Djimon Hounsou Reveals Frustration Over Hollywood's Unfair Payment: ‘I Only Wish That One Movie Had Paid Me Equitably'
Djimon Hounsou is making his voice heard while discussing the inequities black actors face in Hollywood.
In an interview with The Guardian, recently published on Thursday, two-time Oscar nominee Tom Hanks expressed his feelings of being “seriously cheated” by the film industry.
“Today, we talk so much about the Oscars being so white, but I remember there was a time when I had no support at all,” He divulged. “No support from my own people, no support from the media, from the industry itself. It felt like, ‘You should be happy that you've got nominated,' and that's that.”
At 58, Djimon Hounsou's performances in In America (2003) and Blood Diamond (2006) earned him two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
“I'm still struggling to try to make a dollar!” He divulged. “I've come up in the business with some well-off people who have very little of my accolades. So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and terms of the workload as well.”
“I've gone to studios for meetings, and they're like, ‘Wow, we felt like you just got off the boat and then went back [after Amistad]. We didn't know you were here as a true actor,' ” Reflecting upon his breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film Amistad, Hounsou expressed excitement for the opportunity.
“When you hear things like that, you can see that some people's vision of you, or what you represent, is very limiting. But it is what it is. It's up to me to redeem that,” he continued.
“I still have to prove why I need to get paid,” he told The Guardian. “They always come at me with a complete low ball: ‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you so much, and we think you can bring so much.' “
“Viola Davis said it beautifully: she's won an Oscar, she's won an Emmy, she's won a Tony, and she still can't get paid,” Hounsou voiced his sentiments, noting the disparity between him and EGOT-winning actress. “Film after film, it's a struggle. I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly.”
However, the respect Hounsou has earned from starring in Shazam! Fury of the Gods as the wizard who grants Billy Batson his powers, has been tremendous.
“Out of them all, the DC universe has a level of respect,” Djimon Hounsou commented. “There wasn't much to the role at first, and I did it, and it was fun. But the second time around, it was a little more respectful.”
“From time to time, [Hollywood] themselves say, ‘We should give him more; he's a little under-appreciated.' I think they recognize that themselves,” Carrying on, Hounsou spoke. “Hey, it's the struggle I have to overcome!”
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