Nollywood actress and content creator Tierny Olalere has stirred fresh conversations about the industry’s harsh realities, revealing she is working on 10 movie projects this year while delivering a strong verdict on the lack of support for emerging talents.
In a candid interview on the Conversations With Kenni podcast hosted by Kehinde Ajose, Tierny opened up about her drive for consistency and the tough challenges faced by up-and-coming actors in today’s saturated Nollywood landscape.
On her current projects, she said:
“I’m working on 10 movie projects for the year and I’ve done 3. I’m working on 10 because of consistency. I’ve studied my YouTube channel and I’ve seen that spacing the content you put out reduces your RPM and reduces the ability to make more money.”
She explained that she is taking this bold step to maximize returns on her investment while also seeking potential investors behind the scenes.
However, the conversation took a critical turn when discussing opportunities for new talents. Tierny was blunt in her assessment:
“Hell no. The people that are already there are fighting to be seen and heard everyday. Let alone people that don’t have anything — who just need that one big break.”
She highlighted how competitive the industry has become, noting that unlike a decade ago when one strong performance could launch an actor to stardom, new faces now need multiple breakthrough roles to gain recognition.
“These days, the market is very saturated and competitive for the same role for one job to make anybody popular. 10 years ago, you could become known off your performance in one film but now, you need up to 7. For the past 5 years, I’ve not seen any new actor become popular off of one role.”
Tierny pointed out that producers rarely hand lead roles to untested actors, making the path to success even steeper for newcomers unless they receive divine favour or exceptional backing.
“Producers rarely even give new actors lead roles. Except God decides to a favor the actor.”