Emma Ugolee Calls Out Nollywood Over Unethical Rule Favouring Social Media Fame: "Unfair to Actors"
- Emma Ugolee criticised Nollywood’s increasing preference for actors with large social media followings over truly talented professionals
- Using the example of To Kill a Monkey stars Bucci Franklin and William Chinoyenem, he lamented how skilled actors are sidelined for not being internet famous
- Ugolee urged filmmakers to prioritise acting skill over online clout, describing the current follower-driven casting trend as unfair
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Media personality Emma Ugolee has expressed frustration over an unspoken but widely practised trend in Nollywood, which has to do with casting actors based on their social media following rather than their talent.
In a detailed post via his Instagram page on Wednesday, August 6, he criticised this system, which he believes undermines the essence of true acting.
Source: Instagram
Ugolee used the example of two talented lead actors from the trending To Kill a Monkey series, Bucci Franklin and William Chinoyenem, who collectively have just under 380,000 followers.
Despite being highly skilled and respected by fans for their acting capabilities, their limited social media presence has hindered wider recognition. He emphasised that these actors are well-trained professionals with both talent and discipline, but they don’t thrive on drama or online antics.
Ugolee highlighted the irony of their low follower count, attributing it to their preference for privacy over public controversy. They avoid sensationalism and online conflict, all of which seem to be the metrics currently favoured by casting agents.
To demonstrate the contrast, Ugolee pointed to comedian and online sensation Egungun, who boasts over 2 million followers.
He averred that Egungun's popularity stems from engaging street interviews that often feature provocative or sexually charged content. Emma clarified that while Egungun’s success is valid in its own space, it illustrates the superficial requirements Nollywood now imposes on serious actors.
He concluded by calling out this flawed system and urging filmmakers to resist the pressure of follower-driven casting.
Source: Instagram
Ugolee stressed that some actors excel purely in performance and should not be denied roles simply because they lack a massive online presence.
In his words:
"Did you know that there is a currently practised unwritten Nollywood rule that should be dead already for how much it suckss? Actors have been getting roles on the basis of the social media following that they command, as this is considered vital for a successful publicity of the movie.
"I tried to capture everything wrong with it, with the pictures above.
"In the first two slides, you will probably notice that the two lead actors from the trending To Kill a Monkey series have a collective following of almost 380k. They are certified by both male and female fanbases to be exceptionally great at their craft. Containing both the gift & the training to act.
"True professionals. The ironic reflection of numbers is due to poor ability to deliver on public scandals, entertain with their real lives & engage in public interaction at the cost of privacy.
"They need to be rich at frivolity, to overly socialise, dare with nuudity, be beef-prone with colleagues, controversial, materialistic and other dramas generally unrelated to acting.
"The 3rd slide is an internet sensation who embodies understanding what it takes to be followed on these streets and all he needs is one mic.
"One mic to ask people on the streets the cost of what they are wearing or driving when he meets them.
"With ladies, he has trademark requests that they show how wiggly & wobbly both their mammary glands and buttt cheeks can be. Reveal fav sex positions, repeat words after him & demand for a replaying of sounds that they make in the bedroom. For that, he has a faithful 2M followers & counting.
"This is in no way to make fun of what he's doing, but to show you exactly what it takes to get the engagement Nollywood is asking of these professional actors as tickets to get acting gigs.
"This is unfair to actors. Believe it or not, there are actually some actors who just want to act without being popular. Stop putting pressure on them to meet your criteria for public following.
"They might have everything it takes to kill the role and nothing it takes to impress fickle-minded people en masse daily. Shout out to directors who ignore this rule while casting. Emma Ugolee."
Refer to the post below:
Skitmaker calls out Egungun
In other news, Legit.ng reported that skit maker Kunle Botanical accused fellow content creator Egungun of Lagos of betrayal.
Kunle claimed he earned ₦50 million from a collaborative deal with Egungun, but he paid him only ₦20,000.
Kunle also alleged that Egungun sabotaged his relationship with Bobrisky, leading to the loss of support from the popular crossdresser.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
