Nollywood actress Jemima Osunde has spoken out about recent elements that influence actor casting in Nigeria’s movie industry.
The actor said that filmmakers are increasingly forcing performers to create social media content before casting them in films.
Osunde made this accusation during a recent conversation with her coworker, Jammal Ibrahim.
She said: “Now, it’s as though they [filmmakers] are forcing every actor to be a social media content creator before casting them. It’s as if you must dance on the internet to get roles. Why?
“It’s like if you’re not an actor with a strong social media presence, we’re not casting you because we need you to sell our film. That shouldn’t be the actor’s job.”
Jammal Ibrahim added: “That’s where good management comes in. I’ll give you an example: I told my management that I don’t know how to dance. I’m a terrible dancer. So, a good manager would look at you and say, ‘Okay, this is your personality. How can we work with who you are to make you better?’ Not, ‘How can we push you to be everyone else?’
“If you’re doing a PR stunt for a film and you’re going to be dancing, seriously, I’m not going to be part of it, unless I feel like the dance is something I can actually do. I don’t want to look stupid on screen. It’s just not my personality.”