Ile-Ife:
Does Omotola act in Yoruba films?

coogar:

they don't limit themselves to yoruba - the tribalism in nigeria is another root cause. the yoruba actors hardly make the cut in the auditions of nollywood. the so called nollywood is controlled by the igbos(chico/zeb ejiro) and they would rather give charles okafor a role in their movies than femi brainard!

onatisi: now i know the reason why yoruba actreses fight each other to Bleep transort union chairmen,agbero leaders and area boys leaders.

calcal: how did you wan dem to make money when you are watching it free online?

Mr.chippychappy:



+100

coogar:

they don't limit themselves to yoruba - the tribalism in nigeria is another root cause. the yoruba actors hardly make the cut in the auditions of nollywood. the so called nollywood is controlled by the igbos(chico/zeb ejiro) and they would rather give charles okafor a role in their movies than femi brainard!

gister2: Quite a number of perks come with being a movie star in this part of the world. They include designer clothes, luxury cars and posh apartments. Apart from their penchant for such status symbols, today’s Nollywood actors and actresses are also seen as role models, especially to the young and impressionable who dream of becoming stars some day.



But, judging by the results of a recent investigation conducted by Saturday Beats, it appears all that glitters is not gold, after all.

Contrary to popular opinion, the life of the average Yoruba movie star is that of constant ‘suffering and smiling’.

In spite of the fabulous profiles and immense goodwill enjoyed by some of these celebrated screen gods and goddesses, the contents of their bank accounts are really nothing to be cheerful about.

Even the ‘alarming’ increase in the volume of home video films produced in Yoruba language ought to be sufficient to improve the bank balances of such celebrities. To make matters worse, many of them suffer from a financial disease known as ‘Withdrawal Symptom.’ In fact, it is no longer news that a good number are regular visitors to ATMs.

“As soon as money is paid into their bank accounts, you will see them rushing to the nearest ATM to withdraw almost all the cash,” an amused banker told Saturday Beats recently.

Certainly it is difficult to believe that no reasonably successful Yoruba actor or actress has ever been paid up to N500, 000 for a lead role in any movie. Half a million seems a fantastic sum by all indications. Instead, the maximum fee payable to the best actor or actress has remained between N150k and N250k. Even many of the ‘veterans’ receive as low as N10k to appear in a film feature.

While those that are constantly in demand or have won awards in the industry, such as the likes of Funke Akindele and Odunlade Adekola, earn a maximum of N250k per feature film, the rest are left with peanuts. Interestingly, an exception to this ‘golden rule’ is Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde. Gistvillages investigation shows that she earns between N250k and N400k.

Another ‘big earning’ actor is Adebayo Salami, aka Oga Bello. It is said that he hardly receives part payment from any producer. Usually on location, he would demand his fee of not more that N150,000 before going into action.

The same is said about Omotola who does not budge until she or her manager has confirmed that a certain amount of money has been deposited in her bank account.

However, the so-called big budget film productions have never exceeded the N3m mark despite the fact that a lot of money goes into paying the crew and cast. Money is also spent on production equipment, lights, costumes, makeups, transport, food, accommodation, generating plant sets, and other logistics/incidental expenses. That is also why most of the cast and crew are grateful when the filmmaker or marketer, who bankrolls the production, is able to hand them paltry sums of money.

“You can count on your fingers the number of individuals involved in the production who respectively got paid less than N50,000,” a production hand says.

Also included in the budget are the editing suite staff, copies of empty VCDs to be dubbed, posters and film jackets to be printed, marketing and distribution.

Now we know why most of the highly paid or underpaid actors/ actresses are writing their own movie scripts and directing or producing their own movie projects, as well as saturating the market with volumes of half-baked home videos every week.

Bukky Wright was the highest paid actress in the Yoruba language genre before Funke Akindele broke her N150,000 per featured film record with Jenifa.

Omilade Babatunde, aka Baba Suwe, used to be the highest paid aactor until the much younger Odunlade Adekola, aka Cause Trouble, began to earn up to N250k per feature film. The other notable figures? Well, they are trying hard to catch up with Omotola, Funke and Odunlade.

SOURCE

ngozievergreen: Who said dat Mercy Johnson and Mr. Ibu earn peanuts? U wish. All popular English actors/actresses earn much o , d only problem dey have is lifestyle modification.
Bfr some were banned in 2004/5, osuofia earned over 1m naira while rita domnic 500k.(cant quote d magazine). U can only imagine wat dey earn now. And sometimes, dey do more dan one movie @ a time.
N ppl dat argue who is richer btw Genevive n Omotola shd stop d nonsense, its not necessary.

chingyjant:
My Friend get your fact right who told you Chico and Zeb Ejiro are Igbos?They are both Urhobos.If you are properly enlightened you will know that Ejiro is no where near an Igbo name

phreakabit:
Yes and Igbo actors repeatedly make the cut in movies directed by Tunde Kelani et co, right? Oh I forgot, there is no form of restrictions in Yoruba movies. . . They speak "ENGLISH" hence throwing the roles open for all.

For your info Mercy Johnson isn't Igbo, neither are Olu Jacob, Joke Silva, Ini Edo, Omotola, Ramsey Noah, Desmond Elliot, Pat Attah, Stella Damasus, Kate Henshaw, RMD e.t.c. . . . Well you see for yourself. If they didn't make the cut, it was/is simply because they weren't/aren't good enough! Acting goes beyond yelling and crying.

coogar:

i just threw a name in there - i don't really care where the ejiros hail from but only a lunatic would deny there's no tribalism in nollywood. the yoruba stars have complained times without number that they don't get the big roles in nollywood because it's an igbocentric industry. far majority of the funds come from igbo stakeholders so you get your facts right instead of chasing after cheap pedantry!



you are a tool!
tunde kelani makes a movie once in 2-3 yrs......if yoruba actors depend on that then they would become scavengers feeding on scraps on a refuse dump. fact is - the far majority of the so called nollywood movies are funded by the igbos. unless you have been living under a rock, this information is not far fetched!

eniola badmus(aka gbogbo big girls)

actually, I didn't abandon English home video completely, I still do TV series in English. I have about two of such soaps running on some television channels now. Though, there was a time I almost left but I didn't abandon the genre completely. I noticed that there was a lot of tribalism there. About two or three producers actually approached me to consider adopting an Igbo name which I rejected. I told them I would not sell my birth right. More so, my parents won't be happy with me.

I'm from a very good home. So I told them that if they couldn't accept me for what I am, I would rather go to where I'll be accepted better and that was why I crossed over to the Yoruba sector. But now, I still do TV series. But there's a project in the pipeline now that has to do with the English sector. They've been calling me back now.

Eniola Badmus ?? Never heard of him. I guess he's one of those " 20K per film" type of actors right ?

Freiburger: I just can't buy this analysis.

Mr.chippychappy:

Eniola Badmus ?? Never heard of him. I guess he's one of those " 20K per film" type of actors right ?

onatisi:

my guy forget all these figures you are quoting here was what they gave to the media to give them a false image , these ppl earn peanuts . talk to ppl in the industry and marketers at idumota and alaba they will tell you.who will pay rita dominic 500k,for what ?you think those alaba marketers are that generous ?

ngozievergreen:
i don tell u o, y did u think dey were banned den. Osuofia stl earns over 1m naira per movie

omar22:

Omotola only earnt N5m ($25k) for her role in IJE (and Genevieve) only because that movie had sponsors backing the production.

I could remember a Nigerian actress in an interview with a UK base Nigerian radio station..... The lady said she gets around N20k to N30k a movie and she has an agent that would take his cut. Thats they do so many home movies.

Whereas I has seen where a Unilag student got almost a N1m just to do a 5 minutes amateur p*rn movie

Mr.chippychappy:


Eniola Badmus ?? Never heard of him. I guess he's one of those " 20K per film" type of actors right ?

phreakabit:

Yes and Igbo actors repeatedly make the cut in movies directed by Tunde Kelani et co, right? Oh I forgot, there is no form of restrictions in Yoruba movies. . . They speak "ENGLISH" hence throwing the roles open for all.

For your info Mercy Johnson isn't Igbo, neither are Olu Jacob, Joke Silva, Ini Edo, Omotola, Ramsey Noah, Desmond Elliot, Pat Attah, Stella Damasus, Kate Henshaw, RMD e.t.c. . . . Well you see for yourself. If they didn't make the cut, it was/is simply because they weren't/aren't good enough! Acting goes beyond yelling and crying.

bursturbrain :
English actors get paid wel dis is a fact, you hav to beg som one like muna to collect 500k for a movie, even olu jacobs is paid his cool 500k and above even if him appear for jus 4 scenes, d reason is cos english nollywood films hav marketers dat are big boys, dey can sponsor a movie wit millions of naira and dey see deir rewards, guess yoruba films need better marketers til den dey wil not be at par wif wat english earners make, sha no time to discuss ppl wealth, even if dem pay yoruba actors 50k for a film if him do 4 a month is it not cool 200k looks like a gud salary to me

babyosisi:

Thank you O
Thank you
Olu Jacobs has acted more Igwe parts than any other actor yet he is not Igbo
All these people talking rubbish

Stella Damasus is Delta igbo sha
I read somewhere her fathers real last name is Ojukwu
They changed it during the war to save their lives I read

bursturbrain :
English actors get paid wel dis is a fact, you hav to beg som one like muna to collect 500k for a movie, even olu jacobs is paid his cool 500k and above even if him appear for jus 4 scenes, d reason is cos english nollywood films hav marketers dat are big boys, dey can sponsor a movie wit millions of naira and dey see deir rewards, guess yoruba films need better marketers til den dey wil not be at par wif wat english earners make, sha no time to discuss ppl wealth, even if dem pay yoruba actors 50k for a film if him do 4 a month is it not cool 200k looks like a gud salary to me

babyosisi:

As long as the movies are in Yoruba language,they won't go far
That's just the reality.I have only watched one Yoruba movie in mylife and that is Jenifa,3 years after it came out.
Yoruba movies started before the English ones
The makers of Igbo movies realized that to reach a wider audience you need to act in English and they did so and hammered and nollywood was born and went international
It is pure business sense
They will keep collecting peanuts if they keep doing what whey are doing
That is just the gospel truth
The actors should try to break into mainstream acting and still act their local movies on the side if they want to compete with their counterparts
If Omotola was a Yoruwood actress,nobody will know about her.