Most Nigerian people seem to think that actors have it all rosy because of the glitz and glamour that surround the movie industry. But the veteran and talented Nollywood actress, Ms Bimbo Akintola, painted a different picture during an interview with Sunday Scoop.
The TV soap, ‘Out of Bounds’ star and celebrity noted that unless the industry becomes more structured, actors would continue to get the short end of the stick.
Bimbo said, “Until actors start getting what is really due to them, such as royalties, the industry cannot be robust. In Nigeria, when you shoot a film, you only get whatever fee is paid; you don’t get royalties from subsequent monies that the movie makes. If we truly want positive and meaningful change, the industry has to be properly regulated.
The truth is that people are living from hand to mouth. Lagos is not an inexpensive place to live. By the time you deduct your rent, children’s school fees and other expenses, you would realise that the money you are making is nothing. That is why everybody is becoming producers; meanwhile, that shouldn’t be so. You cannot just say you are a producer without following the laid down procedures but there are no enabling laws.”
Shooting down allegations that she is a snub, Akintola said, “The problem is that many people judge you without knowing you. If you do your findings, you would realise that the people that accuse me of being a snub have never even met me. Rather, they rely on hearsay or just form their opinions.
You also should not judge me based on certain roles you’ve seen me act. Whatever happens on screen ends on screen; it’s all make-believe. I am always original and I don’t try to be what I’m not. At this stage of my life, I don’t live my life to impress anybody; and I have never done that anyway.”