A lot of people think of actresses as prostitutes ― Joke Lawal

On-the-rise actress, Joke Lawal is living up to the title bestowed on her in 2016 as Nollywood New Bride by White Cowry Awards as the one-time City People Awards nominee is rapidly becoming a force to reckon with in the make-believe world. The Moshood Abiola Polytechnic graduate who dumped her degree in Business Administration in pursuit of her passion for acting in a chat with Potpourri has revealed what she hates about being an actress and what she would love to see a change in the movie-making landscape.

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“I would like to change people’s perception of actresses. A lot of people think of actresses as prostitutes, they see us as people who are not worthy of marriage and having a family. If I have the power this is something I will like to change. I will also like to see a change in the way our stories are written and interpreted, and in the quality of our film productions. Another thing I would like to change too is, how poorly actors are paid. As a producer, I will like a situation where I can pay every actor that works on my project even if the person acts in just one scene. As an upcoming actress, I acted in movies and didn’t get paid but because I was still new in the industry I didn’t have a choice. God help me, these are things I will like to change in the movie industry,” she said.

The actress also explained why actors in the English-speaking sector appear to be more affluent and comfortable than their Yoruba-speaking counterparts.

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“In the Yoruba part of the industry some people have the idea of doing what I call padi padi, where for example, I work on your production for free and you will do the same for me. I don’t really like that idea but then I have some people that I work for without collecting money because it is my way of appreciating them for giving me opportunities in the past. Meanwhile, I have acted in some English series like Hustle, Battleground and others and I got paid for my work.

Joke Lawal began acting in 2009 and has featured in films like ‘Alayaki , Aye La Bowo and many others but it was the movie ‘Campus Life’ that shot her into the limelight.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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