Djimon Hounsou, a seasoned actor known for his roles in films across Marvel, DC, Netflix, and beyond, has candidly shared that he is "still struggling to make a living" in Hollywood. Despite his extensive filmography and two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in "In America" and "Blood Diamond," Hounsou told CNN that he feels "definitely underpaid" within the industry.
"I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I'm definitely underpaid," Hounsou expressed, highlighting the disparity between his achievements and financial stability.
These sentiments resonate with comments he made to The Guardian in 2023, where he stated, "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."
Hounsou, who hails from Benin and is a prominent black actor, has also pointed to racism and xenophobia as factors impacting his career. He recounted experiences in studio meetings where executives expressed surprise at his continued presence in the industry, saying, "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.'"
Reflecting on these encounters, Hounsou noted, "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."
Recently, Hounsou has been seen in a variety of high-profile projects, including "A Quiet Place: Day One," the two "Rebel Moon" films on Netflix, the video game adaptation "Gran Turismo," "The King's Man," "Shazam: Fury of the Gods," "Captain Marvel," and "Fast and Furious 7," among others.
