The newsletter, received by subscribers earlier this week—and includes a clip of Med Hondo in studio—brings attention to a lesser-known part of his career: his work as a French dubbing artist for major Black Hollywood actors like Eddie Murphy and Morgan Freeman.
While Hondo is recognized by cinephiles as a trailblazing African filmmaker, he was also the French voice behind some of the most popular Black characters in global cinema.
The piece uses this contrast—between his limited visibility as a director and his widespread presence in French-dubbed blockbusters—to show how African filmmakers often have to contend with uneven systems of recognition and survival.
It also explains how Hondo used income from dubbing to finance his independent films.
The newsletter treats his dubbing career not as a last resort but as part of a larger story about race, authorship, and creative work.
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