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Veteran media personality Emma Ugolee has publicly criticized Nollywood’s increasing preference for actors with large social media followings over those with proven acting skills.
Taking to his Instagram page, Ugolee expressed concern over what he described as an "unwritten Nollywood rule" where casting decisions are based more on an actor’s Instagram followers than their professional talent or experience.
“Did you know that there is a currently practised unwritten Nollywood rule that should be dead already for how much it sucks? Actors have been getting roles based on the social media following that they command, which is considered vital for the successful publicity of the movie,” he wrote.
To illustrate his point, Ugolee referenced two lead actors from the currently trending Nollywood series “To Kill a Monkey”, stating that although they have a combined Instagram following of just under 380,000, they are “certified by both male and female fan bases to be exceptionally great at their craft, possessing both the gift and the training to act. True professionals.”
However, he noted that their relatively modest online presence often prevents them from landing major roles, despite their skill. According to Ugolee, this is because casting directors prioritize influencers and viral content creators, who can guarantee visibility and hype due to their massive digital footprints.
He contrasted the actors from To Kill a Monkey with a popular social media content creator known as Egungun, who has amassed over 2 million followers. Ugolee criticized the viral star's content, which often involves provocative street interviews.
“The 3rd slide is an internet sensation that embodies understanding of what it takes to be followed on these streets... With ladies, he has trademark requests that they show how wiggly & wobbly both their mammary glands and butt cheeks can be. Reveal fav s#x positions, repeat words after him & demand a replay of the sounds they make in the bedroom. For that, he has a faithful 2M followers & counting,” Ugolee noted.
He clarified that his intention wasn’t to ridicule the influencer’s hustle, but rather to highlight the unfair standards Nollywood places on serious actors.
“This is in no way to make fun of what he’s doing, but to show you exactly what it takes to get the engagement Nollywood is asking of these professional actors as tickets to get acting gigs,” he wrote.
“Believe it or not, some actors just want to act without being popular. Stop putting pressure on them to meet your criteria for a public following. They might have everything it takes to kill the role and nothing it takes to impress fickle-minded people en masse daily.”
Ugolee ended his post by praising film directors who resist the trend of casting based on popularity alone:
“Shout out to directors who ignore this rule while casting,” he added..
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