A number of Nigerian movie watchers are expressing fatigue at the same set of actors that are perpetually being used and recycled in popular productions.
People say that they can already tell when a movie is announced who will probably be in the film, and they’re getting hungry for new talent on their screen. To talk about this, star Nollywood producer Niyi Akinmolayan sat down with Channels Television, and explained why this is the case; and also expressed why it won’t change. Here is what Niyi Akinmolayan had to say.
Speaking about why we see the same faces in Nollywood, and why it won’t change anytime soon, Niyi Akinmolayan said:
NIYI AKINMOLAYAN: On the issue of having the same faces in many movies, it is a dicy issue and let me tell you why it’s a very funny one. I’ve seen a couple of people who say ‘you’re using the same actor’ and I try to trigger them and say ‘okay fine, say I want to make another movie about this, suggest actors’ and they all mention the same actors.
Now, what it says is that there is a problem which we all need to accept. We need to raise new potential, new actors. But we must also be very careful. These actors have worked their butt off over the years. You’re not going to make a Netflix Original which automatically means a lot more money, and then you’re going to throw them out, it’s not going to happen. Netflix will not make these originals if they do not feel like it has faces that can actually get people to want to see the film. It has to be a business decision.
So what we try to do is we try to use some of these bigger names to amplify the work. It’s going to be a gradual thing. You’re not going to wake up and impose a person people do not know. They’re not even going to be invested in the film. You’re not going to put a poster out with somebody nobody cares about, they’re not going to watch the film. So it is a business decision, but we have to be very careful about.
But also when we say these things, we need to be sensitive, because what you’re saying is that these actors don’t deserve these opportunities and it’s wrong. It is good for our older actors. It’s not going to change, we’re going to keep using these faces while we gradually grow the newer acts.