'I'm still trying to make a dollar!' Why Djimon Hounsou feels 'cheated' by Hollywood
Djimon Hounsou feels "cheated" by Hollywood.
The 58-year-old actor, known for his role as Cinqué in the Steven Spielberg film 'Amistad' as well as his multiple appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, missed out twice on an Academy Award and claimed that he is still struggling to make money.
He told The Guardian: "I felt seriously cheated. 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.Maybe I was early. If my movies had come out today I definitely would have gotten an Oscar already. I’m still struggling to try to make a dollar!"
The 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' star has managed to garner various accolades throughout his career, including two Black Reel Awards and an NAACP Image Award but went on to insist there are others who are better off than him despite having not won any awards as he gave a nod to fellow star Viola Davis.
He added: "I’ve come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades. So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well. Viola Davis said it beautifully: she’s won an Oscar, she’s won an Emmy, she’s won a Tony [and, as of Feb. 5, a GRAMMY] 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.
"Out of them all, the DC universe has a level of respect. 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!"
