Why a Lot of Older Actors Are Struggling - Ayo Adesanya

So many people want to break into Nollywood. The entertainment industry is one of the most sought after industries in Nigeria and a lot of people dream of making it big in this industry. For a lucky number of people, they made it big and they made it big at a time when the industry was still coming up making them what we now know today as veterans.

But what happens when these veterans start to age, lose popularity, and are no longer as relevant as they used to be? Recently we saw the story of Kenneth Aguba, an older actor who had now apparently become homeless.

Prior to this, there have also been a number of stories of older Nollywood actors coming to social media to solicit for funds for health issues, life issues, etc.

One woman who has been in this industry for a long time and has the authority to speak on the matter is Nollywood actress Ayo Adesanya. Ayo has starred in hit movies including Suga Suga, Omugwo, Mokalik, and more. During her appearance on Memoir of a Naija Girl, she was asked about why a lot of older actors seem to be struggling and going through hardship. Here's what Ayo had to say.

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Speaking on the issue of why a lot of older actors are struggling today, Ayo Adesanya said:

In the movie world, when you're getting to certain age, possibly maybe because you're no longer that relevant, people hardly remember to call you to come and work. Because the kind of work I do, you must be invited. It's a trade. When your light is out there for people to see, everybody comes. People who want to come and trade with you will come. They'll call you "we want you to come and be a part of this project, come and read, come and do this, come and do that." At some point when you're not so agile, people tend to forget that this person is still in the industry. So because they don't remember, these particular set of people get forgotten and when you don't work, you can't do anything for yourself. How will you be able to pay your medical fees when you don't work? And asides that people have this notion that because it's Nollywood, it's big. But how much are we getting paid? That's another thing, it's not as if we make money. We make fame, we don't make money. But then it is now left for you to use that fame and turn it to money. When you get all these brand deals, ambassadorships, you're already a brand so you sell that brand to work with others to sell.

It's very lonely. Contrary to what people think that as a celebrity you have the whole world, you can just snap a finger and you can just get whatever you want, it is very very lonely. Because people assume so much. People just assume your world is fun, your world is lively. Everything boils down to you to know how to live your life so that it doesn't become boring, it doesn't become lonely. It's lonely but people don't know.

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