In a recent conversation with her colleague Jammal Ibrahim, Nollywood actress Jemima Osunde raised a concern about the growing influence of social media in casting decisions. Osunde claimed that filmmakers are increasingly pressuring actors to become social media content creators before even considering them for roles.
Osunde shared her thoughts on the evolving dynamics within the Nigerian movie industry, highlighting how this shift is affecting the casting process. Jammal Ibrahim weighed in, emphasizing the importance of good management in navigating such pressures: “That’s where good management comes in. I’ll give you an example: I told my management that I’m a terrible dancer. So, a good manager looks at you and says, ‘Okay, this is your personality. How can we work with who you are to make you better?’ Not, ‘How can we push you to be someone else?’ If a film requires a PR stunt that involves dancing, I won’t participate unless I genuinely feel capable of doing it. I don’t want to look ridiculous on screen—that’s just not my personality.”
Osunde echoed similar sentiments, saying, “It’s almost as if filmmakers are now insisting that every actor must become a social media content creator before being cast. It feels like you have to dance on the internet just to land a role. Why is that? It seems that if you’re an actor without a strong social media presence, you’re not considered for casting because they need you to help sell the film. But that shouldn’t be the actor’s responsibility.”