decades with two Oscar nominations and many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I’m definitely underpaid.”
“I was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars because they thought that I had just come off the boat and the streets,” Hinsou added. “Even though I successfully did that, they just didn’t feel like I was an actor to whom they should pay any respect.
So, this conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go,” Hounsou continued. “Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon.”
Back in 2023, Hounsou expressed his frustration with being overlooked in Hollywood and how it has impacted him and his finances. “I’m still struggling to try to make a dollar!” he revealed to the Guardian at the time. “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.”
“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,” he continued. “We didn’t know you were here as a true actor.’ 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.”
When asked how he felt about that previous comment in a later cover story, Hounsou expressed that nothing had changed for him since he shared his thoughts. "I've been able to sustain a career, and I think that's something to highlight and acknowledge," he explained. "Even with whatever I feel is lacking."