Hollywood’s Dirty Secret: Stella Damasus Reveals Why Nigerians Are Snubbed

According to her, one of the key obstacles is Hollywood’s narrow and stereotypical portrayal of Africans, which many Nigerians don’t fit into.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The actress explained that Hollywood tends to cast Africans with East African accents and prefers actors with very dark skin tones, similar to Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o. As a result, many Nigerian actors are deemed “unsuitable” for such roles.

Speaking during a discussion with Arrow House, Damasus said,

“Hollywood filmmakers expect African actors to speak in a particular accent—one that doesn’t reflect how most West Africans sound. They often require actors to adopt an East African accent, which isn’t authentic to Nigerians or Ghanaians.”

She added that most Nigerians who have successfully landed major roles in Hollywood were raised abroad, particularly in the UK, and typically speak with Western accents.

“They told me, ‘We want Africans to be very dark, like Lupita. You’re not dark enough, nor are you light enough to be considered mixed race. We don’t know how to place you. Your accent is also an issue—it’s not American, British, or the African we’re used to.’”

Damasus challenged this mindset, emphasizing that Africa is a diverse continent with over 50 countries, each with its own languages and accents.

“Africa isn’t just one voice or one look. It’s made up of countless dialects and cultures. But Hollywood tends to stick to a very limited and inaccurate version of what an ‘African’ should be,” she said.