Veteran Nigerian actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has pushed back against some Ghanaian actors who, according to him, demand the same fees paid to Nigerian actors when they appear in the same movie.
He said some Ghanaian actors question how much Nigerian actors are being paid and then ask producers to give them the same amount.
“I was among the founding fathers. Now you now rise up from Ghana. You now wake up in Ghana. They called KOK to come and act in Ghana and you, Ghanaian boy, will now insist they pay you the same fee as me,” he said.
Kanayo, popularly known as KOK, made the comments in a viral social media video after he joined the cast of Ghanaian actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah LilWin’s upcoming movie, A Journey to Africa (Nzulezu).
Kanayo said actors should instead negotiate based on their own experience, reputation and value to a production.
“There’s hierarchy even in heaven. In the movie industry there’s hierarchy. Negotiate what you want to be paid. Don’t equate yourself with me.”
“Tell your Ghanaian brothers and sisters that it’s not your business what they pay Nigerian actors. Go and negotiate your own and receive it,” he advised.
The actor also claimed that the issue was not simply a general observation but had also come up during the Ghanaian production he is currently working on.
According to Kanayo, some actors on the project questioned the fees being paid to Nigerian performers. He said he was prepared to mention their names but decided against it after being advised not to.
Quote: “I’m One Of The Founding Fathers Of Movie-Making In Africa. Yet, When They Invite Me To Feature In a Movie In Ghana, Some Ghanaian Actors Expect To Be Paid The Same Fee As Me. Isn’t That Madness? There Is a Hierarchy In The Movie Industry. Even In Heaven, There Is Hierarchy. You Can’t Compare Yourselves With Me. Tell Your Ghanaian Brothers And Sisters It’s Not Your Business What They Pay Nigerian Actors.” -Kanayo O. Kanayo
