Veteran Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade has shared his view about the current state of the movie industry in the country.
Speaking during an interview with NigerianTribune, the actor revealed that the gatekeepers of Nollywood have allowed unprofessionals to fill spaces meant for those who truly have the passion for the craft.
He likened the unprofessional actors to ‘yahoo boys’ and ‘prostitutes’, saying he is pleased with the state of the industry due to this.
The actor stated;
The Nollywood is not there right now. The Nollywood you see now is all-encompassing. It’s like an uncompleted building that is not guarded and what you meet there would amaze you. It has become an all-comers affair, anybody can stroll in and act. All the Yahoo boy are now there, all the prostitutes that you can imagine are there.
Solade expressed;
People cannot even differentiate between the core professionals and these class of clowns who have infiltrated the association, but they didn’t just fly in, some people whom you refer to as core professionals brought them in.
According to him, the movie industry in Nigeria is porous, stressing;
Anybody can become an actor, the entry point is so porous and annoying. It’s a profession and it must be handled and treated as one. I am not really pleased with the state of the industry. It’s a professional body and we must portray ourselves as one that has mastered the art and craft of the profession.
Speaking on if there are plans in the movie industry for the aged, Solade responded;
I am not in any professional body or administration to know what they are planning, but I will tell you that in any professional body, they should, as a matter of fact, have plans for their aged members. Little wonder we have some social media influencers raising donations for some actors on social media platforms, for people to help raise funds for them.
He added;
If there were insurance schemes, and plans in place for the aged, or members of the industry, they won’t run to the social media to raise alms for their failing health conditions. So I don’t think there is any thing like that.
There is too much show, and we don’t need that, we send wrong signals to the world, we are giving the world a different impression about us, people see the few ones who are living large on social media platforms, you see them, everyone celebrating their material possessions, and if somebody falls sick and start asking for donation, you starts wondering that these people have money.
He appealed to industry gatekeepers and actors to make things right and set a good mark for others to follow.
