Dancing to sell movies unprofessional, we’re not content creators —Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has issued a pointed critique againstthe growing industry expectation for actors to perform dance routines on socialmedia to promote their films, labelling the practice as “unprofessional”. The acclaimed actress, 47, voiced her concerns during arecent interview on the eSplash show. She clarified that while she enjoys dancing personally, theissue arises when it transforms from a choice into a compulsory mandate. She argued that dancing should not become a standardrequirement for movie promotion, stressing that actors are not contentcreators. “I dance. I’m sure a lot of us love to dance too. But theproblem is when you’re dancing not because you want to, but because you haveto,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with you promoting your movie anddancing and having fun with it. But when it becomes a chore. When it becomes‘this is what you have to do’ to sell a movie, it is not professional.” Omotola argued that the trend reflects a broadermisunderstanding within Nollywood about the distinct roles required forcinematic success. She emphasised that the core job of an actor is to perform,not to shoulder the entire burden of marketing a project. “I already done the project. I should go around, talk aboutthe project, and let the people whose job is to distribute handle theadvertising. That’s how it’s done in better climes,” she said. She further expressed that forcing actors into what shedescribed as “demeaning” promotional activities can be exhausting andunsustainable, particularly for those managing multiple projectssimultaneously. Drawing a contrast with Hollywood’s ecosystem, Omotola notedthat many top actors maintain minimal or no social media presence, yet theirfilms achieve global success. “We are not content creators. There are people whose jobis,” she said. “In the United States, for example, there are actors who arenot even on Instagram. You would never find a Daniel Day-Lewis on social media.They are actors—they come, do their job, and leave.” Omotola’s remarks follow similar observations made byfilmmaker Kunle Afolayan and media mogul Mo Abudu during a panel at the recentLagos Business of Film Summit. Abudu had stated she could not promote movies the same waystars like Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham do. Afolayan’s remarks, in particular, sparked a public backlashfrom Akindele, who has built a highly successful brand through energetic anddirect social media engagement with her audience. Critics interpreted his comments as dismissive of hereffective promotional style. Akindele responded by affirming that every creator is freeto develop their own strategy, famously adding that “the sky is big enough foreveryone to fly.”

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