Nollywood Needs Real Talent, Not Just Familiar Faces – Kanayo O. Kanayo Speaks Out on Industry Challenges
Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has sounded the alarm over what he describes as a growing talent crisis in the Nigerian movie industry, especially on digital platforms like YouTube.
In a candid message shared on his Instagram page, Kanayo, whose real name is Anayo Modestus Onyekwere, criticized the increasing focus on using only “popular faces” instead of nurturing true acting talent.
“Movie making is not about having a fine face, it’s about being a good actor, a good performer,” he stated.
Having spent over three decades in Nollywood and earning legendary status with his role in the 1992 classic Living in Bondage, Kanayo remains one of the most vocal advocates for quality storytelling and performance in Nigerian cinema.####
Kanayo warned that the current trend mirrors a troubling pattern from the early days of Nollywood, where certain actors were sidelined by sponsors because they were deemed “not marketable.” According to him, this led to the untimely end of many promising careers — a mistake he says is now being repeated.
“Some sponsors started branding actors: ‘this one is not a good one, this one does not sell films.’ They killed the careers of those guys,” he recalled.
He argued that a similar issue is now unfolding on YouTube, where a handful of “acclaimed YouTube faces” dominate, while new and capable talents struggle to gain recognition.
Frustrated by the current state of affairs, Kanayo announced he would be using his YouTube channel — Kanayo O. Kanayo TV — to provide opportunities for fresh, unknown actors.
“If you’re a new face, come on, let’s do magic on Kanayo O. Kanayo TV. Let’s create stories with people who can deliver, who can act,” he said.
He emphasized that he doesn’t want to be cast in films simply because he’s a well-known figure, but because of his ability to deliver authentic performances.
Kanayo also criticized the limited availability of the same pool of popular actors, noting that some now claim to be booked from September 2025 to August 2026, making it difficult to sustain consistent content and storytelling.
“How then do we sustain the content you watch? How do we create magic? How do we encourage new actors to come into the business?” he asked.
Despite his concerns, the actor ended on a hopeful note, expressing confidence that this difficult phase will eventually pass.
“I don’t know why, when things come to Nigeria, there’s always a somersault, and this somersault is happening now on YouTube. But I want to employ my life’s philosophy to say: this too shall pass.
