Djimon Hounsou is an extremely accomplished actor, delivering memorable performances in fan favorites like “Gladiator,” “Beauty Shop,” and “Amistad” that have earned him Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. However, even with all his popularity and credits, he has questions about his financial worth in the film industry. In a new cover story for , Hounsou reaffirmed previous comments that he’s being “cheated” in Hollywood.
“Not much has changed since then, so I still feel that way. I stay with the same quote that I said,” the “A Quiet Place: Day One” actor said. Hounsou was referring to a 2023 interview he did with , in which he explained that he’s “still struggling to try to make a dollar.
” “I’ve come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades,” he said. “So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well.” Why do we constantly find ourselves back at this place where Black actors are forced to advocate for their money publicly? No matter how talented, acclaimed and popular they are, Black actors have to prove their value over and over.
You don’t see stars like Jeff Bridges, Gary Oldman or Hugh Grant forced to repeatedly justify themselves. What’s really interesting about Hounsou’s comments is that he doesn’t seem to be receiving the same level of vitriol as Taraji P. Henson did when she about being underpaid.
We know that when women stand up for themselves it never takes long for misogyny to rear its ugly head, but she was called out of her name for weeks and blamed for the poor box office performance of the 2023 remake of “The Color Purple.” Meanwhile, it’s totally OK for men to be upset about their money. Djimon Hounsou has a career many actors envy.
He has an unmatched star presence, bringing gravitas and class to every role. He should not be disrespected in this manner. It’s yet another example of how Hollywood keeps dropping the ball on Black talent.
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