Yoruba movie stars
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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. Saturday Beats 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.
Omotola, Adebayo Salami, Funke Akindele, Bukky Wright and Odunlade Adekola were unavailable for comment.
But prolific film producer, Kunle Afolayan, said, “I
really don’t know how much they earn now because I’ve since moved on to
other major things.”
Top actress, Lizzy Anjorin, found it hard to answer the question.
“Ha! That’s a tough question that I don’t have a
ready answer for. Fees vary from one filmmaker to another. As for me, I
bill per script and I don’t appear in just about any film.”
Saturday Beats sought the view of scriptwriter/actor/filmmaker, Femi Davies.
He responded, “You can’t really get any top
actor/actress that will proudly and honestly tell you this is how much
he or she earns per film. But for my years in the industry, I don’t know
anyone that collects half a million naira per film he or she featured
in that’s not a film produced by him or her. Things can only get
better.”
The story is not different in the Igbo or the Hausa
language-speaking movie sector. We gathered that the actors/actresses
who in real life drive fancy cars, live in their own houses, dress in
the latest designer clothes, are the privileged ones who have been able
to sustain and maintain their celebrity/star status by engaging in
private business outside movies like car dealership, party/event
planning, boutiques, supermarkets, hair dressing saloons, voice-over on
radio/TV adverts, comperes at private and public functions, corporate
brand endorsements.
