How sex workers inspired my role in ‘To Kill a Monkey’ – Sunshine Rosman

Nollywood actress, Sunshine Rosman, has revealed that she drew inspiration from high-class Lagos sex workers to deliver her role as Amanda Sparkles in the hit series, To Kill a Monkey.

Rosman, who described acting as something she had always known, said her upbringing in Surulere, Magodo and Ijesha, Lagos, shaped her creativity. “My parents always encouraged me. My sisters and I would put together little plays and record songs for our dad, even when he was tired from work. He would clap and cheer for us. We were all entertainers in the family,” she recalled.

The actress said her fascination with Marilyn Monroe also fired her passion for the screen. “I remember watching her films and being captivated by her expressions beyond beauty. She had a way of lighting up a room. That inspired me to want the same,” she added.

Rosman disclosed that her big break into To Kill a Monkey came after an unexpected turn. Initially rejected during auditions, she was later called up just as she was preparing for school exams. “It was a tough choice defer the semester or take the role. I didn’t want an extra year in school, but I had also prophesied that I would one day work with Kemi Adetiba. By God’s grace, everything aligned,” she said.

Speaking about her character Amanda Sparkles, Rosman explained that she studied the mannerisms of sex workers to perfect her performance. “Sparkles was a blend of my experiences and those of Lagos ‘runs girls.’ Sometimes, I just sit in clubs and observe people. That became the anchor for Sparkles. Above all, God’s grace helped me,” she said.

The actress described the story of To Kill a Monkey as a moral lesson about human complexity. “No one was completely innocent. Everyone had flaws and strengths. From Amanda’s perspective, when a man brings you down, don’t stay there flip the script,” she noted.

Rosman also cleared misconceptions about her ability to speak French. According to her, she only took beginner’s classes at Alliance Française in Ikoyi. “I exaggerated when I said I spoke French. At best, I understand a few words if spoken slowly. But I am open to learning new languages if required for a role,” she said.

On her bicultural background, the Canadian-Nigerian actress said it was both an advantage and a challenge in casting. “My looks don’t always fit the typical Nigerian image, and I don’t fully look foreign either. Sometimes producers have to recast parents in films just to make the family resemblance believable,” she explained.

She praised fellow actor Bucci Franklin as a “gifted talent and a good-hearted person,” while also highlighting her family’s commitment to charity. Her mother runs an orphanage in Abia State, a project supported by Rosman and inspired by her late father.