Stella Damasus says she earned ₦10,000 for her first movie role

Nigerian actress Stella Damasus has let the cat out of the bag! She says she earned ₦10,000 for her first movie role in Nollywood.

The actress spoke about her acting during an interview with TV host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu. She said;

“My first movie was ’95 into ’96, that’s the film ‘Abused’. I had no idea what I was doing but I went for it. I got it by accident. I didn’t plan to be an actor. I thought I was going to be a singer because I worked in a studio.”

“A friend came to my house and said they were going for an audition. I lived in Surulere and she was going to Ikeja. I went with her. I saw tons of people standing outside under the sun. She went in and came out.

“Someone called me and asked if I had auditioned. I said I haven’t and didn’t come there for that. They said they liked my look and how I sound. They asked that I come read for the movie. They gave me a script. I read and left.

“Three weeks later, they called to inform me I got the part. My pay was N10,000. My studio salary then was N700.”

Damasus also talked about why she left Nigeria for the United States in spite of her blooming acting career.

“I’ve been in the US (myself, my husband, and my kids) since 2013. One of my children had to study a course not offered in Nigeria. Another was for health reasons,” the actress said.

“My husband had to take a project at an American university. Having considered these, we decided to move.

“Before I made for the US, I didn’t act for about two, three years. I had this routine of taking breaks to examine my strides and the impact of my work. I had a rethink about the prospect of my career outside entertainment.

“If I hit my 40s, what will I do? Wait for scripts or create my own thing? Leaving my country, who’ll know me? I decided I’ll build my brand globally. That’s what I hope to do and it’s a gradual process.”

Stella Damasus was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009. She won the Award for Best Actress at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards in 2007.

In 2012, she won the award for Best Actress for the movie Two Brides and a Baby at the Golden Icons Academy Awards in Houston, Texas.