Despite his vast body of work, Djimon Hounsou says he is still struggling to make a living as an actor and is underpaid after all his years in the industry.
"I am still struggling trying to make a living," said Hounsou in an interview with CNN. "After 30 years…maybe the first 10 years was trying to acclimate myself to the industry, to establish myself. But I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades and with two Oscar nominations and been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially to make a living. I’m definitely underpaid."
So, what is the reason for Hounsou's pay? The star points to prejudice. "That’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something you can deal with lightly," he said. "It’s so deeply inserted in so many things we do across the board. You don’t overcome it. You just sort of have to cope with it and survive the best way you can."
The West African-born actor has also tried his hand at directing with his 2018 documentary In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven. But off-screen, the star dedicates a huge portion of his time to his own Djimon Hounsou Foundation which aims to "Strengthen Africa’s intergenerational identity and self-awareness by reconnecting the Peoples of the African Diaspora with their motherland," and combat modern-day slavery.
Hounsou's upcoming projects include survival thriller Beneath the Storm, and new horror movie from Saw’s Darren Lynn Bousman titled The Monster.
For more, check out our list of movie release dates and keep up with upcoming movies.
