Nollywood actress Bisola Aiyeola shares how hard she struggled at the start of her acting career.
The mother of one said in an interview on Inkblot Meet & Greet that she had a hard time when she started acting and was constantly frustrated. Aiyeola shared some stories of her early years in Nollywood; saying, “I got a lot of roles as an extra, as non-speaking characters with no name. Woman 1, waka pass roles.”
“It wasn’t until the end of 2013 that Africa Magic Original Films (AMOF) came up. People that knew me from Project Fame helped me get auditions. It was for one of these 260-episode series and they made me audition 7 times!” Aiyeola said. “They kept calling me back so I was sure I was going to get a lead role. I was so hopeful”
“I was called on set but no one had discussed any contract with me. But I was excited so I packed a bag and went to Iyana Ipaja… And when I got there, I was told I was playing the role of a secretary and it was for just one scene. My only line was, ‘He’s not in the office’. I cried so hard. It broke me.”
“I complained and complained because they made me go back and forth for these auditions; spending money I didn’t even have. I had a child to take care of and things were very difficult”
Aiyeola also spoke about how bad her appearance was and how she felt sidelined for not being one of the pretty girls. “I would come all the way from Sango Ota with crappy makeup and messy hair and feel bad for not getting chosen. Even though you have the talent, if you don’t look good, you won’t be chosen.”
Aiyeola then spoke about how different it is now that she has an established acting career and has now become a producer. She said, “I’m still glad because I made a lot of friends in the industry from auditions and we bonded over hating producers. But now that I’m a producer, I find it hard to critique anyone”.
