“kept down by systemic racism,” Djimon Hounsou “struggles to make a living”

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's called aging out. He is a Gen X actor who had a prime in the 2000s.

He's also made a ton of really, reallllllllly bad movies.

That's the whole point -- he's made a bunch of terrible movies because he wants to work and those are the only jobs he gets offered. And it's not about aging out -- he's been having this problem for 20 years even when he was fresh off of Amistad or Blood Diamond, high profile prestige movies where his work was extremely well reviewed.

The PP who said he gets typecast is correct and let's be even more clear -- he gets typecast as a slave because of his appearance. He's played a slave in multiple movies. How many white actors have played a slave multiple times? How is that NOT systemic racism. It is so weird to me people are even arguing this.

Italian actors get typecast too. But, acting is a choice. it pays well if you're good at it but nobody said it would be easy. There's a reason a lot of them are "struggling actors".

Yet Leonardo DiCaprio, an Italian actor who was nominated for his first Golden Globe the same year as Hounsou (in arguably a less challenging role -- DiCaprio was nominated for Titanic, Hounsou for Amistad) has not been typecast and has enjoyed a varied and highly successful career. Hounsou is as talented an actor as DiCaprio. But there are a lot more roles for someone with DiCaprio's looks because Hollywood tells way more stories about white men than it does about black men, especially dark-skinned black men from West Africa.

That is literally systemic racism at work.

He's half Italian. DeNiro and Pacino spent a long time as mobsters. Many other lesser knowns are always gangsters. Also ask any woman over 40 how fair all this is.

Lol DeNiro and Pacino are terrible examples. DeNiro's breakout movie was Godfather II but he followed it up with Taxi Driver (gritty, realistic movie where he plays a working class loner with mental health issues), The 1900 (Italian period drama where he plays a wealthy landowner in northern Italy at the turn of the 20th century), and The Last Tycoon (romantic period drama where he plays a young American movie producer in 1930s Hollywood). Literally all three of those movies came out in 1976, two years after he played young Vito Corleone. That's a lot of variety.

Pacino's breakout role was Godfather I and while he's revived his mobster bona fides many times over his long career, back in the 70s post Godfather his biggest roles were cops and robbers -- Serpico (cop), Dog Day Afternoon (robber). Also even when he's played a mobster, they haven't all been Italian or Italian-American. Scarface is arguably his most iconic role (even more so than Michael Corleone) and he plays a Cuban drug lord in it.

Hollywood was made for actors like Pacino, DeNiro, DiCaprio, Brando -- white guys!

I agree women over 40 have to struggle for roles and it's very unfair. Also women over 40 in Hollywood talk about this all the time. So I don't get why Hounsou talking about his own experience with a career that has obviously been curtailed by the unwillingness of Hollywood to tell many stories about people who look like him even though there are many, many people who look like him in the world is such a problem. He's right. He has had fewer opportunities as a result of being a black man, especially a dark-skinned black man from Africa. This is not a controversial statement unless you shut your eyes and put your fingers in your ears and go "LALALALA ROBERT DENIRO WAS TYPECAST TOO LALALALALALA."

You picked a half Italian to make your point. You tried though! Lots of Italians are typecast, as we can see and as you demonstrated. Ask overweight women what they think of being typecast as the "funny sidekick". Maybe pick a more talented actor to make your point here become Djimon is pretty forgettable a lot of the time.

Literally the preceding comment shows the many ways in which the Italian actors mentioned are not typecast, are offered a broad variety of roles.

It is weird you are choosing Italian as your hill to die on here, and then chose Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, two actors with some of the most successful and varied careers in Hollywood, as examples of Italian actors who have been typecast. Like you might have an argument it's just you chose the weirdest possible examples to make it.

Please. Both Neniro and Pacino have been in dozens of gangster movies. It's what they are known for. Was Hounsou a slave in that infamous Janet Jackson video? He's had several non slave acting roles but none are particularly memorable. Shazam anyone?

Strongly disagree with your assessment of DeNiro and Pacino. They've played gangsters but not in "dozens of movies" and most of their best known movies have nothing to do with the mafia. Raging Bull? Taxi Driver? Scent of a Woman? There are Italian actors who are typecast but you're talking about like Chazz Palminteri or Paul Sorvino. Guys no one really knows from anything else. But those are character actors. It's a totally different category of actor.

[Anonymous]

Most Hollywood movies are made for an American audience so most movies are not going to be about an African man anymore than Bollywood movies are about white women nor will most Nollywood movies be starring Jackie Chan. It’s not the only global movie market. He could live like a king in Lagos doing both American and Nigerian films. It’s not reasonable to expect more roles to be created for him specifically for the American audience, no matter how talented he is.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's called aging out. He is a Gen X actor who had a prime in the 2000s.

He's also made a ton of really, reallllllllly bad movies.

That's the whole point -- he's made a bunch of terrible movies because he wants to work and those are the only jobs he gets offered. And it's not about aging out -- he's been having this problem for 20 years even when he was fresh off of Amistad or Blood Diamond, high profile prestige movies where his work was extremely well reviewed.

The PP who said he gets typecast is correct and let's be even more clear -- he gets typecast as a slave because of his appearance. He's played a slave in multiple movies. How many white actors have played a slave multiple times? How is that NOT systemic racism. It is so weird to me people are even arguing this.

Italian actors get typecast too. But, acting is a choice. it pays well if you're good at it but nobody said it would be easy. There's a reason a lot of them are "struggling actors".

Yet Leonardo DiCaprio, an Italian actor who was nominated for his first Golden Globe the same year as Hounsou (in arguably a less challenging role -- DiCaprio was nominated for Titanic, Hounsou for Amistad) has not been typecast and has enjoyed a varied and highly successful career. Hounsou is as talented an actor as DiCaprio. But there are a lot more roles for someone with DiCaprio's looks because Hollywood tells way more stories about white men than it does about black men, especially dark-skinned black men from West Africa.

That is literally systemic racism at work.

He's half Italian. DeNiro and Pacino spent a long time as mobsters. Many other lesser knowns are always gangsters. Also ask any woman over 40 how fair all this is.

Lol DeNiro and Pacino are terrible examples. DeNiro's breakout movie was Godfather II but he followed it up with Taxi Driver (gritty, realistic movie where he plays a working class loner with mental health issues), The 1900 (Italian period drama where he plays a wealthy landowner in northern Italy at the turn of the 20th century), and The Last Tycoon (romantic period drama where he plays a young American movie producer in 1930s Hollywood). Literally all three of those movies came out in 1976, two years after he played young Vito Corleone. That's a lot of variety.

Pacino's breakout role was Godfather I and while he's revived his mobster bona fides many times over his long career, back in the 70s post Godfather his biggest roles were cops and robbers -- Serpico (cop), Dog Day Afternoon (robber). Also even when he's played a mobster, they haven't all been Italian or Italian-American. Scarface is arguably his most iconic role (even more so than Michael Corleone) and he plays a Cuban drug lord in it.

Hollywood was made for actors like Pacino, DeNiro, DiCaprio, Brando -- white guys!

I agree women over 40 have to struggle for roles and it's very unfair. Also women over 40 in Hollywood talk about this all the time. So I don't get why Hounsou talking about his own experience with a career that has obviously been curtailed by the unwillingness of Hollywood to tell many stories about people who look like him even though there are many, many people who look like him in the world is such a problem. He's right. He has had fewer opportunities as a result of being a black man, especially a dark-skinned black man from Africa. This is not a controversial statement unless you shut your eyes and put your fingers in your ears and go "LALALALA ROBERT DENIRO WAS TYPECAST TOO LALALALALALA."

You picked a half Italian to make your point. You tried though! Lots of Italians are typecast, as we can see and as you demonstrated. Ask overweight women what they think of being typecast as the "funny sidekick". Maybe pick a more talented actor to make your point here become Djimon is pretty forgettable a lot of the time.

Literally the preceding comment shows the many ways in which the Italian actors mentioned are not typecast, are offered a broad variety of roles.

It is weird you are choosing Italian as your hill to die on here, and then chose Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, two actors with some of the most successful and varied careers in Hollywood, as examples of Italian actors who have been typecast. Like you might have an argument it's just you chose the weirdest possible examples to make it.

Please. Both Neniro and Pacino have been in dozens of gangster movies. It's what they are known for. Was Hounsou a slave in that infamous Janet Jackson video? He's had several non slave acting roles but none are particularly memorable. Shazam anyone?

Strongly disagree with your assessment of DeNiro and Pacino. They've played gangsters but not in "dozens of movies" and most of their best known movies have nothing to do with the mafia. Raging Bull? Taxi Driver? Scent of a Woman? There are Italian actors who are typecast but you're talking about like Chazz Palminteri or Paul Sorvino. Guys no one really knows from anything else. But those are character actors. It's a totally different category of actor.

You don't think those actors haven't played gangsters dozens of times? Ok. It's primarily what they are known for. Sorry Hounsou doesn't have as illustrious of a career, but that's what happens when you're just mediocre. Happens to a lot of actors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it so hard to accept that it’s harder for a talented African actor to find good roles in American film? He’s allowed to call attention to the reality and explain how it affects him.

Maybe he should advocate for screenwriters to be paid more, and then they can write some good roles for talented African actors.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with his point about systemic racism but I wonder if his accent has really limited his roles. Can you think of any mainstream actor with a non-American accent? The British ones like Tom Holland do really good American fakes, as does Nicole Kidman. Can he fake a good American accent? I think that’s really important if you want to male it in Hollywood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with his point about systemic racism but I wonder if his accent has really limited his roles. Can you think of any mainstream actor with a non-American accent? The British ones like Tom Holland do really good American fakes, as does Nicole Kidman. Can he fake a good American accent? I think that’s really important if you want to male it in Hollywood.

Shwarzenegger eventually moved past it but most don’t. But he had very limited speaking roles for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with his point about systemic racism but I wonder if his accent has really limited his roles. Can you think of any mainstream actor with a non-American accent? The British ones like Tom Holland do really good American fakes, as does Nicole Kidman. Can he fake a good American accent? I think that’s really important if you want to male it in Hollywood.

Is it really “racist” for a movie industry based in America to favor making movies that star and appeal to Americans rather than French Africans?

Plus the man has worked consistently in Hollywood for 20 years. That’s a successful career for an actor by any standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with his point about systemic racism but I wonder if his accent has really limited his roles. Can you think of any mainstream actor with a non-American accent? The British ones like Tom Holland do really good American fakes, as does Nicole Kidman. Can he fake a good American accent? I think that’s really important if you want to male it in Hollywood.

Maybe his agent is the issue. The Agency had a part (Osman) he could have played very well, with an accent. I have an accent myself so I think it's a fair point it limits people. It limited my ability to get certain jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I totally agree with his point about systemic racism but I wonder if his accent has really limited his roles. Can you think of any mainstream actor with a non-American accent? The British ones like Tom Holland do really good American fakes, as does Nicole Kidman. Can he fake a good American accent? I think that’s really important if you want to male it in Hollywood.

Maybe his agent is the issue. The Agency had a part (Osman) he could have played very well, with an accent. I have an accent myself so I think it's a fair point it limits people. It limited my ability to get certain jobs.

Yeah, I also wondered if he has a bad agent . Seems like he could have gotten a part in one of the Black Panther movies or one of the other dozen or so movies set in Africa over the past 20 years. Obviously that’s a limited universe but with something like amistad on his resume you’d think he would have been in the running for more of those movies.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's called aging out. He is a Gen X actor who had a prime in the 2000s.

He's also made a ton of really, reallllllllly bad movies.

That's the whole point -- he's made a bunch of terrible movies because he wants to work and those are the only jobs he gets offered. And it's not about aging out -- he's been having this problem for 20 years even when he was fresh off of Amistad or Blood Diamond, high profile prestige movies where his work was extremely well reviewed.

The PP who said he gets typecast is correct and let's be even more clear -- he gets typecast as a slave because of his appearance. He's played a slave in multiple movies. How many white actors have played a slave multiple times? How is that NOT systemic racism. It is so weird to me people are even arguing this.

Italian actors get typecast too. But, acting is a choice. it pays well if you're good at it but nobody said it would be easy. There's a reason a lot of them are "struggling actors".

Yet Leonardo DiCaprio, an Italian actor who was nominated for his first Golden Globe the same year as Hounsou (in arguably a less challenging role -- DiCaprio was nominated for Titanic, Hounsou for Amistad) has not been typecast and has enjoyed a varied and highly successful career. Hounsou is as talented an actor as DiCaprio. But there are a lot more roles for someone with DiCaprio's looks because Hollywood tells way more stories about white men than it does about black men, especially dark-skinned black men from West Africa.

That is literally systemic racism at work.

He's half Italian. DeNiro and Pacino spent a long time as mobsters. Many other lesser knowns are always gangsters. Also ask any woman over 40 how fair all this is.

Lol DeNiro and Pacino are terrible examples. DeNiro's breakout movie was Godfather II but he followed it up with Taxi Driver (gritty, realistic movie where he plays a working class loner with mental health issues), The 1900 (Italian period drama where he plays a wealthy landowner in northern Italy at the turn of the 20th century), and The Last Tycoon (romantic period drama where he plays a young American movie producer in 1930s Hollywood). Literally all three of those movies came out in 1976, two years after he played young Vito Corleone. That's a lot of variety.

Pacino's breakout role was Godfather I and while he's revived his mobster bona fides many times over his long career, back in the 70s post Godfather his biggest roles were cops and robbers -- Serpico (cop), Dog Day Afternoon (robber). Also even when he's played a mobster, they haven't all been Italian or Italian-American. Scarface is arguably his most iconic role (even more so than Michael Corleone) and he plays a Cuban drug lord in it.

Hollywood was made for actors like Pacino, DeNiro, DiCaprio, Brando -- white guys!

I agree women over 40 have to struggle for roles and it's very unfair. Also women over 40 in Hollywood talk about this all the time. So I don't get why Hounsou talking about his own experience with a career that has obviously been curtailed by the unwillingness of Hollywood to tell many stories about people who look like him even though there are many, many people who look like him in the world is such a problem. He's right. He has had fewer opportunities as a result of being a black man, especially a dark-skinned black man from Africa. This is not a controversial statement unless you shut your eyes and put your fingers in your ears and go "LALALALA ROBERT DENIRO WAS TYPECAST TOO LALALALALALA."

You picked a half Italian to make your point. You tried though! Lots of Italians are typecast, as we can see and as you demonstrated. Ask overweight women what they think of being typecast as the "funny sidekick". Maybe pick a more talented actor to make your point here become Djimon is pretty forgettable a lot of the time.

Literally the preceding comment shows the many ways in which the Italian actors mentioned are not typecast, are offered a broad variety of roles.

It is weird you are choosing Italian as your hill to die on here, and then chose Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, two actors with some of the most successful and varied careers in Hollywood, as examples of Italian actors who have been typecast. Like you might have an argument it's just you chose the weirdest possible examples to make it.

Please. Both Neniro and Pacino have been in dozens of gangster movies. It's what they are known for. Was Hounsou a slave in that infamous Janet Jackson video? He's had several non slave acting roles but none are particularly memorable. Shazam anyone?

Strongly disagree with your assessment of DeNiro and Pacino. They've played gangsters but not in "dozens of movies" and most of their best known movies have nothing to do with the mafia. Raging Bull? Taxi Driver? Scent of a Woman? There are Italian actors who are typecast but you're talking about like Chazz Palminteri or Paul Sorvino. Guys no one really knows from anything else. But those are character actors. It's a totally different category of actor.

You don't think those actors haven't played gangsters dozens of times? Ok. It's primarily what they are known for. Sorry Hounsou doesn't have as illustrious of a career, but that's what happens when you're just mediocre. Happens to a lot of actors.

Between both Pacino and De Noro they haven't played gangsters dozens of times. Not even close. Just because you have a severely limited filmography doesn't mean these actors are primarily known for your view. DP btw.

[Anonymous]

Nobody is guaranteed success in Hollywood. Very few actors have true longevity.

A lot of it comes down to luck coupled with a good agent and PR team.

An accent and lack of popularity/connections hurt anyone’s chances of success…regardless of race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's called aging out. He is a Gen X actor who had a prime in the 2000s.

He's also made a ton of really, reallllllllly bad movies.

That's the whole point -- he's made a bunch of terrible movies because he wants to work and those are the only jobs he gets offered. And it's not about aging out -- he's been having this problem for 20 years even when he was fresh off of Amistad or Blood Diamond, high profile prestige movies where his work was extremely well reviewed.

The PP who said he gets typecast is correct and let's be even more clear -- he gets typecast as a slave because of his appearance. He's played a slave in multiple movies. How many white actors have played a slave multiple times? How is that NOT systemic racism. It is so weird to me people are even arguing this.

Italian actors get typecast too. But, acting is a choice. it pays well if you're good at it but nobody said it would be easy. There's a reason a lot of them are "struggling actors".

Yet Leonardo DiCaprio, an Italian actor who was nominated for his first Golden Globe the same year as Hounsou (in arguably a less challenging role -- DiCaprio was nominated for Titanic, Hounsou for Amistad) has not been typecast and has enjoyed a varied and highly successful career. Hounsou is as talented an actor as DiCaprio. But there are a lot more roles for someone with DiCaprio's looks because Hollywood tells way more stories about white men than it does about black men, especially dark-skinned black men from West Africa.

That is literally systemic racism at work.

He's half Italian. DeNiro and Pacino spent a long time as mobsters. Many other lesser knowns are always gangsters. Also ask any woman over 40 how fair all this is.

Lol DeNiro and Pacino are terrible examples. DeNiro's breakout movie was Godfather II but he followed it up with Taxi Driver (gritty, realistic movie where he plays a working class loner with mental health issues), The 1900 (Italian period drama where he plays a wealthy landowner in northern Italy at the turn of the 20th century), and The Last Tycoon (romantic period drama where he plays a young American movie producer in 1930s Hollywood). Literally all three of those movies came out in 1976, two years after he played young Vito Corleone. That's a lot of variety.

Pacino's breakout role was Godfather I and while he's revived his mobster bona fides many times over his long career, back in the 70s post Godfather his biggest roles were cops and robbers -- Serpico (cop), Dog Day Afternoon (robber). Also even when he's played a mobster, they haven't all been Italian or Italian-American. Scarface is arguably his most iconic role (even more so than Michael Corleone) and he plays a Cuban drug lord in it.

Hollywood was made for actors like Pacino, DeNiro, DiCaprio, Brando -- white guys!

I agree women over 40 have to struggle for roles and it's very unfair. Also women over 40 in Hollywood talk about this all the time. So I don't get why Hounsou talking about his own experience with a career that has obviously been curtailed by the unwillingness of Hollywood to tell many stories about people who look like him even though there are many, many people who look like him in the world is such a problem. He's right. He has had fewer opportunities as a result of being a black man, especially a dark-skinned black man from Africa. This is not a controversial statement unless you shut your eyes and put your fingers in your ears and go "LALALALA ROBERT DENIRO WAS TYPECAST TOO LALALALALALA."

You picked a half Italian to make your point. You tried though! Lots of Italians are typecast, as we can see and as you demonstrated. Ask overweight women what they think of being typecast as the "funny sidekick". Maybe pick a more talented actor to make your point here become Djimon is pretty forgettable a lot of the time.

Literally the preceding comment shows the many ways in which the Italian actors mentioned are not typecast, are offered a broad variety of roles.

It is weird you are choosing Italian as your hill to die on here, and then chose Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, two actors with some of the most successful and varied careers in Hollywood, as examples of Italian actors who have been typecast. Like you might have an argument it's just you chose the weirdest possible examples to make it.

Please. Both Neniro and Pacino have been in dozens of gangster movies. It's what they are known for. Was Hounsou a slave in that infamous Janet Jackson video? He's had several non slave acting roles but none are particularly memorable. Shazam anyone?

Strongly disagree with your assessment of DeNiro and Pacino. They've played gangsters but not in "dozens of movies" and most of their best known movies have nothing to do with the mafia. Raging Bull? Taxi Driver? Scent of a Woman? There are Italian actors who are typecast but you're talking about like Chazz Palminteri or Paul Sorvino. Guys no one really knows from anything else. But those are character actors. It's a totally different category of actor.

You don't think those actors haven't played gangsters dozens of times? Ok. It's primarily what they are known for. Sorry Hounsou doesn't have as illustrious of a career, but that's what happens when you're just mediocre. Happens to a lot of actors.

Between both Pacino and De Noro they haven't played gangsters dozens of times. Not even close. Just because you have a severely limited filmography doesn't mean these actors are primarily known for your view. DP btw.

Lol they've both been gangsters far more times than Hounsou has been a slave, yet he's talking about being typecast and racism.

[Anonymous]

Maybe his relationship with Kimora proved to be a liability to his career?

I mean, if Kevin Hart can become an A list celeb playing the leading man in multiple films, then I don’t think it’s fair to allege systemic racism in Hollywood.

^^^
Talent and like-ability matter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He is almost certainly underpaid for an actor with his resume and success, especially compared to white actors with similar skills. It is has been well documented that black actors make less than white actors even playing similar roles in similar movies. I think this is especially true for actors considered "serious" because it eliminates some of the bigger money-making options for a black actor. You can't to Amistad and a Tyler Perry movie. But white actors are allowed to move between low comedy and high drama (see, for example, Johan Hill).

When he says he struggles to make a living, he means he is struggling for roles. He is struggling to make a living in his chosen profession, which is film acting. That is valid even if of course he could leave acting and find other ways to make money. But actually, as a black man from West Africa, he would also face discrimination in almost any job he chose to pursue in the US or UK.

He does not say he lives in poverty. But he is very likely underpaid and based on the experiences of other highly successful black actors, it IS a systemic issue that is almost certainly attributable to racism.

Forget Jonah Hill, think Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Matthew McConaughey, so many romcoms (let alone Bosum Buddies or Lose a Guy in 10 days) but won Oscars for riveting AIDS tragedies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oscar-nominated actor and producer Djimon Hounsou is worth an estimated $4 million dollars.

Yet he claims he “struggles to even make a living,” and he blames “systemic racism” for his alleged poverty.

Do you feel his claim is ridiculous? Does he deserve an Oscar ?

https://nypost.com/2025/01/12/entertainment/oscar-nominee-djimon-hounsou-is-still-struggling-to-make-a-living/

Struggles to make a living at acting and directing
He needs to shut up

He should have a fallback career, maybe using his MBA? /s