The Nigeria movie industry, also known as Nollywood, is filled with many stars. Nollywood is one of the largest movie industries in Africa. Becoming an actor or actress is never an easy task. A Nollywood acting role would be a dream moment for any upcoming actor or actress in Nigeria. 

Suppose you have been anticipating becoming a part of the Nigerian movie industry. In that case, this article will provide you with a few tips on how to become a Nollywood actor or actress. Here, I have a few tips and hints to give you a better chance.

Before we go into the main topic, I would like to talk about Nollywood briefly.

About Nollywood

Nollywood is Nigeria‘s movie industry. The term ‘Nollywood’ started from a Journalist Norimitsu Onishu, who wrote it in the Newyork Times in 2002. The movie industry has grown since to become the second-largest in the World, with over 2 000 films annually. This number is only second to India’s Bollywood. 

Nigerian Nollywood has improved recently with movies like ‘Wedding party,’ ‘From Lagos with Love,’ and other hit movies. 

So, moving into the details of how to become a Nollywood actor or actress, here is what you need to know;

7 Tips on How to become a Nollywood actor or actress

Becoming one of the actors or actresses to feature in one of the largest film industries in the world would be difficult. If you want to feature in Nollywood movies, then read carefully the tips below;

Improve your Craft

Having the ambition to become a Nollywood actor is not enough. You need to master the craft of acting to become qualified. Improving your art can come in different ways, including reading, watching videos, and practicing. 

The quality of an upcoming actor or actress would determine if they get opportunities to live their dreams. Improving your skills in acting would be one of the deciding factors of your acting career. 

Create a Portfolio

Creating an acting portfolio is one of the fundamental ways to show yourself in the industry. A portfolio is a document that contains details of your work experience and background. Your portfolio should include all your experience in acting. This move would give you a chance during auditions and other recruiting events. 

Want to get yourself prepared for an acting gig? Then create an acting portfolio. A good acting portfolio will increase your chances of getting a role in Nollywood.

Tour Events and shows

To get a role in the Nigerian movie industry, you should be ready to travel to different parts of the country. States famous for hosting movie-related events should be your next bus stop. Lagos, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Asaba, and a few other states should be on your list. 

This events tour would help you connect to influential people, actors, or directors. When you know the right people, you can get a few gigs to change your fortune. 

So, move closer to locations where you can connect with the right people in the industry. 

Participate in Auditions and talent hunts

Attending auditions, talent hunts, and other recruitment programs is the most vital part of becoming a Nollywood actor or actress. Auditions allow upcoming talents to display their acting skills in front of casting directors. 

Start attending auditions and get closer to making a breakthrough into Nollywood. If you participate in auditions, you get a chance to get a role in a movie. Also, you can get connected to active directors, actors, and other people who can influence your future opportunities.

Sign up to any Talent/Acting Agency

Talent agencies are private organizations responsible for winning acting jobs for actors and actresses. If you sign up for a talent agency, you can get information on auditions and talent recruitment. You will also get acting jobs from these types of agencies. 

Leverage Social media platforms

Social media has become a valuable tool for creating awareness in the 21st century. If you have not used your social media to promote your acting passion, you must start now. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and other social media platforms would be helpful towards your goal. You are also likely to attract movie directors with a great and catchy profile. 

Filmmakers and producers are also likely to offer you auditions or acting gigs. So, If you are an aspiring actor or actress, start using social media platforms to showcase your talent.

Build a Brand for yourself

Individual branding is another factor that can take your acting career to another level. Building a personal brand can help portrait your character and personality to potential movie veterans willing to offer acting jobs.

Personal branding can help dictate the type of roles that fit your skills—for Example, choosing a niche like playing comic roles, romantic characters, or any other kind of role. This strategy is vital as you start your acting career. You can play more different characters and roles later on in your career. 

Reach out to Movie producers and directors

It would help if you got influential veterans in the industry to notice you. It can be a very daunting task for aspiring actors and actresses. However, Social media can break the communication barrier. Although it might not be fruitful all the time, you should reach out to famous movie producers and filmmakers. 

You can contact them via email and their social media platforms. You might stand a chance of building a good relationship that would earn you a life-changing gig. Make sure that you are intentional and brief with your proposal. 

Nollywood actors and actresses are mostly very wealthy. If you want to be among the galaxy of stars in the movie industry, you have to know every detail about becoming a Nollywood actor or actress. Practicing these tips will give you a good chance of making it to the top.

How much do Nollywood actors and actresses earn?

Nollywood actors and actresses earn differently depending on some factors. The Nigerian Nollywood industry has a lot of talents, from big stars to intermediate actors and even lower levels. Actors and actresses can get paid depending on the quality of actors/actresses starring in the movie. The top actors/actresses like Pete Edochie, Chiwetalu Agu, Genevieve Nnaji, and Nkem Owoh could get between N2 million or more per movie. 

Upcoming actors/actresses could range from N50 000 to N200 000 per movie. Other actors would get a lower payment in comparison to the biggest stars. However, actors in the movie industry make good money at the end of the day. 

Now we will look at the highest earners in the Nigerian movie industry.

Top 5 highest-paid actors/actresses in Nollywood

The highest-paid actors in the Nigerian movie industry earn nothing less than one million nairas per movie. Below, I have listed the five highest-earning actors in Nollywood. 

Five highest-paid actors in Nollywood

1. Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD)

Richard is also one of the richest actors in Nigeria with endorsement deals with Glo and Heineken. RMD currently earns around N2 million per movie, making him the highest-paid actor in the Industry. 

2. Desmond Elliot

The actor, who is now a politician, is still among the top earners in the Nigerian movie industry. Desmond Elliot studied Economics at the University of Lagos, and he has featured in hundreds of movies. Elliot gets a whooping N1.7 million per movie. 

3. James Ikechuku (Jim Iyke)

Popularly known as Jim Iyke, James Ikechukwu is a top Nigerian actor and entrepreneur. He has been in the acting business for over 20 years now. Jim Iyke earns about N1.5 million per movie. 

4. Chidi Mokeme

Chidi is a famous actor and TV host. His role in the Gulder Ultimate Search TV show was one of the highlights of his career. The Nollywood actors bags from N1.3 million for movie roles. 

5. Ramsey Nouah

The Nollywood actor and producer is famous for roles in romantic movies. Ramsey Nouah has played different roles in hundreds of Nollywood movies over the years. The 50-year-old gets a paycheque of around N1.2 million per movie.

These actors in the Top five have all spent decades in the movie industries, hence their hefty paycheque. Aside from acting, Nollywood actors have other big endorsement deals and investments.

So, moving to the highest-paid actresses, I list the Top 5 top-earning actresses in Nollywood. 

Top 5 highest-paid actresses in Nollywood 

1. Genevive Nnaji

The award-winning Nollywood actress is one of the most prominent actresses. She gets between N3 million to N4.5 million for each movie.

2. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Omotola and Genevive are the two most prominent Nollywood actresses in Nigeria. They are very wealthy and earn big paycheques for each movie. For every film, Omotola earns around N3 million to N4 million. They have also featured together in a couple of hit movies ( ‘Blood sisters’ and ‘IJE- the Journey’).

3. Stephenie Okereke

The veteran actress is one of the top earners in Nollywood. She currently bags a paycheque of around N2.5 million for every movie script.

4. Mercy Johnson

Mercy Johnson is one of the most popular Nollywood actresses of the last decade. The mother of four gets at least N1.5 million for a movie.

5. Chioma Apkotha

Chioma is another famous Nigerian actress who gets a reasonable amount of money per movie. She earns between N1 million to N1.5 million for a film. 

Here you go! All you need to know about how to become a Nollywood actor or actress. 

Want more? Check out the FAQ section below. 

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

How much are Nollywood actors/actresses paid?

The highest-paid actors in Nollywood earn from N1 million above per movie. Nollywood actors are paid between N200 000 to N400 000 on average. However, some producers could even pay lower to upcoming actors/actresses. 

Who is currently the richest Nollywood actor in 2021?

The wealthiest Nollywood actor in 2021 is Desmond Elliot. The actor turned Politician has a net worth of N4.1 billion. Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD) is second with a net worth of N2.9 billion. 

Who is the richest actress in Nigeria? 

Genevive Nnaji is currently the richest Nollywood actress. She is worth about N850 million.

Conclusion 

Venturing into the Nigerian movie industry is never an easy task. There is a lot of competition in the industry, and you have to stand out to he a chance. The most crucial part is mastering your skills and leveraging social media. This article will assist you in the tips on ‘how to become a Nollywood actor or actress. 

Also, as an aspiring actor/actress, you have to attend auditions and events to attract attention from the right people. 

I hope this article has helped me get relevant information on becoming a Nollywood actor or actress.  

If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and loved ones who might be interested. 

Originally posted 2022-01-01 16:15:54.