Oscar-nominated Marvel star says heâs âstruggling to make a livingâ
Actor said he is â??definitely underpaidâ?? despite appearing in slew of high-budget projects
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Djimon Hounsou, the Oscar-nominated star of Blood Diamond and Marvelâs Guardians of the Galaxy, has said he is still âstrugglingâ financially despite his acclaimed career.
The Beninese-born American actor, 60, is also known for roles in
Hounsou was twice nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, the first time for the 2002 immigration drama In America, and the second for his role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the Sierra Leone-set thriller Blood Diamond.
Speaking to CNNâs African Voices Changemakers, Hounsou said: âIâm still struggling to make a living.
âIâve been in this business making films now for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, been in many blockbuster films, and yet, Iâm still struggling financially. Iâm definitely underpaid.â
In Amistad, Spielbergâs Oscar-nominated drama, Hounsou played Cinqué, the leader of a slave revolt. In the new interview, Hounsou claimed that he was overlooked by the Oscars at the time due to xenophobia and racist.
âI was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought that I had just came off the boat and off the streets,â he said.
Actor Djimon Hounsou, photographed in 2024 (Getty Images )
âEven though I successfully did that [film], they just didnât feel like I was an actor to whom they should pay any respect. This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. Systemic racism donât change like that anytime soon.â
Hounsou, who has also appeared in recent blockbusters such as A Quiet Place: Day One, Gran Turismo and Shazam! Fury of the Gods previously spoke to The Guardian about his precarious financial situation.
âIâm âyet to meet the film that paid me fairly,â he told the outlet in 2023. âIâm still struggling to try to make a dollar! Iâve 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.
âIâve gone to studios for meetings and theyâre like: âWow, we felt like you just got off the boat and then went back [after Amistad]. We didnât know you were here as a true actor.â When you hear things like that, you can see that some peopleâs vision of you, or what you represent, is very limiting. But it is what it is. Itâs up to me to redeem that.â