Upcoming actors eroding Nollywood’s legacy, veteran actor laments

By Alex Enebeli

Veteran Nollywood actor, Chief Ferdinand Ohanekwu, has expressed concern over what he described as declining professional standards in Nigeria’s film industry.

Ohanekwu said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He alleged that some upcoming actors were undermining the legacy built by the industry’s pioneers.

According to him, many emerging actors entered the industry without taking time to study the foundation laid by veteran practitioners.

“Those coming after us are not watching what we did. They just started flying in the air, thinking they were doing something extraordinary. And they are not helping us. They are destroying what we built and the legacies we left behind. What our generation did before is not what our children are doing now. They are just messing us up,” he said.

He urged aspiring actors to learn from experienced professionals and uphold the values that helped establish Nollywood as one of Africa’s leading film industries.

“They should be patient, avoid following the crowd and do the right thing they are supposed to do,” he advised.

Also speaking, renowned Nollywood actress Nkiru Sylvanus, said the Nigerian film industry had continued to evolve in response to technological advancement and changing global trends.

Sylvanus said that although many people believed films produced during Nollywood’s early years were more engaging, the industry had recorded significant growth and transformation.

“It has become a global market where everybody can become a producer and an actor. And it should not be limited to a particular set of people or faces alone. It is an industry we can all build together and make better,” she said.

She said that the industry was still developing and had yet to reach its full potential.

Speaking on her career, she said she remained active in acting, adding that her choice of roles depended largely on the quality of scripts.

“Once an actor, always an actor. I still act, but it depends on the script and what I want to be involved with. Sometimes, the available roles are not the kind of scripts I want to interpret. So I wait for the right one,” she said.

On the future of Nollywood, she stressed the need to produce quality films while strengthening the industry’s distribution network.

“If we have effective distribution networks and outlets that support the industry, it will go a long way in making Nollywood stronger,” she said.

NAN