
Of course, Djimon Hounsou is being typecast. We can talk about race, or about Mr. Hounsou’s dark skin, or his African heritage, but we won’t.
We’ll talk about an actor who is known the world over; an actor who is the recipient of widespread industry praise and recognition for his talent; an actor who, on three occasions, has accepted the same role. The first time; okay. The second time; maybe. The third time; why?
Which role is this? It is the role of the African Native enslaved [or imprisoned] who is set free in large part, due to the efforts of a white man (Anthony Hopkins, Amistad (1997); Russell Crowe, Gladiator (2000); Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond (2006).
Does money and fame, principle and integrity, injustice, age (he’s no spring chicken at 42) figure into the answer? Has he ever questioned his choices? Is he questioning his choices? If so, what has he told himself? I wonder.
At the end of the day, typecasting involves complicity on the actor’s part.
Naked. Sweating. Screaming. Oh My.
Whenever I see him he is naked, half naked or at the very least, shirtless. In Amistad, he was full body naked. He was half naked in Gladiator. And again in Blood Diamond, he was full body naked at a point in the film. In the pic, In America (2002) his bare chest was there for us to see. In all those films he was screaming or sweating at one point or another. In his first onscreen appearance in In America his first utterance of dialog was wordless. Instead, he was screaming his head off.
Yes; I know the roles called for him to be screaming… or sweating… or enslaved… or separated from his family. I understand this. When you consider each role individually, it makes sense. But when you look at these roles collectively, a disturbing pattern emerges.
Amistad
African Native enslaved and imprisoned, Sweating, Screaming
Separated from his family
Gladiator
African Native enslaved and imprisoned, Sweating, Screaming
Separated from his family
In America
Sweating, Screaming
Blood Diamond
African Native enslaved and imprisoned, Sweating, Screaming
Separated from his famiy
Does Djimon Hounsou have a responsibility to stop playing this character? I don’t know the answer to the question. I am, however, tiring of these images of this actor. That I do know. I really like this guy, though. And I hope In the future, he has better offers and makes better choices.
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