Producers Need to Pay Me Well...Igwe, Lazarus Ekweueme

Veteran Nollywood actor, His Highness, Igwe (Prof.) Lazarus Ekwueme, has disclosed that he is still involved in movies but no longer get’s movie roles from producers because of the marketers who have taken over the business.

Lazarus Ekwueme, the current Igwe of Oko of Anambra State, explained that since marketers have taken over the business, they are the ones that now determine how much to pay an actor and when they get an actor that is ready to settle with a cheaper price, they go for the actor without putting the quality of the movie into consideration.

“For instance, if you charge N400, 000 for a film and someone else is willing to take the job for N150, 000, it is most likely that the N150, 000 man will get the job. This is because the factor here is not quality, but saving cost and the celebration of low budget and substandard films. This is also why those who are in the profession full time want to do as many films as possible so that they can survive by the accumulated income of a multitude of films,” he told tribune.

Having featured in about 30 movies, the actor explained that he feels he should be paid better and would rather choose to sleep than go to movie location and collect peanuts.

“I do not get regular invitations because I think I should be paid better. I would rather sleep than go to a location for peanuts. I also look at the quality of the script itself. Since I have to be in it, the storyline has to be a great one. And somehow, people are intimidated by me. They find it difficult to approach me for roles. Some do not know what to expect owing to factors I know not. I think these are the reasons it appears I am no longer in the business,” he noted.