Why I refused to join Hollywood – Genevieve Nnaji

Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji has revealed why she turned down opportunities to join Hollywood.

The 45-year-old Imo State-born actress made this known at the 2024 AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum/Afreximbank Annual Meetings, held from June 12 to 14 in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Nnaji was a panellist at the 2024 AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum/Afreximbank Annual Meetings alongside notable figures such as Osahon Akpata, head of CANEX Creations Incorporation; Ginger Moxey, minister for Grand Bahama, the Bahamas; and Renee Robinson, chief strategist TidalRise.

The forum highlighted the benefits of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, which supports trade and investment in Africa’s creative sector, including financial assistance.

The actress said that despite the success of her 2018 film Lionheart, acquired by Netflix, she needed more support in Hollywood to do more at the time.

Nnaji spoke about how she first realised she was a commodity in Hollywood.

“For the first time, I realised I was a commodity. I thought, you know, given what I had done with Lionheart and all of that, I would have an opportunity to do more. I am getting there and having the kind of support that CANEX brings on board, but I thought I could find it in Hollywood. That was not quite the case,” she said.

Nnaji explained that Hollywood’s interest was mainly self-serving.

“They wanted what I had but for their benefit. It was all about their story. It was all about how, even if it was our story, I could make it more authentic to their understanding of whatever Africa is because they did have a lot of literature in their archives.”

She also mentioned during the session that she could have gone to Hollywood years ago but chose to stay and contribute to the development of Nollywood.

“But I am Nollywood. I could have gone to Hollywood a long time if I wanted to. However, I dreamed of building an industry in Nigeria that could rival it. That’s because I’ve always believed in that. I have always believed that we could own an industry like that that told our story for our people. I wanted that. I respect what Hollywood is doing. I respect what Bollywood is doing, and I felt like Nollywood had an equal chance at it,” she said.

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“So when I found it wasn’t quite what they had in mind, I was like, I’m just going to wait this out, and the Covid happened, and the worlds switched at that point, and Africa sort of became it.”

Nnaji is famous for her works, such as Lion Heart (2018), Road of Yesterday (2015), Mirror Boy (2011), Blood Sisters (2003), and Sharon Stone (2002).