I’m An Underpaid Hollywood Actor Despite Oscar Nominations – Djimon Hounsou

Popular Beninese-American actor, Djimon Hounsou has come out to say that he is still experiencing financial struggles despite having a successful two-decade-long career in Hollywood.

He recently had his say while speaking on CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, he is still badly underpaid and struggling to make a living in Hollywood, and systemic racism remains very much prevalent in the industry.

Djimon added that his current experience is proof that the conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go in America.

His words, “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.

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

So, this conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. Systemic racism won’t change like that anytime soon.”

WOW.

The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known metonymously as Hollywood) along with some independent films, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century.

The dominant style of American cinema is classical Hollywood cinema, which developed from 1910 to 1962 and is still typical of most films made there to this day.

Hollywood is considered to be the oldest film industry, in the sense of being the place where the earliest film studios and production companies emerged. It is the birthplace of various genres of cinema —among them comedy, drama, action, the musical, romance, horror, science fiction, and the epic—and has set the example for other national film industries.

Many of Hollywood’s highest-grossing movies have generated more box-office revenue and ticket sales outside the United States than films made elsewhere. The United States is a leading pioneer in motion picture engineering and technology.