They pay for roles these days - Charles Inojie says about Nollywood actors

Nollywood actor Charles Inojie is one of the most respected veteran in the movie industry. Given his achievements in the entertainment scene, the man is regarded as one with many talents. In an interview with Punch, this renowned thespian revealed some details about the Nollywood industry.

One particular piece of information revealed by the actor is that he is a very shy person. This may be very hard to believe considering the fact that the screen god is considered to be very outspoken and comical in the films he acts. 

But then, the actor who has accumulated very many pseudonyms for himself like Lucky, Na Dem dey Rush Us and so on revealed that he is very much a reticent person in so much that he is even very shy to watch the movies he acts. 

This might be owing to the several roles he has played in his movies. However, the actor revealed that he is dealing with this in a much better way and he is starting to be less shy about his roles. 

Read his words below: “I am a shy person, initially it was difficult for me to watch clips of my movies; it was hard to believe that I was the one doing some of those things. However, I am beginning to deal with it a lot better now. If I walk into a sitting room with people gathered watching my movies, I’ll probably just go out, but I am beginning to handle it a lot better now. I always tell myself that it is just the way I am. I have a persona that is different from the roles I play; the roles come naturally for me. Some people understand that it’s just role-play but others find it difficult to take me seriously." 

Even more than this though, Charles weighed in on the Nollywood industry, its present state and the problems that are hindering the entertainment space from forging ahead. It was while discussing this that the actor revealed his perceived view that many other people were paying to get roles. 

Read his exact words below: 

"In those days, people had more discipline in the industry. Discipline has been eroded in the movie industry. For example, in the past, when someone was called a director, it would be obvious that the person had earned the name, but these days anybody just assumes that role. 

There are many people who do not really want a career; they just want to use Nollywood as a springboard for them to promote their other businesses. When there is no discipline and order, it trickles down the line. In those days, when an actor came on set, their first question would be: who is the director? If it was a name they couldn’t risk connecting their reputation with, they would leave the job. 

However, these days they don’t bother about who the director is, they only care about the money. At the end of the day, it’s only Nollywood that will have a bad name,” 

I think people should be trained, I even hear they pay for roles these days; which should be the other way round. These things have affected the quality of movies in the industry. The solution to this problem is to strengthen the guild to function; they should be able to reprimand their members when they err. The guild should be empowered to organise training but the government also has a role to play in this.”