Actor said he is ‘definitely underpaid’ despite appearing in slew of high-budget projects. Djimon Hounsou, the Oscar-nominated star of Blood Diamond and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, has said he is still “struggling” financially despite his acclaimed career.
The Beninese-born American actor, 60, is also known for roles in. Hounsou was twice nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, the first time for the 2002 immigration drama In America, and the second for his role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the Sierra Leone-set thriller Blood Diamond.
Speaking to CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, Hounsou said: “I’m still struggling to make a living. “I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I’m definitely underpaid.”.
In Amistad, Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated drama, Hounsou played Cinqué, the leader of a slave revolt. In the new interview, Hounsou claimed that he was overlooked by the Oscars at the time due to xenophobia and racist. “I was nominated for the Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought that I had just came off the boat and off the streets,” he said.
