Veteran Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has revealed that he deliberately worked to reinvent himself as a responsible gentleman, moving away from the “bad boy” image he was known for in the movie industry.
Speaking in a recent interview with media personality Joey Akan, Iyke said he was influenced by external forces to embrace the “bad boy” image but later chose to rebrand after realising it had outlived its usefulness.
He added that many of his colleagues experience career stagnation because they fail to recognise when it is time to leave the stage or reinvent themselves.
The movie star emphasised that it is important for entertainers to know when to rebrand to maintain relevance.
He said, “External forces play a great part in who you become in the entertainment industry.
“At every point in time something is serviceable. We can all agree the ‘bad boy’ image was serviceable then. But then, as you advance in life, you meet important people that your ‘bad boy’ persona is anathema to how they live.
“Not knowing when to exit the stage is a problem a lot of us are having in entertainment. Let’s just say I knew when to exit.
“The ‘bad boy’ image served its purpose but I had to ditch it when it is no longer serviceable to move forward in life.”