Djimon Hounsou calls out systemic racism in Hollywood

Djimon Hounsou is very likely the most well-known actor to ever have come out of Benin, and also likely one of the best-known African actors too. He has starred in countless movies and franchises over the years, be it Marvel (Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel, What If...?), DC (Shazam, Aquaman, Black Adam), A Quiet Place: Day One, The King's Man, Gran Turismo, Rebel Moon, Charlie's Angels, Fast & Furious 7, The Legend of Tarzan, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, How to Train Your Dragon 2, and a whole list of others as well. Needless to say, Hounsou has had a remarkable career already, a career that has even led to Oscar nominations in Blood Diamond and In America, and yet despite this, Hounsou has said that he still faces systemic racism in Hollywood.

In an interview with CNN, Hounsou has opened up about how he is still struggling to make a living in the movie industry and that his experience is an example of "system racism". Specifically, Hounsou stated:

"I am still struggling trying to make a living. 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.

"That's a sign for you that systemic racism is not something you can deal with lightly. 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."

This is not actually the first instance in which Hounsou has spoken up about pay differences and systemic racism in Hollywood, as he was quoted in 2023 during an interview with The Guardian to say he felt "cheated in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well."