Veteran Nollywood actress Ireti Doyle has shared how a piece of advice from the late Amaka Igwe helped change her approach to acting. She recently had her say while appearing as a guest on The Old And New Show, and fans have been reacting.
Reflecting on how she moved from playing serious roles to taking on the comedic role of “Sisi” in the popular sitcom “Fuji House of Commotion”, Ireti disclosed that Amaka Igwe made it clear that only an actor without range will be scared of such a transition.
The moviestar added that the late filmmaker’s statement challenged her confidence to push beyond her comfort zone.
Her words, “She didn’t say much. She just shrugged, looked down at her mobile phone, and said to me, ‘A consummate actor is one who is able to run the entire gamut, from hardcore strong characters all the way down to slapsticks. Maybe you lack range.’
Of course, my artistic ego was pricked. I took the role, and it made me a household name quicker than I thought it would.
Working for and with AY, he is one of my favourite producers because he places a premium on his human capital. That is where a lot of producers get it wrong. You cannot treat your human capital as if they are disposable.
When I say human capital, I am talking about cast and crew. If you look after the people, the rest is easy.”
Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.
The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.
Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.
Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.
