Djimon Hounsou says he is still paid “poorly” despite his two Oscar nominations

Two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou is opening up about the financial realities of his Hollywood career.

Despite his roles in such acclaimed films as RidleyScott‘s Gladiator, Steven Spielberg‘s Friendship, and by Edward Zwick blood diamond (the latter two earned him Academy Award nominations) Hounsou says he is not fairly compensated for his work.

“I’m still struggling to make a living,” the actor admitted during an interview with celebrity.land. African voices that make change. “I have been in this business making films for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, I have been in many blockbuster films and yet I continue to struggle financially. “I definitely get underpaid.”

The actor has embraced franchises and big-budget opportunities in recent years, appearing in films such as guardians of the galaxy, furious 7disney live action The legend of Tarzan, Captain Marvel, shazam, A quiet place Part IIand Zack Snyder‘s Rebel Moon

Hounsou first broke out with a starring role in Spielberg’s 1997 historical drama, Friendshipand although his performance was critically acclaimed, he was overlooked when it came time for the Oscar nominations, although his co-star Antonio Hopkins It wasn’t.

“They nominated me for a Golden Globe, but at the Oscars they ignored me, saying they thought I had just gotten off the ship and off the streets,” Hounsou recalled in an interview with celebrity.land. “Although I did it successfully [film]They just didn’t feel like I was an actor they should show any respect to. “This conceptual idea of ​​diversity still has a long way to go.”

When the interviewer expressed surprise that Hounsou is still underpaid despite his accolades and stature in the industry, the actor responded, “That’s a sign to you that systemic racism is not something you can address lightly.” . It’s so deeply embedded in everything we do.” , in all areas.”

This isn’t the first time Hounsou has addressed the issue of pay equity for people of color in Hollywood. While promoting his role in the hit DC movie. Shazam! fury of the godssaid the guardian that he feels “cheated” by the inequalities he has experienced throughout his career.

“I’ve come into the business with some people who are absolutely well off and get very little praise from me,” Hounsou told the outlet. “So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in financial terms and also in terms of workload. I still have to prove why I need to get paid. They always attack me in a totally low tone: ‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you very much and we really believe that you can contribute a lot.’”

He added that the fellow actor Viola Davis described the topic “beautifully,” explaining: “She won an Oscar, she won an Emmy, she won a Tony and she still doesn’t get paid. Movie after movie, it’s a struggle. I have yet to see the movie that paid me fairly.”

Famous Davis commented on the topic during a panel at a 2018 Women of the World event, where she noted: “I have a career that’s probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver… People say, ‘You’re a black Meryl Streep.’ There is no one like you. Okay, so if there’s no one like me, you think I’m that, you pay me what I’m worth. You give me what I’m worth.

Hounsou, who grew up in Benin and France before moving to the United States at the age of 23 to pursue acting, explained that his work in Friendship inspired the creation of his Djimon Hounsou Foundation, which seeks to “defend a visceral connection between the countries of the African diaspora and the homeland and heal the wounds left by slavery,” according to his website.

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“My work as an actor really opened my eyes,” Hounsou said. “While I was researching for [Amistad]I became deeply aware of the disconnection between Afro-descendants from their roots and culture. Because when you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know who you are.”

He continued: “I had this overwhelming need to do something for my people, for my continent, and that was really what drove me to start my [foundation] so many years later.”