Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has criticised film producers for repeatedly casting him in “Odogwu” roles, insisting that he should not be limited to a particular character type.
Arukwe made the comments during an interview on The Creativitea Podcast, where he explained that producers repeatedly wanted him to play the same character because they believed it would guarantee returns on their investments.
“All the producers in Nollywood now want to kill me with Odogwu character. You can’t put me in a box,” he said.
He urged filmmakers to give him opportunities to portray different characters, noting that someone had taken a chance on the role that helped boost his popularity.
“The same way someone took a chance on that character, you can also create another character and give to me,” Arukwe said.
His comments followed an admission by his manager, Mautin Tairu, popularly known as Mr M, that he was also tired of the actor’s frequent “igbotic” roles.
Tairu made the remark while replying to a fan, R. Ekpedeme, on X, who had expressed dissatisfaction with Arukwe’s frequent shouting in such roles.
“Uzor needs to leave the igbotic roles for a while. I need a break from the shouting,” the fan wrote.