- Nigerian actor Jide Kosoko recently said he does not consider himself wealthy after 60 years in Nollywood
- Kosoko, who appeared on the Honest Bunch Podcast, also talked about the issue of piracy in Nollywood
- The veteran actor shared his thoughts on the sex-for-role issue prevalent in the industry
Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has opened up about his financial status despite his fame and long career in Nollywood.
The 71-year-old actor began his acting career as a child actor in 1964 in a television production named Makanjuola.
Since then, Kosoko has featured in over 100 Nollywood movies both in English and Yoruba languages.
In a recent episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, Kosoko revealed how his 60 years of career in the film industry has not yielded any significant wealth.
According to him, he is comfortable by certain standards but doesn’t consider himself rich by Nigerian standards.
“I have been in this [movie] industry for this long. I thank God that I can eat three square meals. But can I claim to be a rich man by Nigerian standards? No,” he said.
Kosoko addresses piracy in Nollywood
The veteran movie star also spoke on how piracy has significantly impacted the Nigerian movie industry, calling for harsher penalties.
Kosoko explained that it is not enough to just fine pirates monetary fines but a penalty like a 20-year jail term is enough to scare them off.
“The punishment in the copyright law for piracy is still not strong enough as far as I am concerned. Somebody who has been pirating people’s works for years is a billionaire, so how much do you want to fine him?
“Fine him N500 million, and he will just bring it out of what he has sold. But if you attach a 20-year jail sentence to it with no option of a fine, people will refrain from piracy,” he said.
Kosoko shares thoughts on sex exploitation in Nollywood
On the prevailing debate about sex for roles in Nollywood Kosoko admitted to knowing actresses who have engaged in such.
He, however, explained that it is not by force as some of them voluntarily decide to do so to achieve their career.
“All this sex-for-role thing. I know of all these popular actresses who passed through it to attain their level. Now, they are complaining about it. How would you accept to go and sleep with a director because of a role?
“If I say I need you to come and warm my bed for a role and you say no. Then go, you don't want to and they cannot force you to do that. If anyone introduces anything to you and you are not interested, say no,” he partly touched on the issue.
RMD takes executive producer seat in upcoming Nollywood title ‘Radio Voice’
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Veteran actor Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD) unveiled the trailer for his anticipated and executively produced film, Radio Voice
The actor-turned-producer unveiled the trailer, sharing details about how he had conceived the story many years ago before its production.
