“I was criticized for not being Igbo and light skinned” – Actress, Idia Aisien opens up on career struggles

Nollywood actress, Idia Aisien, has recounted how she was heavily criticized over her complexion and language in the entertainment industry.

She opened up in a recent chat with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, while speaking on the negative reviews that trailed her debut performance in “Nneka The Pretty Serpent”.

The Edo-born actress said she was heartbroken by those who said she was not a good fit for the role because she is not Igbo and light-skinned.

“When it first came out in the cinemas, I was a little bit heartbroken by some of the comments that people were leaving. Comments about me not being light-skinned or Igbo, about me destroying what meant something to a lot of Nigerians. Nigerians loved their veteran actors. They love their Nollywood classics. So, it was something that I just wished people could see how much passion went into it at the time,” she said.

She added, “I was hurt at first because Nneka is a fictional character and anyone could bring something different to the character but I don’t think that tribe and skin colour should matter. I mean, Black Panther was Americans pretending like they are in Africa. A lot of people who criticised it (the film- Nneka the pretty serpent), criticised it because of the choice of Nneka, which broke my heart.”

The 31-year-old actress also spoke on the struggles of being a woman in the entertainment industry and Nigeria as a whole.

She bemoaned how people attribute the success of a woman to a male lover, and accuse them of being bankrolled by a man.

She recounted how her father once bought her a brand new car, and her colleagues at work claimed she got it from their boss.

According to her, it is sickening and Nigerians need to accord more resect and regard to women.

She added, “Nigerians need to be kinder to women, we don’t like women in this country because if you look at everything in terms of job, pay, and how women are treated.”

Watch a short clip from the interview below,