Nollywood actress, Ronke Odusanya, is not happy with the way some people perceive actors who act in Yoruba movies as people who do not understand the English language.
The actress stated that someone had pissed her off after she shared a video of herself speaking English in a sitecom she is currently working on and the person came to intimidate her that Yoruba actors are not good at spoken English.
She noted that acting is not about language but about the ability to give life to a scripted character.
According to her, “A few days ago, I had to respond to a fan who insinuated an intimidation between English and Yoruba Actors because I posted a video clip from an English sitcom I’m currently shooting.
Now, she believed that because I chose to do Yoruba movies, then i can’t speak English. I know the reaction I have gotten when I go for an interview and the interviewer feels i can’t be exposed enough…. just because I do Yoruba movies. E ma gba mi ke. Laughs.”
“My response to the lady was simple; Acting has nothing to do with your language… its about your ability to give life to a scripted character. This transcends language. We have seen a British Actor (Idris Elba) play Mandela with the right accent. We have seen American Actors play a Russian character and deliver well with the right accent. The language you speak doesn’t determine your acting capacity. Acting is a beautiful profession. Can we just enjoy the act and stop criticizing so much,” she added.
