Nollywood actress Jemima Osunde has raised alarm about recent development that is threatening the casting of actors in the Nigerian movie industry. The movie star claimed that filmmakers as a pre-requisite are now demanding actors to first become social media content creators to observe their talent before they are given a role in casting films.
Osunde made this claim in a recent conversation with her colleague, Jammal Ibrahim.
Osunde 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.”