Benin-born two-time Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounson has been dubbed “an unsung hero of Hollywood” as Okay Africa’s Fall 2024 digital cover.
With his early roles etched in Hollywood history, the actor speaks about his over three decades of acting career, being underappreciated in the industry and being able to sustain his career.
Sometimes I hear comments from studios like, ‘Oh, Djimon Hounsou is too noble to play this role, it’s nice to hear that the studios are thinking that.
For him, it signifies that he has achieved one of his early ambitions: to portray characters of integrity rather than ones that perpetuate stereotypes, particularly of Africans.
The persistent underappreciation frustrates him that he didn’t feel he’s fairly compensated for his work. He uses his acting currency to combat modern slavery and human trafficking through the Djimon Hounsou Foundation. The foundation’s mission is deeply personal for Hounsou, arising from his own quest to grasp his history, which he didn’t learn much about as a youngster.
How can Afro-descendants relate to their heritage when people like me, who were born in Africa, often feel disconnected from their roots?
The foundation also helps Africans in the diaspora reconnect with their cultural, ancestral and spiritual roots which arose from his own quest to grasp his history.
We owe it to ourselves to look to where we come from, and know that the continent of Africa is feeding the rest of the world. If you believe salvation only lies in the West, you’re setting yourself up for modern-day slavery.
Read the full cover story here
Credits
Muse: @djimon_hounsou
Photographer: @marquisperkins
Writer: @nadianeo
Lighting tech: @jpierrebonnet
Stylist:@tiffanistyles for This Represents
Market editor: @coralreefin
Fashion team: Elizabeth Fonseca, Myles Colbert, Will Lewis Groomer: @brittywhitfield
Publication: @okayafrica