Yahoo News Djimon Hounsou says pay equity is a constant battle: 'I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly'
Djimon Hounsou has been acting in prestigious dramas and big-budget blockbusters for decades, but he says he's still fighting for proper recognition and fair pay in Hollywood.
In a new interview with the Guardian, the Shazam! Fury of the Gods star, 58, said that he feels "cheated" by the inequalities he's experienced and is "still struggling to try to make a dollar" after years of hard work.
"I've come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades," Hounsou said. "So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well. 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.'"
He added that fellow actor Viola Davis "said it beautifully: she's won an Oscar, she's won an Emmy, she's won a Tony and she still can't get paid. Film after film, it's a struggle. I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly."
Karwai Tang/WireImage Djimon Hounsou
Hounsou, who grew up in Benin and France before moving to the U.S. to pursue acting, felt iniquities from the early days of his career. He first broke out with a leading role in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Amistad, and though his performance was critically acclaimed, Hounsou was overlooked for an Oscar nomination while his costar Anthony Hopkins received one.
"Maybe I was early," Hounsou told the Guardian. "If my movies had come out today I definitely would have gotten an Oscar already."
Hounsou did eventually earn Oscar nominations for 2003's In America and 2006's Blood Diamond. But for the latter film, his costar Leonardo DiCaprio received the Best Actor nomination, slotting Hounsou into the Best Supporting Actor category despite the film focusing on his character.
"I felt seriously cheated," Hounsou admitted. "Today, we talk so much about the Oscars being so white, but I remember there was a time where I had no support at all: no support from my own people, no support from the media, from the industry itself. It felt like: 'You should be happy that you've got nominated,' and that's that."
Still, Hounsou did credit his most recent role in the Shazam sequel as an improvement in the types of work he's offered, giving him more significant screen time and a comedic part.
"Out of them all, the DC universe has a level of respect," he said. "There wasn't much to the role at first and I did it and it was fun. But the second time around it was a little more respectful."
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