AN Oscar nominee has said that he is now struggling to make a living in Hollywood despite having a glowing list of film credits.
“Struggling financially”, this two-time Oscar-nominated star has expressed how he is finding it hard to make ends meet.
Djimon Hounsou, who starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond, has spoken out about his career woes.
The 60-year-old actor, who has starred in Gladiator, A Quiet Place, and Guardians of the Galaxy, shot to fame after his role as Cinqué in the Steven Spielberg film Amistad.
His role in Amistad bagged him a Golden Globe nomination, but despite having nominations under his belt and several film credits in blockbuster flicks, Djimon is still struggling.
which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
Appearing on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, Djimon spoke about the “systemic racism” that has caused him to be “underpaid”.
Speaking on the episode he said: “I’m still struggling to make a living.
“‘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.”
He declared: “I’m definitely underpaid.”
Touching on his role in Amistad and the recognition he received for it, Djimon said: “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.”
UNDERPAID DUE TO SYSTEMIC RACISM
He added: “Even though I successfully did that, they just didn’t feel like I was an actor to whom they should pay any respect.”
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The actor went on to touch upon the way in which the industry needs to become more diverse and inclusive.
“This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon” he said.
This isn’t the first time that Djimon has spoken out about being underpaid.
‘NEVER BEEN PAID FAIRLY’
In 2023, he spoke to The Guardian about how he had never been “paid fairly”.
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- Jo Koy (2024)
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He told the paper at the time: “Viola Davis said it beautifully: she’s won an Oscar, she’s won an Emmy, she’s won a Tony and she still can’t get paid.
“Film after film, it’s a struggle. I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly.”
He did speak positively of Hollywood during this interview though, and said: “From time to time, they themselves make the point of saying: ‘We should give him more, he’s a little underappreciated.’
“I think they recognize that themselves,” he added, concluding: “Hey, it’s the struggle I have to overcome!”
