Gideon Okeke, a Nollywood actor, has urged the general public not to envy any actor in the Nigerian film industry.
According to him, despite the fact that many of these talents attend events like some of the country’s wealthiest people, many of them are underpaid.
He stated on Instagram that “the pay is peanuts, the food is whack, and the working conditions are gruesomely slave-like.” But then there’s the red carpet premiere. We all dress up as if we were a bag of money. It doesn’t add up, joor!… Oh, don’t envy anyone. There is no packaging. There is no wash. (sic)”
Gideon Okeke’s remarks follow Adunni Ade’s call for better pay for actors in the industry.
She demanded that filmmakers, particularly in the Yoruba film industry, stop expecting actors to do them a favor and instead pay them what they are worth.
“This isn’t me yelling at anyone. I believe it is past time for actors in the film industry to be compensated for their efforts. People must let go of their greed.”
“A lot of people just want an actor or filmmaker to assist them. You can’t keep doing it and getting rich while they stay in the same place. “It happens all the time in Yoruba Nollywood,” Adunni explained.
Meanwhile, Gideon Okeke noted in his post that actors are preparing to show off at award shows.
On the red carpet, we’ll all be dressed like peacocks. Like a money bag. Now they don’t even give money for the best dressed. Taking the spotlight away from the film that dem have come to evaluate.”
Gideon Okeke stated that filmmaking is a collaborative sport, but it is not seen as such when it comes to giving actors their fair share of the money.
“Are we not in the grip of a greed pandemic?” He enquired.
