Veteran Nollywood actress Stella Damasus recently opened up about the challenges Nigerian actors face when trying to break into Hollywood.
In a candid conversation with Arrow House, Stella shared that one of the biggest barriers is Hollywood’s rigid idea of what an African should look and sound like. According to her, there’s a narrow mold many casting directors expect African actors to fit—typically someone with an East African accent and a complexion as dark as Lupita Nyong’o’s.
She explained that this image leaves many Nigerian actors out of the picture, as their natural accents and features often don’t align with those expectations. “Hollywood wants a specific kind of African,” she said. “And unfortunately, we don’t all sound the same or look the same.”
Stella pointed out that most Nigerians who’ve landed major roles in Hollywood were raised abroad and already speak with British or American accents—another factor that makes them more “acceptable” to casting directors.
She recalled being told directly that she didn’t sound African enough, nor was her skin tone considered dark enough to match their idea of an “authentic” African. “They couldn’t place me,” she said. “I wasn’t dark enough, I wasn’t mixed, and my accent didn’t fit into any of their categories.”
For Stella, the experience reflects a broader issue: a lack of understanding and representation. “Africa isn’t one voice,” she said. “We’re a continent with countless cultures, dialects, and ways of speaking. It’s time the world saw that.”
