It Affected My Mental Health — Nollywood Star Etinosa Opens Up About Emotional Acting Struggles

Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia has opened up about the emotional toll of portraying a character whose experiences mirrored the painful realities of her failed marriage, revealing that she sought therapy to help her cope with the psychological impact.

The actress explained that playing the role of a woman struggling with a broken marriage and difficulties conceiving in the movie When Tables Turn brought back painful personal memories and affected her mental well-being more deeply than she had anticipated.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Etinosa made the disclosure during an interview with Punch, where she reflected on how some acting roles can blur the emotional boundaries between a performer’s personal experiences and the character being portrayed.

She revealed that her experience went beyond the demands of delivering convincing performances, as certain scenes forced her to confront difficult memories from her own life.

Etinosa said her portrayal of a troubled wife in When Tables Turn was particularly challenging because the storyline reflected a painful period in her failed marriage.

The actress also recalled her experience playing a witch in the television series Blood of Enogie, explaining that remaining immersed in the character for months affected her emotionally more than she had expected.

She noted that the challenge became even more complicated because she was also the director of When Tables Turn. After performing emotionally demanding scenes, she was expected to regain her composure and immediately direct other members of the cast and crew.

According to the actress, the experience taught her that acting sometimes involves intense psychological and emotional demands that continue even after the cameras stop rolling.

She explained that performers can become so deeply connected to their characters that they must consciously work to separate themselves from the emotions and experiences associated with the roles.

Etinosa disclosed that the intensity of some of these experiences eventually led her to seek professional therapy to help her process the emotions connected to certain characters.

The actress further recounted how writing the movie Osato for cinema release also affected her emotionally. She said there were occasions when she broke down in tears while writing the screenplay because she had become deeply immersed in the character’s pain.

She explained that embodying the character’s emotions helped her communicate the story more authentically, even though the process was personally distressing.

Her revelation has highlighted the emotional demands of filmmaking and the importance of mental well-being among actors, particularly when they portray characters whose experiences closely resemble painful events in their personal lives.