THE LOCAL & FLY

While working in Nollywood some years back, there was a lot of time to debate on several topics with a few big actors who at the time, were unknown. During a discussion, a comment which suggested that in Nollywood actors need some sort of training to get a role in Nigerian movies was stated. This sparked more curiosity than imagined and more questions followed.

Questions related to actors training in Nollywood that followed:

• Who is a trained actor in Nollywood and what sort of training did today’s big actors get?
• How does being in Big Brother Nigeria give anyone an acting skill or make anyone a movie star?
• If people are not cast for their training and skills, then how does anyone become an actor in Nollywood? 
• Does getting an acting degree instantly make one a top Nollywood actor?

Answers from discussion

The response and reaction that came from that discussion were mixed up and there is no right way to answer these questions. However, it is important to share a few acting principles that inadvertently answers them.

There are a set of people that would always believe that they are gifted to be actors. But all acting rules disagree with that and there is no such thing as a natural actor. We also disagree with the idea that true actors are born.

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It is more accurate to say that there is raw talent in everyone, from doctors to engineers and actors. But then it is hard to see an engineer works with mere talent. Every profession requires training and education and so does acting.

An actor is expected to understanding how to manage and use their talent. A little bit of training will teach an actor how to leverage natural senses and guide them on the right path.

Actors have been known to misuse their true potentials and talents without proper training. Developing acting skills take years and actors never truly stop training.

One instance of misuse of talent is playing the same characters and roles in all movies. Overreaction is also a good story killer rather than a good storyteller. These are some of the things experienced on the screen when actors jump into acting without proper training. Without training, most Nollywood actors capture fans by pure charisma.

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