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

Thats why most of the female actresses end up doing both Local and International ASHAWO to meet up with their fake lifestyle...checkout their male counterpart...how many have gotten personal house,they all look glamorous on the screen in borrowed costumes and in real life look filthy with some of them battling ezcema behing the neck..on their cheeks and very untidy....Govt need to do something to help NOLLYWOOD...and the artist also need to live according to their means and safe for the future.

Hmmm !

Its everwhere ! People always fabricate their lifestyles to look what they are not.

I have met a bank lady of managerial status whom I later found out that despite all her posh lifestyle and exotic holiday travel abroad,she alsO had been hiding the fact that her aged parents still sell firewood by the road side.

I just wondered why life always lôoked like this.

What I can learn is that you can be who ever you determine to be without faking and still c loser to your roost without hating.

Is just that at times you can't just help some people to change their mindset for being poor despite the fact that you are related and you are also extremely poor.

Life is real ! You can't help it.

Same applies to Nollywood in general, not just the Yoruba genre. Yet, most of the 'hardworking' females among them still manage to denge pose with "N11 Million SUV", or "multi million Naira mansion in Lekki". Life is full of mysteries, isn't it?

@OP, u copied dis story frm Punch newspaper......word for word, yet no acknowledgement.........plagiarism tinz

I might be wrong
Well, My question is if you're in their shoes what will you do
Let's think about it...

pro01: Same applies to Nollywood in general, not just the Yoruba genre. Yet, most of the 'hardworking' females among them still manage to denge pose with "N11 Million SUV", or "multi million Naira mansion in Lekki". Life is full of mysteries, isn't it?

Its not so in English Nollywood oo. A top Nollywood actor like Jim Iyke or Genevieve might be paid between N800,000 to N1million to appear in a movie. Somebody like Tonto Dike will be collecting from N400,000 upwards + Runs. Infact, why the Nollywood English actresses are richer than their male counterparts is becos of these Abuja Runs. A politician is ready to pay dem as high as N1million to sleep with dem per runs. Multiply dat by 6 and u will see why they live posh lifestyles. Its just a pity dat their Yoruba counterparts are not lucky to be enjoying those luxuries cos they are not popular enough except for Funke. Their popularity ends in the South West & most of dem no go school.

jiggaz: Its not so in English Nollywood oo. A top Nollywood actor like Jim Iyke or Genevieve might be paid between N800,000 to N1million to appear in a movie. Somebody like Tonto Dike will be collecting from N400,000 upwards + Runs. Infact, why the Nollywood English actresses are richer than their male counterparts is becos of these Abuja Runs. A politician is ready to pay dem as high as N1million to sleep with dem per runs. Multiply dat by 6 and u will see why they live posh lifestyles. Its just a pity dat their Yoruba counterparts are not lucky to be enjoying those luxuries cos they are not popular enough except for Funke. Their popularity ends in the South West & most of dem no go school.

my guy pls dont believe all those exorbitant prices been branded about most of nollywood actors and actresses do get paid with small amounts too. i guess all that glitters isnt gold afterall

Oh men, na music better pass o...

smakati: @OP, u copied dis story frm Punch newspaper......word for word, yet no acknowledgement.........plagiarism tinz

Dear OP/All,
Please always do the right thing.
If the write-up is not yours always give credit to author/state the source.

Cheers.

[quote author=ogoplus]

Dear OP/All,
Please always do the right thing.
If the write-up is not yours always give credit to author/state the source.

Cheers.[/quote


Click on the source (at the of OP's post) to see the source.

I dnt nid to read it b4 i blve d story..............anytme i read some nollywood ( english and yoruba) artiste are earn above 500k per movie i just laugh in swahili , d way dy make dr money is by endorsment

Hmmmm

@ op how mush do u ave,?

spiderstone: Thats why most of the female actresses end up doing both Local and International ASHAWO to meet up with their fake lifestyle...checkout their male counterpart...how many have gotten personal house,they all look glamorous on the screen in borrowed costumes and in real life look filthy with some of them battling ezcema behing the neck..on their cheeks and very untidy....Govt need to do something to help NOLLYWOOD...and the artist also need to live according to their means and safe for the future.

Government needs to do something? When are we going to get out of this father christmas mindset? The actors should broaden their horizons and diversify. The actors who command a lot of bucks have done just that!

y dey com dey form sey dem big

Now i know why actors like Jim Iyke took to swindling people.

spiderstone: Thats why most of the female actresses end up doing both Local and International ASHAWO to meet up with their fake lifestyle...checkout their male counterpart...how many have gotten personal house,they all look glamorous on the screen in borrowed costumes and in real life look filthy with some of them battling ezcema behing the neck..on their cheeks and very untidy....Govt need to do something to help NOLLYWOOD...and the artist also need to live according to their means and safe for the future.

The only people that NOLLYWOOD can deceive are people that are not into business. Money is hard to come by, every businessman knows that like the palm of his hands. okay, when a film costs N3m to produce including duplication of the CDs, you can imagine how much the actors get paid. With a film featuring 10actors and a budget of N1.2m for actors fee. Check am.

Bankers even earn better than most of our actors/actresses. But they are all in the league of fake living which leads to being a perpetual tenant even after 10yrs of practicing their trade. Big cars and fine clothes are their signature.

Atleast they can eat their daily meal n wear fine clothes.

I just can't buy this analysis.

pro01: Same applies to Nollywood in general, not just the Yoruba genre. Yet, most of the 'hardworking' females among them still manage to denge pose with "N11 Million SUV", or "multi million Naira mansion in Lekki". Life is full of mysteries, isn't it?

Yes, their breakthroughs come from endorsement deals with giants like Nigeria Breweries, GLO, MTN etc. Even the amounts they get paid are cooked up figures by wishful journalism.

This is no news... Did you expect Odunlade Adekola to be paid #1million for his feature in opakan or Sanyeri to be paid same? Of course not. Yoruba movies are way below par except for some tho and even those sef still don't make up as much as they ought to. Its crazy really!

gister2:


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.

Like Ben10, Rihanna, Beyonce, Avatar, Goodluck, Azonto, etc. Till they use my name that is when I will know they are serious. Seeing posters with these titles make me see Nollywood as creche's playground. Who would love to waste his/her resources investing where comedians are gagging freestyle, where he would not get RoI. Am not Nollywood fan, Nollywood is insipid meant for boring people. Until they upgrade their games and reposition for global movie space, media hype will never save them, they will continue to rigmarole.

Of course, most of these so-called celebs around are living make-believe life. I don't take them serious.

so where do all the effizy by Jim Iyke come from?

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

Dfrenzy: Oh men, na music better pass o...

Yea in music, just 2 people share the money, artist and marketer. You live like a footballer.

jiggaz: Its not so in English Nollywood oo. A top Nollywood actor like Jim Iyke or Genevieve might be paid between N800,000 to N1million to appear in a movie. Somebody like Tonto Dike will be collecting from N400,000 upwards + Runs. Infact, why the Nollywood English actresses are richer than their male counterparts is becos of these Abuja Runs. A politician is ready to pay dem as high as N1million to sleep with dem per runs. Multiply dat by 6 and u will see why they live posh lifestyles. Its just a pity dat their Yoruba counterparts are not lucky to be enjoying those luxuries cos they are not popular enough except for Funke. Their popularity ends in the South West & most of dem no go school.

For ur dreams abi? Smh.

@op.not just yoruba genre, nollywood as a whole. Actors like mercy Johnson and tonto dike earn peanuts.I can tell u they earn less than 100,000(they earn around 50k per role).

How you know those who earn high amounts is based on the kinda productions they feature in. Ie. Those who acts in cinema releases gets paid reasonably....but those alaba favourite actors...lol...I can't laugh.

Contrary to what you said, omotola earns upto 5million in a movie. That's why she's the most paid actress in nollywood. And that's why u can't just see her in any Bs productions, they can't afford her.
Genny also warns upto 3million. I don't know about the other actors.

But I know one thing for sure, all those actors that are popular (mj, tonto etc...yoruba or English or hausa) are wretched while the professional actors(omoni oboli, nse etim, ireti Doyle, funlola aofiyebi etc) are paid well. Fullstop

The females(married inclusive) makes more money by phucking politicians. If you are bouyant just get in touch with a top producer and tell him/her who you want to phuck. your money will get dem for you.

#IF you cant pay 1 million to phcuk, please dont try this

No wonder when they fall sick with ailment,they go about begging,at times all that glitters aint gold,save for few of them,who either make up with smuggling cocaine,or engage in high class prostitut1on.. Its also in music industry.

This is terrible! Then how do they expect them to give their best? Talents really go to waste in Black Africa.