Raymond Okafor, a Nollywood actor, has stated that talent is not enough to succeed in the Nigerian film industry.
The 30-year-old stated this in an interview with Saturday Beats, adding that to succeed in Nollywood, an actor, actress, or filmmaker must be loyal.
Okafor revealed that there are cliques who favour one another and look out for each other when it comes to movie gigs, and the only path to success for a promising thespian is to belong to one of such groups.
He said; “As crazy as it sounds, one’s talent is not a guarantee that one would be successful in the industry. That one is a great actor is not a guarantee for success in Nollywood. I don’t know about other industries but in Nollywood, talent is not enough. The only thing that can bring one success is one’s loyalty. One has to be extremely loyal.
“There is way they operate in Nollywood; they have cliques. They care about one another, and they carry themselves along. One has to belong to a team, and one has to be loyal.”
Okafor, who was recently appointed by the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, as a member or its National Task Force, said they have initiated bylaws to protect everyone in the industry.
“Now, we are making sure that everybody gets paid, even if one is only an extra. Everybody gets paid, and they get insurance. It is part of our new scheme, and our new bylaws that we are trying to enforce,” he said.
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