Veteran Nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwor, has provided insight into the financial challenges faced by her colleagues, explaining why some resort to seeking public assistance when grappling with chronic ailments. In a recent interview with KWS Nigeria, the iconic thespian, fondly called Mama G, peeled back the layers of the financial intricacies within the Nollywood industry.
Ozokwor acknowledged that actors are indeed well-compensated for their work, but their opulent lifestyles often leave little room for substantial savings. She delved into the pressures actors face, emphasizing the heavy-spending nature of the profession. The actress noted that the constant need to maintain a lavish image, referred to as “packaging” in the industry, leads to significant financial outflows.
The octogenarian actress also shed light on the societal expectations placed on actors, describing them as “heavy-spenders” due to the expensive clothes they wear. According to Ozokwor, the unique demands of the profession contribute to the financial burden actors face. She highlighted the importance of appearance in the industry and how the public’s perception of actors’ wealth can become a double-edged sword.
Mama G touched on the financial struggles actors encounter during illness. Not only are they unable to work, that affect a halt in their income, but the extensive medical bills affect any savings they may have saved. She detailed the challenges of the profession, where actors often face pressure from family and friends seeking financial assistance.
In her words;
“Some of us [actors] are paid well, but before this sickness get, nobody helps you because everybody feels you’ve a lot of money. And you’re managing it [sickness] with your family. Also nobody pays you anymore when you’re on that sick bed. Because it’s when you’re healthy that you can be shooting movies and getting money. The illness has kept you out for a long time and the money you saved has been exhausted.”
“And you know, because of the nature of our job, we are heavy-spenders. The clothes you wear matters to the world. We call it packaging. The way you packaged yourself. The worst is that you can’t even repeat your expensive clothes. These are the things that make us spend a lot of money. And then people pounce on you, they feel you’ve a lot of money because they see your face everywhere. I know how many people that have come to this house today to ask for help.”
