Veteran actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde says she has no issue with dance-driven movie promotions if they’re spontaneous and enjoyable
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Rejects Forced Dance Promos: “I Would Not Be Doing the Dancing” – Actor’s Take on Nollywood Trend
Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has weighed in on the rising wave of dance challenges and viral routines used to hype movies, saying she’s completely fine with the trend—as long as it comes from genuine enjoyment rather than obligation.
Speaking during a recent appearance on TVC Entertainment, the screen icon made it clear she draws a firm line between spontaneous fun and pressured performance.
“I’m sorry, I would not be doing the dancing. I’m very, very sorry. It’s just not me. I dance. I love to dance, I’m sure a lot of us love to dance.
“I think the problem and the reason why a lot of people are kicking back at it is because you want to dance because you feel like it, not because you have to.
“There’s a difference, okay? So there’s nothing wrong with, oh, you know, you’re promoting a movie and you guys are just having fun. That’s different,” she said.
Omotola stressed that actors should focus on delivering powerful performances on screen, while marketing and promotional gimmicks belong to dedicated professionals.
“But when it becomes a chore, when it becomes, oh, this is what you have to do to even sell a movie, it’s not professional. I already did the project, You know, I should go around, you know, talk about the project, promote the project, and then let the people whose job are to distribute and do the advertising of the project to do that,” she said.
Her candid remarks come shortly after acclaimed director Kunle Afolayan publicly declared he would never dance to promote a film, famously stating he’d rather skip producing a ₦1 billion project if his earnings were limited to just ₦10 million.
The back-to-back comments from two Nollywood heavyweights have reignited debate about the evolving demands on actors in an era of social media-driven film marketing, with many fans applauding the call for authenticity over obligation. Read More
