Gladiator star Djimon Hounsou says he’s still struggling to make a living as an actor despite multiple blockbuster roles – Gamesradar
“I’m definitely underpaid”
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Despite his vast body of work, Djimon Hounsou says he is still struggling to make a living as an actor and is underpaid after all his years in the industry.”I am still struggling trying to make a living,” said Hounsou in an interview with CNN. “After 30 years…maybe the first 10 years was trying to acclimate myself to the industry, to establish myself. But I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades and with two Oscar nominations and been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially to make a living. I’m definitely underpaid.”Hounsou says the lack of pay is making it harder and harder to work in Hollywood despite having over 60 titles and multiple studio blockbusters under his belt including Gladiator, Guardians of the Galaxy, A Quiet Place Part 2, and Furious 7, and, more recently, Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies. The star was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards twice for Leonardo DiCaprio starrers In America and Blood Diamond.So, what is the reason for Hounsou’s pay? The star points to prejudice. “That’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something you can deal with lightly,” he said. “It’s so deeply inserted in so many things we do across the board. You don’t overcome it. You just sort of have to cope with it and survive the best way you can.”The West African-born actor has also tried his hand at directing with his 2018 documentary In Search of Voodoo: Roots to Heaven. But off-screen, the star dedicates a huge portion of his time to his own Djimon Hounsou Foundation which aims to “Strengthen Africa’s intergenerational identity and self-awareness by reconnecting the Peoples of the African Diaspora with their motherland,” and combat modern-day slavery.Hounsou’s upcoming projects include survival thriller Beneath the Storm, and new horror movie from Saw’s Darren Lynn Bousman titled The Monster.For more, check out our list of movie release dates and keep up with upcoming movies.Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inboxI am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine. It might have been more than 5 years since Avengers: Endgame but I never noticed this poignant detail about Thanos’ death sceneSebastian Stan teases Marvel’s Thunderbolts as he compares it to an iconic ’80s teen movieAfter hitting #1 at the box office, Den of Thieves 2 star O’Shea Jackson Jr. evokes Deadpool and Wolverine and says he wants to “work with Gerard Butler until he’s 90″GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.©
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