Renowned Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji has shared her insights on her experiences trying to find collaborations in Hollywood following the box office success of her 2018 film LionHeart, which Netflix allegedly paid $3.8 million for.
She added that the experience made her recognise that she was a commodity and that she never received the support she had anticipated in Hollywood.
Genevieve clarified that Hollywood merely desired what she has for their own gain.
During a panel discussion at the 2024 AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum/Afreximbank Annual Meeting, the actoress revealed this.
She said,
“For the first time, I realised I was a commodity. I thought, you know, given what I had done with Lionheart, and all of that, I was going to have an opportunity to do more. Getting there and having the kind of support, that obviously CANEX is bringing on board, but I thought I could find it in Hollywood. That was not quite the case.
“They wanted what I had but for their benefit. It was all about their story. It was all about how, even if it was our story, I could make it more authentic to their own understanding of whatever Africa is because they did have a lot of literature in their archives.”
She also said that she could have gone to Hollywood years ago but decided to stay back to contribute to the development of Nollywood.
