Stella Damasus says authenticity defined Nollywood’s early female stars
Nollywood veteran Stella Damasus says authenticity and passion distinguished her generation of leading actresses. Speaking on the Pulse Old vs New show, she recalled working alongside Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade Ekehinde before fame and social media transformed the industry, and described her role in The Widow as career-changing.
Nollywood veteran Stella Damasus has described authenticity as a defining quality of the leading female actors who emerged during the industry’s early years. Speaking on the Pulse Old vs New show, Damasus said she and her contemporaries remained themselves rather than attempting to imitate other performers. She said that approach helped distinguish her generation of actresses.
“We were very authentic,” Damasus said. “We were not trying to be like other people. We’re not trying to copy other people or be who we’re not.
Everything was authentic.” The actress, author, coach and singer said she, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade Ekehinde did not initially know how successful they would become. According to Damasus, the actresses entered the industry because they enjoyed the work, rather than because they expected fame or financial rewards. She said there was no social media at the time to show performers how prominent they might become.
Recognition, she recalled, often came from appearing on a film poster and being identified by people in public. Damasus said the work was driven primarily by passion. She also recalled that it was difficult for young women to enter acting because some parents and families did not accept the idea of their daughters joining the industry.
“At that time, it wasn’t easy for females at that age to be allowed by parents and families to enter the industry,” she said. “So those of us who could were bold.” She identified The Widow, a 2005 film in which she played a grieving woman facing emotional and physical mistreatment from her husband’s relatives, as one of her most demanding roles. Damasus said the film changed her career overnight, both in Nigeria and abroad.
She added that she was grateful for the opportunity because of what followed from the role. Her recollections present the early period of Nollywood through the experience of an actor who says her generation worked before the industry’s later visibility and digital reach became established.
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