In a candid interview with CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, acclaimed Beninese-American actor Djimon Hounsou revealed his shocking struggles with financial stability and racism in the entertainment industry.
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Despite boasting an impressive two-decade-long career, marked by two Academy Award nominations for his roles in Blood Diamond and In America, Hounsou confessed to still struggling to make a living.
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“I’m still struggling to make a living,” he admitted. “I’ve been in the filmmaking business for over two decades with two Oscar nominations and many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I’m definitely underpaid.”
Hounsou also shared his experiences with racism in Hollywood, recounting a painful incident where he was overlooked for an Oscar nomination despite receiving a Golden Globe nod for the same role.
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“I was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars because they thought that I had just come off the boat and the streets,” he recalled. “Even though I successfully did that, they just didn’t feel like I was an actor to whom they should pay any respect.”
The actor emphasized the persistent challenges surrounding diversity and systemic racism in the film industry, stressing that true change is still a long way off.
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“So, this conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go,” Hounsou said. “Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon.”