Regina Chukwu noted that, despite being an Igbo woman from Enugu State, she is better known for featuring in Yoruba Nollywood movies.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Nollywood actress and producer Regina Chukwu has blamed her decision to feature in more Yoruba films on the Nigerian English-language movie industry’s strict ‘sex-for-roles’ policy.
The thespian revealed this on Friday during her latest interview on Oyinmomo TV, sharing her early experiences in the film industry before she finally chose to stick with the Yoruba Nollywood sector.
Narrating her numerous audition attempts, Regina stated that the English sector of the Nigerian movie industry is not “as accommodating as the Yoruba movie industry.”
She further noted that, unlike the Yoruba film sector, the English-language industry operates strictly on a “sex-for-roles” basis.
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She added that while she is widely popular among fans in the Yoruba-speaking states, she remains largely unknown in her native Enugu State.
Admitting that her inability to feature in both sectors has limited her overall reach, she said: “There’s a place in Surulere, Winnings Hotel, where we used to go for auditions. That was where those actors used to gather, including Genevieve and co. We were all sitting at Winnings Hotel, and I tried auditioning several times, but they were not as accommodating as the Yorubas—despite the fact that I’m Igbo by tribe.
“You would have to start sleeping with them before getting to the top, starting right from their generator handlers. There were lots of fake scripts designed to lure you into sexual intimacy. They are simply not accommodating. It was easier for me to relate with the Yorubas—perhaps because I was born and brought up among them my whole life.
“For the English industry, it was strictly sex for roles. They won’t even hide it from you. I’m well known in Lagos and other South-West states, but they don’t know me in my home state as an actor. If I go into Enugu today, nobody will say, ‘Hi, I know you.’”
