Nollywood producer and filmmaker Biodun Stephen has delivered a strong response to critics who claim that kissing scenes in movies are destroying actors’ marriages.
In a recent Instagram video, Stephen addressed a young lady who argued that producers should “take it easy” with intimate scenes because they could be ruining homes. The filmmaker, known for creating family-friendly content while still delivering emotional stories, refused to accept the blame.
“I just watched a video of a young lady who talks about Nollywood. She said producers should take it easy with making actors kiss because we’re possibly ruining their marriages,” she began.
Stephen clarified her own approach to romance on screen.
“Kissing isn’t a big part of my craft… I want films that children can also enjoy with their parents. That’s why I limit myself, but if the opportunity comes, I will embrace it as long as the story calls for it.”
She explained that actors and their spouses share the real responsibility.
“When people start bringing up the actors’ marriages and real life relationships, I believe that responsibility is on the actor who has chosen this profession and also on the spouse of that actor who has accepted that their spouse acts, and so therefore understands that things like kissing and rubbing might occur and have made their peace with it. That responsibility is not mine.”
Stephen stressed that her duty as a producer is protection, not relationship counselling.
“My job as a producer is to protect the actor. So in intimate scenes, my job is to present them properly to the audience without maligning their person. But my job is not to break your home because that’s not on me. I didn’t put a gun to your head as an actor to work for me.”
She insisted that actors who feel uncomfortable can always speak up.
“If there’s a kissing scene in a movie and an actor is uncomfortable with it, they can discuss it with their director or producer and they’ll find a way if they really need you to do it. If you as an actor don’t mind going all the way, we as producers won’t mind it either.”
Citing the difference between Nollywood and Hollywood, Stephen noted the fast-paced nature of local productions invalidates most of the worries fans have.
“Unlike in Hollywood where the actors spend time with each other to build chemistry, in Nollywood, it’s a shoot and go situation… I’m not even sure there’s time for the kiss to linger in the actors’ minds because they’re already planning on delivering on the next set.”
She ended with a firm declaration:
“I’m lucky to have had actors trust me with their bodies and my job has always been to protect them every time. I’ve never presented an actor in a lewd way… That is my job. My job is not to salvage the marriage of the actor.”
The video has sparked heated debate online, with many praising her honesty and others still insisting producers should do more to shield married actors from intimate scenes.