An Actor’s Marriage Is Not My Responsibility’ – Biodun Stephen Fires Back At Critics

Nollywood filmmaker Biodun Stephen has defended the use of kissing scenes in movies, saying producers should not be blamed for challenges in actors’ marriages.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking in a video shared on Instagram, Stephen said actors and their spouses understand the demands of the profession and must take responsibility for managing their relationships.

According to her, it is not the responsibility of producers or directors to protect the marriages of actors, stressing that romantic scenes should not be held responsible for marital problems within the industry.

The actress and producer explained that while some actors refuse to perform kissing scenes because of their personal beliefs, others are comfortable with such roles, and filmmakers simply work within those boundaries.

She added that the duty of a producer is to ensure actors are protected on set and portrayed professionally on screen, not to safeguard their personal relationships.

“There’s this lady that always has something to say about Nollywood. She talked about kissing scenes and said producers should reduce them because they are allegedly destroying actors’ marriages.

“Kissing is not really a major part of my filmmaking because I want people to watch my movies with their children. But if a story genuinely requires it, I won’t shy away from including it.

“One of the things actors sell on screen is believability. They are selling emotions and chemistry. You want viewers to believe in the love story and connect with it.

“Yes, it can be done without intense kissing, but once you start bringing actors’ marriages into it, I disagree.

“That responsibility belongs to the actor who chose the profession and the spouse who accepted that their partner is an actor. They should already understand that scenes involving kissing or physical affection may be part of the job.

“That is not my responsibility.

“We have actors who tell you they cannot kiss because of their personal convictions, and we respect that. We also have actors who are comfortable with it.

“My responsibility as a producer or director is to protect actors while they work with me and present them respectfully to the audience. It is not my job to destroy anyone’s marriage because I never forced anyone to take a role.”