Djimon Hounsou claims Hollywood ‘underpays' him

Djimon Hounsou opened up about his experiences as a veteran actor in Hollywood while appearing on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers.

Appearing in iconic flicks such as Gladiator and Blood Diamond, he is also a two time Oscar nominee. Despite his success, Hounsou revealed that it does not translate to his finances.

"I’m still struggling to make a living. 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."

He claimed that he was not paid proper respect by the Academy despite being nominated by the Golden Globes for his role in Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg.

"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 added, "Even though I successfully did that, they just didn’t feel like I was an actor to whom they should pay any respect."

Continuing, “I still have to prove why I need to get paid. 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 really think you can bring so much.'”

Djimon Hounsou concluded by saying that he believes Hollywood still has a long way to go when it comes to diverse representation.