Here’s How Djimon Hounsou Built His Multi-Million-Dollar Fortune

Despite transitioning into the movie industry since the early 1990s, Djimon Hounsou would probably be remembered most for his role alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2006 tribal war and drama film, Blood Diamond. He executed the character in this movie excellently (not suggesting a lesser performance in his other roles) particularly due to the fact that the filming of the movie was done in South Africa, although the setting was meant to portray Sierra Leone in West Africa.

Before becoming the mild-mannered successful actor we know today, Hounsou’s journey began in the Republic of Benin (now Cotonou), formerly known as Dahomey, in West Africa, east of Nigeria, where he was born on April 24, 1964. Formerly a French colony until its independence from France in 1960, Dahomey was once known as the Slave Coast due to the mass number of people who were kidnapped and shipped abroad during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade of the 17th century. So once Dahomey was liberated from French colonization, Hounsou emigrated to France with his brother, Edmond. It was this leap of faith that would set the course for his success as a Hollywood actor, and subsequently, his net worth of $12 million.

Journey To The West

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Djimon Hounsou’s success story is truly one of perseverance through adversity. Even after moving to Paris in search of a better life, he was still faced with hardship and times of tribulation. After dropping out of school, he experienced a season of homelessness and hunger, where he struggled to find food to eat on the streets of Paris, even eating out of garbage cans to survive some nights. States by Celebrity Net Worth, during a chance encounter with a photographer, he was led to fashion designer, Thierry Mugler, who gave him a modeling opportunity. He soon gained recognition as a fashion model in 1987. Three years later, he migrated to the United States and made appearances in numerous music videos for trending musicians and recording artists, such as Madonna’s Express Yourself, Janet Jackson’s Love Will Never Do (Without You), and En Vogue’s Hold On.

Following his music video appearances, it didn’t take long before Hounsou stepped into the film industry and landed his debut role in Without You I’m Nothing, directed by Sarah Bernhard, which grossed a little over $1 million. Although $1 million may not seem like much, it was a step in the right direction considering where he came from. In an interview with People magazine, Djimon said, “We were not a rich African family. Everything was very basic. If you knew the way I lived then, and the way I’m living now…it’s night and day.” Little did he know, his career was just beginning. As the years followed, he featured in minor roles in projects such as the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 as a club bouncer, and in 1999 he played the role of Nigerian refugee, Mobalage Ekabo, on the NBC drama series, ER.

From Homeless To Hollywood

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Things got even better for Djimon in the 1990s when he was chosen to be cast in the sci-fi/adventure Stargate, released in 1994. He played the role of the Egyptian Deity, Horus, alongside celebrities such as James Spader (Daniel Jackson), Kurt Russell (Jack O’Neill), and French Stewart (Lieutenant Ferretti). Stargate proved to be his first major film production, as it grossed $196.6 million at the global box office on a $50 million budget.

There were also minor roles that he was given in movies such as Unlawful Entry (1992), starring Ray Liotta, Kurt Russell, and Madeleine Stowe. He is most notably remembered for his role as an African slave named Cinque in Amistad (1997). This was his first lead role in the movie and is considered his breakout role, co-starring with famous names in Hollywood like Morgan Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Hopkins, and Matthew McConaughey. The history drama grossed $44.2 million at the global box office and set Djimon up for a string of other epic roles.

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Continued Acting Success

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Among the other popular and highly successful films, Djimon Hounsou has starred in is the year 2000 release of Gladiator. Following the success of Amistad, he shared the screen with A-list actors such as Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. The film turned out to be a fan favorite and even bolstered the careers of both Russel Crowe and Djimon Hounsou, grossing $460.5 million at the box office. He went on to

Then in 2005, he starred in a major sci-fi/action movie, The Island, about a futuristic organ harvesting cloning facility where the extremely rich makes clones of themselves to store and use when they enter old age and their organs are failing. Djimon plays the role of Albert Laurent, a former elite tactical French police operative hired by Merrick (Sean Bean) to hunt down two escaped clones, Lincoln Six-Echo (Exan McGregor) and Jordan Two-Delta (Scarlett Johansson). The film grossed $162.9 million on a budget of $126 million.

At this point, the iron was hot and Hounsou took every opportunity to strike. His next appearance on the big screen was in Blood Diamond with Jennifer Connelly, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Arnold Vosloo. The film was based on real events as the word “blood diamond,” or pink diamond refers to diamonds that are harvested in war-torn parts of Africa and then sold for exorbitant profit to diamond companies around the world, while at the same time financing warlords to continue reigning in terror. The war film grossed a whopping $171.7 million, in addition to receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Major Money-Making Movies

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Throughout the 2000s, Hounsou’s movie roles were even more dynamic. 2003 saw him next to Angelina Jolie in Laura Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, then as a former witch doctor and businessman in Constantine with Keanu Reeves in 2004; the latter grossed a whopping $230.9 million. He’s also known for his great athleticism and played the role of Jean Roqua, an MMA gym instructor in 2008 in the martial arts fighting film, Never Back Down. He also made appearances in The Legend of Tarzan in 2016, the billion-dollar movie franchise Fast and The Furious: Furious 7. Djimon’s most recent movie appearances were in Jason Momoa’s Aquaman (2018), Charlie’s Angels (2019), and The King’s Man (2021), starring Ralph Fiennes and Gemma Arterton.

Besides acting, he hasn’t completely abandoned his modeling past and in 2007, did work with Calvin Klein as their underwear model. He has also been a strong activist against climate change and spoke at the United Nations Summit on Climate Change in 2009. At 57 years old, Djimon Hounsou still looks great and shows no signs of hanging up his acting career.

Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Fandom, Espact

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