Nollywood actress Stella Damasus has described herself as one of the leading figures in the Nigerian film industry.
Speaking in an interview with Pulse TV, the actress said she, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Genevieve Nnaji were widely regarded as the “Big 3” of Nollywood.
“They called us the Big Three, Omotola, Stella and Genevieve. We were very authentic; we weren’t trying to be other people, copy other people, or be who we aren’t. Everything was authentic; we weren’t doing it for fame or money,” she said.
Damasus noted that there was no social media at the time to measure their popularity or project how big they would become.
“There was no social media to tell us how big we could get. We didn’t know. After you see yourself on a poster, that’s about it; people may recognise you here or there at that time,” she added.
She said their passion and determination set them apart, despite constant comparisons by fans.
“You saw young, beautiful, and talented women coming together to do the job with everything they had and so much determination to succeed,” she said.
According to her, fan rivalry pushed them to work harder.
“It brought about a lot of comparisons. Fans who love one more than the others, and we had to keep proving ourselves. So we don’t think we are the weakest. Nobody wanted to be the weakest,” Damasus said.
