Actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo has distinguished himself as a thorough-bred actor, politician and a lawyer.
Since he made his acting debut in the pioneering 1992 movie, “Living in Bondage”, the Mbaise, Imo State-born thespian has sustained the tempo that brought him into prominence, becoming a bridge between the old and young generation of Nigerian actors.
At 60, KOK as he’s fondly called by his fans and colleagues has seen it all. He may not have hailed from a rich background, but KOK has definitely worked so hard to change his story. His 60th birthday, which was flagged off on the 1st of March, in Enugu remains a testament to how much the veteran actor has impacted positively on the society with his talent.
In this engaging encounter, the actor shares his thoughts on a number of issues including his career path, growth and assessment of the country’s movie industry. He particularly expressed worry following the activities of those he calls ‘women of easy virtue’ who hide under the umbrella of being actresses to tarnish the image of Nollywood.
My take on the state of Nollywood
At my level, I can’t be talking about the rot in the industry. There are certain industry issues I would like to talk about. But for those who want to exchange sex for movie roles, it becomes our problems. The only disturbing issue is the statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, where he threatened to ban films that have ritual contents. That statement was authoritarian and something that shouldn’t have been said. For me, the minister went too far to indict Nollywood. It should not be. Films are sent to the censors board for classifications, that’s why we have content for people who are 18 years, 15 years and 13 years. You can’t ban content. This is because Nollywood remains one of the biggest exports of this country.
Also, on the issue of segxwal harassment in the industry, it’s very unfortunate that we have many ladies of easy virtue, who came into the industry because of fame. Sadly, most of them end up becoming Instagram stars and not real stars. They are popular in the beds of the men who sleep with them and not popular on the screens. It’s most unfortunate that most of them don’t last long in the industry. They have nothing to offer to the industry. They are empty intellectually. It will be very bad for me to dedicate a time to talk about them because they are persona non grata as far as I am concerned.
[follow]
