Djimon Hounsou felt seriously cheated in Hollywood

Recently, Djimon Hounsou spoke candidly about his challenges getting roles after receiving Oscar nods.

"I remember there was a time when I had no support at all," said the actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for 'In America' in 2002 and 'Blood Diamond' in 2006. The Shazam! Fury of the Gods performer told The Guardian in an interview released online Thursday that he "felt seriously cheated."

He stated that today, we talk about how white the Oscars are, but he remembers a time when he had no support at all. He received no backing from his own people, the media, or the business community as a whole. Then, he continues, "…it felt like, 'You should be pleased you've been nominated," and that was that.

When he won a role in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film Amistad, Hounsou established his Hollywood reputation. However, he stated that he became frustrated with the restricted roles available to Black performers.

He states that he is still "struggling to make a dollar" in the business. He states that he has come up in the industry with some people who are absolutely well off and have very few of his accolades. He went on to say that he feels deceived and terribly cheated financially and in terms of work pressure as well.

Since his Oscar-nominated films, the bulk of Hounsou's performances have been smaller, in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Furious 7, Charlie's Angels, and a smattering of Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe projects.

"When I've visited studios for meetings," he adds, "People have said things like, 'Wow, we felt like you just came off the boat and then went back [after Amistad]'; we had no clue you were here as a real performer."

When you hear statements like that, you can see that some people's view of you, or what you symbolise, is very limiting. However, it is what it is. It's up to me to make that right."