Movie Star Enyinna Nwigwe Talks about his Career Growth and Nollywood

At 38 years old, Enyinna Nwigwe has been a part of some of Nollywood’s biggest projects, including The Wedding Party, SuruL’ere and the highly-acclaimed film, Black November in which he starred alongside Oscar-winning actress Kim Bassinger and other notable greats like Akon and Vivica A. Fox. Between 2005 when his career kicked off and now, he has had more than twenty films to his credit. In this interview, he talks about his career, the Nigerian film industry, and other issues. Enjoy the conversation.

BEA: It’s nice to meet you, Sir. You are arguably one of the biggest names in Nollywood right now. How does it feel to be a major celebrity?

Enyinna Nwigwe: The truth is; I don’t walk around with that in my head. I just like to live my life and be in the moment. So, ‘how it feels as a major celebrity,’ ‎is not a question I know how to answer. But if you asked me how it feels to be Enyinna Nwigwe as a person, I’d say great!

BEA: I understand you never actually set out to become an actor. How did you go from not thinking about acting to becoming a professional actor?

Enyinna Nwigwe: You are right, I stumbled on acting. And then I fell in love with the art. I honed my craft through time; both on the job and informally through daily living. Basically, common daily interactions and conscious self-development ‎helped me to grow as an actor.

Read the full interview HERE.

BEA: How do you manage fame, sir?

Enyinna Nwigwe: I manage it by not thinking of it. Like I mentioned before “I live”. I try to stay grounded, understanding the illusion that is ‘Fame’.

BEA: What is your appraisal of Nollywood?

Enyinna Nwigwe: Nollywood is growing exponentially. Currently reinventing and attracting international attention. There’s so much I could say but will rather keep it optimistic and simple by saying we are finally ready for the world!

BEA: Considering your status in the industry, do you still have to attend auditions or do the scripts just land at your desk?

Enyinna Nwigwe: Auditioning is standard. regardless of status. Certain directors insist on auditioning talent before picking. But then, there are ‘Closed Auditions’ ‎for the ‘bigger’ actors and open auditions for general casting calls. It all depends on the process the production decides to run with, though most productions typically cast directly, knowing exactly who they want for what role.