Why Nollywood Actors Don't Break Into Hollywood - American Producer Reveals

Over the years, we have seen and heard many stories of Nigerian actors travelling overseas to try and make it in the American movie industry. And for as many of these stories as we've heard, we have till today not seen one person who has crossed over mega successfully, in the way that a Priyanka Chopra for example crossed over from India. The question is why?

Well, Nigerian American movie producer Abesi Akhamie is giving her thoughts on why she thinks this is the way it is. Here is what she had to say.

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During the interview, Abesi was asked "We have seen actors and actresses from other African continents going to Hollywood and getting roles, but it's not necessarily the case when it comes to Nigerian actors. Why?" to which Abesi said:

ABESI AKHAMIE: I would say I mean we know that Hollywood is very gate kept, first and foremost. So it is it is quite difficult for someone, let's say for an example, a homegrown talent here in Nigeria to now migrate and go to the United States, Hollywood. It's uneven to say that they can migrate to Canada or the UK to do film work there.

The industry, the well-known industry that we know, is Hollywood. So they would want to go there, but I think people may not realize how difficult it is. Some of the big names that we see like Uzo Aduba, Lupita, Cynthia Erivo, John Boyega, David Oyelowo, there's those sort of ones we're seeing that they are funneling through Hollywood. So Chiwetel for an example is based in the UK and you see him doing a lot of work in Hollywood and that's because that's where the industry is.

The interviewer cut in saying "But those ones that you have mentioned were mostly born there so they are not necessarily migrants from Nigeria who have settled over there" to which Abesi said:

ABESI AKHAMIE: But also too, it's still very difficult for them I would say. I would say so and I think based off of their experiences, at the end of the day, there's still not as many roles for black people in these spaces, in Hollywood.

Although we are seeing progression and progress, there's also when we see progress, it sometimes can feel like we take two steps forward and then we take five steps back. And so yeah, I would say that interestingly, I think that a lot of people who are actors there who are Nigerian hyphens want to come to Nigeria to do work. Yes, yes.

And I think it's one of those things where I say like we don't realize what we have here. Nollywood is the third largest industry in the world and yes it comes with the issues of any big industry that there is. But there are so many watchers. People are drawn to, I don't what you might call this Nigerian bravado, people are interested in seeing and listening to the stories.

And it's not just Nigerians in the diaspora, it's Africans in the diaspora and people are catching on just in the way that we're seeing the explosion of afrobeats music. So I think it means something for people who are of Nigerian heritage abroad to come back home to now star in, to now collaborate with talent here and it just means something special.

What do you think about what Abesi Akhamie had to say? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment either below or on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

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