Actor Djimon Hounsou believes he has not been given his just dues.

The actor, who has remained in the industry for at least 30 years, pursued a career in acting in the U.S. after moving from Cotonou, Benin, at 23 years old, MarketWatch reports. Prior to his time in the U.S., he had experienced financial troubles, which led to homelessness for an 18-month period, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, his fate would take a turn in 1992 when he appeared in the film “Unlawful Entry.” In 1997, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” and an even bigger break came three years later with the Oscar-winning film “Gladiator.”

However, despite what seems like a solid career, Hounsou feels overlooked and underpaid.

“I am still struggling trying to make a living,” Hounsou said, according to Variety. “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.”

He added, “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.”

Hounsou’s acting credits also include “Blood Diamond” and “In America,” which led to Oscar nominations, as well as “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Most recently, he starred in two “Rebel Moon” films, which are on Netflix and directed by Zack Snyder. Despite maintaining a steady stream of roles, he feels “cheated,” especially when measuring his success against his peers.

“I’ve come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades,” Hounsou shared with The Guardian in 2023, per Variety. “So I feel cheated in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well. I’ve gone to studios for meetings and they’re like: ‘Wow, we felt like you just got off the boat and then went back [after ‘Amistad’]. We didn’t know you were here as a true actor.'”

He continued, “When you hear things like that, you can see that some people’s vision of you, or what you represent, is very limiting. But it is what it is. It’s up to me to redeem that. 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’… Film after film, it’s a struggle. I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly.”

Hounsou’s struggles is all too familiar for several Black actors who have earned their success and shared similar stories. This includes Mo’Nique Hicks who was offered $50,000 for her role in “Precious” despite the film earning $47.5 million, according to Variety. Mo’Nique later sued Netflix for offering her $500,000 for a comedy special compared to eight-figure deals given to Dave Chappelle and Amy Schumer, notes The Atlanta Journal Institution.

Golden-Globe-winning actress and Howard University alum Taraji P. Henson, who had her first breakout role in 2001 with “Baby Boy,” has remained relevant in the box office. However the issue of pay equity even made her consider calling it quits all together. Coupled with lower pay compared to white counterparts and having to allocate 80% of her gross pay towards taxes and her team, it has been a struggle.

“They tell me we don’t translate overseas. I’m tired of hearing that my entire career, 20-plus years in the game, and I hear the same thing. And I see what you do for another production and when it’s time for us to go to bat, you don’t have any money. They play in your face and I’m just supposed to smile and grin and bear it and just keep (on). Enough is enough,” she said, according to the “TODAY” show.

Research from Zippia shows that white actors have the highest average salary at $55,051, while Black actors have the lowest average at $49,210. For Hounsou, as for many of his peers, their stories highlight a broader truth: The struggle for fairness in Hollywood is far from over.