Stereotyping in Nollywood is like that one extra in every village movie; you just can’t seem to get rid of it.
The industry has a habit of boxing actors into specific roles, making it almost impossible for them to break free. We all know the usual suspects: Pete Edochie as the wise elder, Sola Sobowale as the fierce mother, Timini Egbuson as the resident heartthrob, and Zubby Michael as the hot-headed gangster. While these actors excel in their respective roles, it raises a big question: will Nollywood ever break free from typecasting?
Nollywood rarely lets actors stretch their range, and honestly, it can be frustrating.
Why Nollywood keeps stereotyping
Casting an actor in a familiar role is an easy win for both filmmakers and audiences. If an actor has successfully played a particular character multiple times, why fix what isn’t broken? Producers and directors want their movies to sell, and audiences are more likely to watch when they see their favourite actors playing the roles they already love them in.
But here’s the downside: this “safe play” stifles creativity. It limits an actor’s ability to explore different sides of their craft and prevents audiences from seeing their full potential.
Imagine if Leonardo DiCaprio had been stuck playing Titanic’s Jack Dawson for the rest of his career; no Inception, no The Revenant, no The Wolf of Wall Street. Just Jack, over and over.
The age factor
One of the biggest reasons for stereotyping in Nollywood is age; or rather, how actors look versus how old they actually are. Some actors in their 40s look way younger than their real age, while others in their 30s have the screen presence of a much older person.
Timini Egbuson, for instance, is Nollywood’s ultimate heartthrob, always playing the young lover, the casanova, or the charming boyfriend. Could he convincingly play a grandfather? Maybe with heavy prosthetics, but let’s be real; audiences would probably struggle to take it seriously.
While we’d love to see more diversity in roles, let’s be real for a second; some castings would just be downright weird. Picture Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) playing a high school boy.
On the flip side, some actors are constantly forced into “elderly” roles simply because of their looks. A younger actor with a mature face might never get the chance to play youthful, vibrant characters. This creates an industry where appearances dictate roles more than actual talent.
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The problem with stereotyping in Nollywood is that it limits creativity. We already know what to expect from certain actors before we even press play. Imagine if Funke Akindele played a cold-blooded villain or Chidi Mokeme took on a goofy romantic role instead of his usual tough-guy act. It would be refreshing!
Hollywood does this well; actors constantly break out of their comfort zones. Just look at how Heath Ledger went from playing a charming heartthrob in 10 Things I Hate About You to the terrifying Joker in The Dark Knight. That kind of transformation should be encouraged in Nollywood too.
So, while I don’t expect to see RMD in a school uniform anytime soon, I do hope for a future where actors are given the space to surprise us.
The future
Filmmakers need to take more risks. Let’s see Ramsey Nouah as a struggling mechanic instead of a charming billionaire. Let’s see Shaffy Bello as a struggling single mother in the village instead of the high-class, sophisticated madam. Imagine an RMD cast in a rugged, action-heavy, no-nonsense enforcer role instead of a polished businessman. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?
Stereotyping might not disappear overnight, but Nollywood is evolving. We are slowly seeing actors break out of their usual roles and take on fresh, challenging characters.
With new directors and producers pushing boundaries, there’s hope that the industry will move towards more diverse and inclusive storytelling.
At the end of the day, the goal should be balance. While it’s great to see actors in roles they naturally fit into, it’s even more exciting to watch them transform and surprise us.
