The Culture of Casting and Recasting Nollywood Actors
There is really a reason for this; not to pass judgment on people who sit in the casting director's chair, but when a new screenplay is out, it's simple to assume that they would reach out to the most popular actor or actress of the time to cast.
There are two problems within this topic. The problem of recasting the same faces repeatedly without giving enough space for upcoming actors to show their stuff; and the problem of using the same actors playing the same character in blockbusters.
Considerably, popular actors would sell better. Audiences get used to seeing a particular character playing a certain role and the directors try their best to stay within that just so they can secure the bag. It is almost never taken into consideration whether or not the actor or actress is a good match for the job, they just want a significant
It makes you wonder if there is a shortage of talent in fresh faces. During movie auditions, you see a number of prospects hoping to get a chance at these movies. But it seems like the casting directors go directly to the actors they want in the movies which are usually actors from previous blockbusters and a sprinkle of popular Instagram comedians.
Of course, not all prospects would make the bigger roles just off the bat, but hey, they can be given smaller roles that allow them to climb up slowly and become familiar with the audiences. We rarely see these newer actors being given the chance, especially in blockbusters.
Not to suggest that Nollywood doesn't conduct auditions; in fact, they do so quite often; nevertheless, the majority of the roles that are cast as a result of Nollywood auditions are typically supporting roles or minor parts.
Take a look at Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. They were selected from thousands of worldwide tryouts to feature in the then most recent installment of the Star Wars series and now, they are among the world's most famous actors and may choose from a variety of roles in their current careers.
Star Wars being a multi-billion-dollar enterprise meant that they could have chosen from any number of A-list actors and actresses to star in the film. But an audition was held anyway and from there, the actors were chosen.
In addition, take a look at Jennifer Lawrence, who has become a household name as a result of her role in the Hunger Games film series. There was a slew of Hollywood A-listers interested in the role of Katniss Everdeen and even at that, Jennifer Lawrence was discovered via open auditions, and who can argue she wasn't a great fit for the role?
Simply said, we've heard many instances of A-listers in Hollywood being passed up in favor of lesser-known actors and actresses who precisely embody the part — this fosters a culture of variety and the discovery of new talents. Can you imagine all of the very brilliant and attractive actors and actresses who aren't given a chance because casting directors and filmmakers prefer Adesua Etomi or Blossom Chukwujekwu instead?
Nigerians are gifted with talented actors and they are right under our noses, performing in churches, Instagram, and so on. These actors are usually never scouted by agencies or film studios since there is no culture of searching out greatness in the country. For the most part, these performers already have comfortable lifestyles and stable professions that allow them to follow their passions without sacrificing the quality of work.
Actors of this caliber must be persuaded to participate in a film either via a great screenplay or by financial incentives that much exceed what they might earn on their own time. Good screenplays are expensive, and Nollywood, both conventional and modern, in its present forms, is all about making the most money possible with the least amount of investment. As a result, these actors remain unknown.
What we have is the ‘open casting' approach. In more established film industries such as Hollywood, this approach has mostly been abandoned. The open casting technique often provides no information about the script or the potential roles for which actors may audition, and it frequently schedules auditions at times that automatically exclude performers with other jobs, elderly actors, and actors with impairments from participating.
This dragnet ultimately pulls in the lowest rung of amateur performers for whom acting is a desperate last option, and the opportunity to "blow" their way into the spotlight. A successful actor will accept every part that presents itself to him or her, regardless of whether or not the role is comparable with their ability level or complimentary to their abilities
Casting directors would be very fortunate to discover an actress with the sort of raw talent that Bisola Aiyeola has via an open casting process, and it would be almost impossible to discover an actor with the ability and range of a Liz Benson or a Hilda Dokubo through open casting. When they do get lucky, the cycle of overexposure begins all over again.
Again is the problem of recasting actors and making them play the same role each time. While we get this also in Hollywood, we are to remember or be conscious of the fact that Hollywood has a generous amount of movie genres -horror, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, action, romance, thriller, psychological, and much more. So, actors are shared well among these genres without monopolizing.
There are, of course, known names in each of these genres that show up ever so often such as Jason Statham for action movies, Dwayne Johnson for movies with physics-defying movies, Kevin Hart for comedy, and a few others. In their use, you see that directors and producers keep the number of appearances minimum, without clogging movies with these same actors. Kevin Hart does comedy pretty well, but he is not always the face of all comedy movies. Jason Statham is a face we love to see in action movies because we sure as hell know that bodies are going to be dropping left, right and center. Even then, directors give him more depth and a little more dimension than just some cold-blooded killer.
Another thing Hollywood producers could be commended for is how they sneakily keep some actors on screen by making sequels of the same titles. They understand that the audiences like an actor or several actors playing a certain role and instead of making a completely different movie with the same actors playing the same role, they just make a sequel. They did this with a few franchises including John Wick with Keanu Reeves; Fast and Furious with the jolly team of Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Nathalie Emmanuel; and Ride Along with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube; The Conjuring with Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson that was connected to Annabelle and The Nun.
But at the same time, we see Hollywood directors still giving other actors equally leading roles or supporting roles that allow them to shine and show their stuff.
Nollywood, though still a considerably new industry, still has a lot of work to do. We certainly cannot keep on seeing the same actors on screens playing exactly the same role too many times and at the same time.
In Native’s article, ‘Of Overused Nollywood Actors and Burnt Out Celebrities’, they listed Ini Dima-Okojie as a good example of this. She is an actress who rose to prominence in New Nollywood in the latter part of 2015 after making an appearance as a guest supporting actress on the first season of Ndani’s Skinny Girl in Transit. She was swiftly promoted to series regular in the hurried second season which premiered in January 2016.
During the latter half of 2016, Okojie had already starred in her debut feature film, It's Her Day, with comedian Bovie, and was either the series lead or a supporting role in three web series for three separate production companies and content creators. That would not necessarily be an issue if none of the three programs were running at the same time. That Okojie was playing the same character cliché in all three programs and the movie didn't help matters; she was a typecast spoiled wealthy girl who threw tantrums in order to get what she wanted.
By early 2017, many of the most ardent supporters of New Nollywood content had grown tired of Ms. Okojie's work, and the enthusiasm with which her earlier work had been received had been replaced with a more tepid acceptance that we would all have to see her on our screens on a consistent basis if we were to continue to support New Nollywood. But she isn't the only one who is overworked and mistreated in our society. Then there's Akah Nnani, comedian Bolly, Beverly Naya (who keeps repeating the same stereotypical vixen role), Adesua Etomi, our perennial ingenue, Makida Moka, Blossom Chukwujekwu (and, perhaps unsurprisingly, veterans like Ireti Lola-Doyle, Funlola Aofiyebi, Joke Silva, and Olu Jacobs who get dragged out
However, we are not criticizing these performers for accepting as much work as they possibly can. The business is erratic at best, and performers often have to strike a balance between making financial choices and making artistic ones.
Nollywood is infamous for its burnouts. Unlike in more developed industries where a complex system ensures actors have to remain in fighting fit shape physically and intellectually to continue to land complex leading roles, the Nigerian film industry tries to capitalize on the instant popularity of actors who rise up the ranks and find a fan base, literally cashing out on them by throwing as much work their way as possible. This system is unsustainable, and often unfair to these actors. In response, many of the stars of Nollywood’s first and second waves have currently left the industry to live fairly ordinary lives away from the chaos.
A ten-year career in the entertainment business was all that Sandra Achums, Pat Attah, Regina Askia, Eucharia Anunobi, Jennifer Eliogu, Benita Nzeribe, and Rita Nzelu, Charles Okafor, and Hanks Anuku could hope for when they were at the pinnacle of their success. A combination of overexposure, poor management, and the attraction of a more stable existence away from the uncertainty of an industry that had blacklisted many of its top performers for demanding higher pay brought their careers to an end.
There is still hope for Nollywood as it is still a budding industry with a lot of potential. We believe that in the near future, more opportunities would be open to newcomer actors so that they can also make a name for themselves. If not, we would completely burn out our celebrities till there are none left.
References
Sodas And Popcorn - Nollywood Auditions: Let’s Talk About Casting And Auditions in Nigeria. https://sodasandpopcorn.ng/nollywood-auditions/
Native Mag - Of Overused Nollywood Actors And Burnt Out Celebrities. https://thenativemag.com/overused-nollywood-actors-burnt-celebrities/
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