Djimon Hounsou, a renowned Hollywood actor, has come public to talk about his financial struggles despite having a successful acting career that has spanned over two decades.
The Beninese-American actor of “Blood Diamond” fame made the rather shocking revelation in a recent interview on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers.
In a snippet of the unreleased episode the 60-year-old actor admitted that despite his obvious success in Hollywood, he is underpaid therefore he struggles to make ends meet.
The actor’s success is evident in his impressive credentials which includes two Oscar nominations for his roles in “Blood Diamond” and “In America.”
Hounsou also opened up about how racism in Hollywood has directly impacted his career.
He recalled being overlooked for an Oscar nomination, despite receiving a Golden Globe nomination for the same role.
According to the actor, systemic racism is still prevalent in Hollywood, adding that diversity initiatives which are at the forefront of entertainment discourse have a long way to go.
On his financial struggles, Hounsou 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. I’m definitely underpaid.
Speaking on racism, he 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. 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. Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon.
Hounsou is a seasoned Hollywood actor with decades of experience under his belt. He made his Hollywood debut in the 1990 movie, ‘Without You I’m Nothing’.
He gained global fame for his role in the 2006 film ‘Blood Diamond’, where he starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
