Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has criticised the growing expectation for actors to perform dance routines on social media to promote their films, describing the practice as “unprofessional”.
The award-winning actress, 47, shared her views during a recent interview on the eSplash show, where she made it clear that while she enjoys dancing, the concern is when it shifts from a personal choice to an obligation.
According to her, dancing should not become a compulsory tool for movie promotion, noting that actors are not content creators.
“I dance. I’m sure a lot of us love to dance too. But the problem is when you’re dancing not because you want to, but because you have to,” she said.
“There is nothing wrong with you promoting your movie and dancing and having fun with it. But when it becomes a chore. When it becomes ‘this is what you have to do’ to sell a movie, it is not professional.”
Omotola explained that the trend highlights a wider misunderstanding in Nollywood about the different roles needed to make a film successful.
She stressed that an actor’s primary responsibility is acting, not carrying the full weight of marketing a production.
“I already done the project. I should go around, talk about the project, and let the people whose job is to distribute handle the advertising. That how it’s done in better climes,” she said.
The actress added that compelling actors to engage in what she termed “demeaning” promotional activities can be draining and unrealistic, especially for those juggling several projects.
Comparing Nollywood with Hollywood, Omotola pointed out that many internationally acclaimed actors have little or no social media presence, yet their films still perform well globally.
“We are not content creators. There are people whose job that is,” she said.
“In the United States, for example, there are actors who are not even on Instagram. You would never find a Daniel Day-Lewis on social media. They are actors—they come, do their job, and leave.”
Her comments echo similar views recently expressed by filmmaker Kunle Afolayan and media entrepreneur Mo Abudu at the Lagos Business of Film Summit.
Abudu had noted that she could not promote films in the same style as stars like Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham.
Afolayan’s remarks, however, sparked criticism from Akindele, who defended her hands-on and energetic social media promotion approach, insisting that “the sky is big enough for everyone to fly.”