Taye Arimoro, a rising Nollywood actor, has spoken out about his struggles with the demand for Instagram followers.
Arimoro, known for his roles in films such as Criminal, Casa de Novia, and the Ndani TV web series Game On, revealed in an exclusive interview with Pulse Nigeria that his Instagram following once prevented him from getting roles in the industry because casting was sometimes based on an actor’s social media presence.
“It was a challenge for a long time. Now I don’t care about it anymore. I completely understand why that is a bother for producers. I get it. It’s their work. However I do believe I’m a talented actor and I put my best foot forward in all my performances,” he said.
“I must add that I’m beginning to get recognition in my space and it feels great. As for social media, it’s coming along good.”
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This is not the first time an actor has publicly discussed casting based on the following. Deyemi Okanlawon revealed on an edition of Quincy Jonze’s Echoo Room Podcast that he had been rejected by producers multiple times owing to his lack of social media presence.
“Not having Instagram followers hindered me. I’d tell myself, ‘I’m the guy who comes to kill himself on set. Why am I being judged by the number of followers I have?” he said. “I said to myself, ‘There’s no point fighting it.’ There’s always going to be a new set of people who focus more on the brand than they are on the craft. So I said, ‘Let me start some brand-building.”
In an interview with Pulse Nigeria, Uzor Arukwe spoke about his struggle with the industry’s ravenous drive for social media followers.
“I remember everything so well when I first started. “It was a big problem for me,” he explained.
“There was a time in this industry when it was mostly about Instagram and Twitter followers, and stuff like that. I didn’t understand it but knew it was something I had to be at peace with because a production house wants to hire you and they’re looking at your numbers.”
