Being a stereotype in Africa can kill you - Segun Arinze

Renowned Nigerian actor, Segun Arinze has shared his experience of how playing bad characters in movies almost wrecked his career.

Speaking on the Class Morning Show on September 6, Segun Arinze revealed that constantly portraying negative roles led to people viewing him as a villain, even to the extent of not being invited abroad.

“There was a time I took a sabbatical from acting when the playing of bad roles was getting to me. People were beginning to look at me as a demon. And when they traveled abroad, they wouldn’t take me along,” he narrated.

He decided to take a two-year break from acting during this challenging period and turned to voice acting to sustain himself financially. Voice acting became his lifeline, helping him pay bills and school fees.

After two years, his career took a positive turn when he received an offer that marked the beginning of a resurgence in his career.

“Guinness came calling, and they took me all the way to South Africa and I did the show for two years,” he said.

Arinze recalled a turning point when Charles Novia, a renowned Nigerian movie producer, offered him a role that initially belonged to another actor. This role took him to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and significantly contributed to revitalizing his career.

Reflecting on his journey, Arinze emphasized the importance of not getting pigeonholed into one type of role. He urged actors to be versatile and open to trying different roles, as being typecast can be detrimental.

Arinze also shared a valuable lesson he learned from his experiences: "Being a stereotype in Africa can kill you. It can mess you up because when they are done with you, it's like sucking an orange – they suck all the juice out of you and dump you and look for the next orange to suck."

“So as an actor, you must always know how to reinvent yourself. It’s a sharp bend. There’s always a sharp bend in your career as an actor or even as a human. So know when to slow down, approach the curve, and go around the curve in a nice, smooth way so that you don’t go off a cliff.” he shared.

Drawing from his own life, he advised actors to constantly reinvent themselves and navigate the challenges in their careers smoothly, much like approaching a sharp bend in the road.

“I did it, and I’m very glad that it has turned out this way. So today, I can sit down and play any role that I want to play, not just being a stereotype,” he concluded.

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