Djimon Hounsou has a career spanning more than 30 years. This includes two Oscar nominations and his roles in myriad prestigious and blockbuster projects.
Amistad, Gladiator, Laura Croft, Guardians of the Galaxy, Furious 7, Aquaman, Captain Marvel, Shazam!, Black Adam, Rebel Moon and Shazam! Fury of the Gods are some of the films that are under his belt.
Even though the Beninese-born actor got a variety of roles to play in the industry, he still thinks he didn’t get the pay he deserved for his work.
Hollywood Owes Djimon Hounsou the Compensation He Never Received
Djimon Hounsou finds it challenging with the business side of filmmaking. It came after he previously stated feeling unfairly cheated in terms of pay throughout his career. In an interview with The Guardian, the actor said he still has “yet to meet the film” that paid him fairly. He elaborated:
“I’m 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. So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well.”
Compared to colleagues with fewer accolades who are financially better off, Hounsou feels cheated both in finances and the disparity in workload. But he wants to prove himself in the industry and assert why he deserves to be compensated for where he stands today.
Djimon Hounsou Still Wants to Prove Why He Deserves the Pay For His Works
Djimon Hounsou also shared an experience where he faced prejudice in the film industry. He recalled going to studios for meetings and the feedback he received. The Hollywood actor said in the same interview with The Guardian:
“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.’ 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.”
To this, the 59-year-old said, “I still have to prove why I need to get paid. They always come at me with a complete lowball: ‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you so much, and we really think you can bring so much.’”
Also read: “I got paid all my money”: Shazam 2 Director Knew the $125 Million Movie Would Be A Box Office Flop
The Hollywood execs held a stereotype about the actor based on the nature of the roles he played. But the Blood Diamond star wants to overcome the narrow perceptions that others may have of him.
