Legendary actor says fame has restricted his daily life, insists social media popularity cannot replace real talent in industry

Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has disclosed that his entry into acting was unplanned, describing his journey to stardom as an accident during a recent interview in Lagos. Owoh made the revelation on the Selah Meditate podcast published on Saturday, where he shared how he started out as a scriptwriter and was later pushed by colleagues to face the camera.

Owoh explained that his colleagues noticed his natural humour behind the scenes and persuaded him to perform in front of the camera in the 1980s. “My coming in front of the camera was an accident. I was a behind-the-scenes scriptwriter, and people started telling me to start performing in front of the camera. ATV created a seven-minute programme for me to do stand-up comedy in the 1980s. They told me to come in front of the camera because I was making people laugh behind the scenes. Under intense pressure, I finally stepped out. I saw that people were genuinely buying into what I was doing, and that was how my acting career truly began,” he said.

Reflecting on his long career, Owoh expressed concern over how celebrity status has affected his personal freedom. He stated that fame prevents him from enjoying many ordinary activities he once took for granted. “Fame took away my freedom,” he noted during the podcast session. “A lot of people desperately want to be celebrities; they only see the benefits, not the downsides. When you become famous, you can no longer do a lot of the things you used to do freely. You become heavily restricted in a lot of ways.”

The Nollywood icon also addressed growing concerns about casting trends within Nigeria’s film industry, particularly claims that producers now select actors based on their social media following rather than acting skills. Owoh dismissed fears that digital popularity could replace professional talent in Nollywood, insisting: “I don’t think social media fame is replacing real talent. It can’t. There is absolutely no way social media popularity can replace raw talent.”

His comments come amid mounting complaints from actors such as Shine Rosman, Bolaji Ogunmola and Osereme Inegbenebor, who have all raised alarm about filmmakers prioritising physical appearance or online presence over true dramatic ability. Industry guilds have yet to issue any official response on this matter.

Owoh remains one of Nollywood’s most celebrated figures and won Best Actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2008 for his role in ‘Stronger than Pain’. His experience continues to resonate with many up-and-coming actors navigating similar challenges within Nigeria’s ever-evolving entertainment sector.

Source: https://www.pulse.ng/story/nollywood-icon-nkem-owoh-aka-osuofia-says-he-never-planned-to-be-an-actor-shares-how-fame-robbed-him-of-freedom-2026060809223849024