Ini Edo, a producer and actor in Nigerian hollywood, has worked there for 23 years. That amount of time translates into a lot of expertise and first-hand knowledge of the changes that have taken place in the sector over the years. Ini Edo was candid in her interview with Hip TV, discussing her feelings after 23 years in the business, what she thinks makes her relevant, and lastly how actresses’ remuneration has changed over time. Ini Edo had the following to say about it all.
During the interview, Ini Edo was asked “23 years in the industry. Have you thought about it? How does that make you feel?” She responded:
INI EDO: I’m beginning to get to that place where I feel like I am going to feel accomplished at some point. I think before “Shanty Town” came out, I wouldn’t say that I got that feeling. But now, I kinda get the feeling that I will eventually get the fulfilment of having spent that number of years in this industry.
“What would you say has kept you relevant through the years?”
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INI EDO: I think passion. I really just love this job. I love everything about this job. Like I don’t think there’s anything else. I’ve tried to do other things. I’ve actually taken out time, I took a few years off, thinking I was done. But the passion just won’t let it go. You can’t just let it go. So I think the need to keep wanting more. The need to keep keeping it alive. That has kept me relevant. Because what that means is I always have to find a way to evolve. Always have to find a way to better yourself as an actor. To improve on yourself, to bring value to the industry, so yeah. I think that has kept me relevant.
“Fast forward to today, do you think Nigerian actors are starting to be well paid?”
INI EDO: No. Actors are of course not getting well paid. We haven’t gotten there yet. We’re still on that journey, but at least we’re getting there. But actors are not getting what they deserve. I mean you can’t even begin to – I mean first of all, other than the big platforms that we have now, and perhaps the cinemas, how much is a filmmaker going to use to make a movie that is going to Africa Magic Epic for instance. So you look at the budget, how much can an actor possibly get? You know, so of course not! And then it gets better as it gets in the cinema, it gets better, then of course the bigger platforms. But hey, we are still nowhere near there.