So, picture this: I stumbled upon a post on X about a veteran Nigerian actor totally flipping his look. You know, he used to rock the classic nerdy vibe—salt and pepper hair, full beard, geeky glasses, and suspenders – totally fitting for a seasoned guy in his 50s or 60s. But guess what? Cue the makeover montage! In this new pic, he’s gone full bad boy—fresh haircut, sharp beard lines, the works. And hold up, he’s even rocking earrings, gothic rings, and wait for it… a Cuban cigar! Yep, that Nollywood veteran is none other than Jude Chukwuka.
We’re not mad at this new look. Actually, we’re loving the upgrade. But you might wonder, why the sudden change? Well, let’s dive into that.
Chances are you’ve seen him in hits like Ojo’s in the House, The Governor, Lady Koikoi, Castle & Castle, Man of God, and a Naija Christmas. He’s often cast as the cool-headed, wise older dude. It’s like every time there’s a script needing a mature guy with wits, bam! Jude Chukwuka’ is your man. They even have a name for this in the film world—typecasting. That’s exactly what it is.
Typecasting is dangerous to all parties involved—the actor, the production, and the industry at large. Why? It gets boring and begins to feel like the film or the film industry is lackluster, lacking some form of magic or newness. Which, in a way, is true (when typecasting is involved). But in my honest opinion, typecasting is simply laziness from writers, producers, casting directors, and often times, the actors themselves.
I bet you can name 20 Nollywood actors who have been typecast. If you claim you can’t remember, let me help you with just a few names. Everyone knows Patience Ozokwor as ‘Mama G’ or ‘Suzanna’, and most times, when you see her in a movie, you know what to expect—she is the wicked mother-in-law.
Aki and Pawpaw are the stupid and mischievous kids, Tony Umez is the hopeless romantic or ‘simp’, Jim Iyke is the bad boy, Hanks Anuku is the American returnee bad boy, Pete Edochie is the chief or father-figure of a clan, and Genevieve Nnaji is the lover girl boys will fight over.
And it didn’t just end with older Nollywood films. It seems we have carried it into this age and era of films as well. Timini Egbuson is Nollywood’s new bad boy, Sambasa Nzeribe is the criminal, gang member, or muscle that Gentle Jack was in older films, RMD is the rich and flamboyant zaddy, and Shaffy Bello, an equally cultured and sophisticated older woman. Ayoola Ayolola is the prim and proper man who somehow is always rich and spends crazily on his love interests. The list goes on and on.
So, it’s always refreshing when we see actors try new and challenging roles and diversify as much as possible. It’s a welcome improvement when an actor turns down a familiar role just so that it doesn’t become a part of their acting personality, and it is more than welcome when an actor changes his entire look to be able to diversify and get different roles.
But somewhere deep in my heart, I wonder why our producers and casting directors would require such a drastic change from an actor before seeing them in a different light. Isn’t it the job of a casting director to see beyond what meets the eye? And isn’t it the job of the costume and makeup departments to do such a great job making over an actor that they begin to embody whatever role you’d want them to play? And then, finally, the actor’s job is to get so into character that we believe them to be that character they’re playing.
Such an example in our glorious Nollywood is Nse Ikpe Etim, who has always and it seems will always push boundaries with her diversity in roles. Her roles in Hustlers, The Meeting, Phone Swap, A Tribe Called Judah, and Fifty are so different. And these are just a few examples.
In all honesty, sometimes, I can see the need for typecasting. It saves energy and time and makes money. And if we are being honest, these top guys who always get put in the same roles pull in the crowds. The average Nigerian loves to see their favourites act like their favourites. They will pay big money to see yet another Timini Egbuson love story. So, why wouldn’t producers and casting directors capitalize on that?
The genesis of typecasting could be the fault of the writers too—why do we have 200 stories that need a bad boy who falls in love every year in Nollywood? Maybe this dilemma is a Catch-22, in the sense that the writers write what the industry wants, and the industry, in turn, makes what the writers write. Because in the end, Nollywood is heavily dependent on numbers. Numbers and money are what make the film world go around.
But I’m not in these people’s heads. After all, I’m just a consumer. But I know this much…Typecasting robs the industry of variety, innovation, and spontaneity. We have a myriad of actors, but because of typecasting, it feels like roles are only reserved for a limited few and the audience begins to feel like Nollywood has just a few actors. Upcoming actors also feel disadvantaged because they wonder when they’ll ever get into that club since it seems like every established actor already has roles written for them year after year.
I believe that if the industry can eventually stop typecasting or at least keep it on a low, we can finally open the industry up to more actors, more innovation, and better and more complex stories.
Now, I’m not saying that not typecasting will solve all of Nollywood’s problems, but it will be a step in the right direction. Because, right now, typecasting is Nollywood’s opp.
And hey, bring on more Nolly zaddies. Who doesn’t love a good transformation? I’m just saying actors shouldn’t need to change their appearances before casting directors can imagine them in that role.
