Stella Damasus Explains Why Nigerian Actors Struggle to Land Hollywood Roles
Veteran actress Stella Damasus has opened up about the hurdles Nigerian actors face when trying to break into Hollywood.
She pointed out that Hollywood’s narrow stereotype of Africans—one that Nigerians simply don’t fit—poses a major barrier for Nollywood stars seeking roles in the American film industry.
According to Damasus, Hollywood tends to imagine Africans as having East African accents and skin tones similar to Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o, which leaves Nigerian actors out of the picture.
She explained that most Nigerian actors who have landed leading roles in Hollywood were actually raised abroad, giving them accents and appearances that align more closely with Hollywood’s expectations.
Speaking with Arrow House, Damasus shared, “Hollywood filmmakers insist that Africans who want to act in their industry must have a specific accent. That’s why they push our people to adopt it.
“But we don’t sound like that. Maybe one or two East African countries do. I’m Nigerian, they are Ghanaians. We’re all different, and our accents vary. Nigerians don’t sound like that. That’s just what Hollywood is used to.
“Most Nigerians who have made it big in Hollywood grew up in England and have a different accent. Hollywood told me, ‘We want Africans who are very dark. That’s the image we know. We’re not used to your kind of African. You’re not dark enough, but you’re not light enough to be mixed race. Your accent doesn’t sound American, British, or African.’
“And I thought, how do you expect Africans to sound? Africa has over a million dialects and accents across its many countries.”
Stella’s insights shed light on the cultural and racial stereotypes that continue to limit opportunities for Nigerian actors on the global stage.