Nollywood actress Diva Gold has opened up about the painful personal sacrifice she made for her acting career, revealing she ended a serious relationship because her partner wanted them to relocate abroad while she chose to remain in Nigeria to stay relevant in the industry.
In a candid interview on the Conversations With Kenni podcast hosted by Kehinde Ajose, the actress shared the emotional decision that shaped her journey in Nollywood.
“The biggest sacrifice I ever made for my acting career was a relationship.”
She explained that her then-partner wanted them to move abroad together, but she turned it down because she believed leaving Nigeria would destroy her career momentum.
“I was dating someone that wanted us to relocate abroad and I didn’t have anything to do there. Even now, I still can’t relocate except if I’m going to an acting school. To thrive in Nollywood, one has to be in Nigeria because if you’re not, they’ll forget you.”
Diva Gold stressed that absence from the Nigerian movie scene often leads to irrelevance, noting that the industry moves extremely fast with fresh talents emerging constantly. She admitted that transitioning to Hollywood abroad would be incredibly difficult for most Nigerian actors.
“New actors come up every day. You’d become irrelevant except if you transition to Hollywood which is broader but that’s going to be really hard.”
She reaffirmed her confidence in the choice she made, explaining that it could’ve been different only if the destination was different.
“I’ve never regretted not relocating. If it was the US, I could’ve gone to an acting school and then gotten into Hollywood but it was the UK.”
The actress also made it clear she’d rather stay jobless in Nigeria than take a 9-to-5 job abroad. Speaking on a hypothetical situation where she could leave the country, she said:
“It’s a different thing if you’re done with acting and want to get into something else but I’m not. I can’t do a 9 to 5 job. I’d rather sit in my house and be jobless than to do a 9 to 5.”
Diva Gold’s honesty sheds light on the realities behind the glitz of Nollywood, where staying relevant often requires difficult sacrifices that the public rarely sees.