Actress Anna Patrick: "How Desperate Actresses Sleep For Movie Roles In Asaba"

The name Anna Patrick might not ring a bell but people in Nollywood know her well. Having featured in over ten films, this fast rising actress is set to take her place in Nollywood, in an interview with vanguard, Anna says most actresses rushing off to Asaba to act, only go there to sleep with directors for roles, some even pay to act and appear on posters and movie jackets.

 Below Is what she said in a recent interview with Vanguard…
You talked of se.x.ual harassment, is it real in Asaba?
Yes, this is because there are a lot of desperate actresses who sleep their way to the top.
Some of them would go as far as paying to get movie roles. Those who are talented are not given the needful opportunity to express themselves. That’s what we are experiencing here, in Asaba.
Are you saying that not having a mentor exposes these young actresses to all kinds of treatment in the industry?
It’s not really the issue of having a manager or a mentor because the idea of signing a contract is not yet popular in Asaba. But I consider it as the wisest thing any young actress should do, if she must make it in the industry. It will not only help such actress to be focused, and appreciated, rather it will also help her to stay away from all kinds of se.xual advances by the producers. I didn’t experience any form of intimidation or harassment because I got signed to an agency that grooms actors.
If you didn’t sign the contract, what would you have done?
I wouldn’t have continued my career in acting based on the fact that the pressure was getting unbearable for me.
What pressure?
The pressure from producers and directors who want to sleep with these up and coming actresses. Sometimes, they compel them to pay before getting roles in their new productions.
How much do they pay per movie role?
It depends on the individual actress, I can’t put a figure to it now. But that’s the tradition in Asaba.
It means that s*xual harassment is real in the industry?
Yes, it’s real. I have been harassed by both producers and directors. Sometimes, when you refuse their advances, they would start to antagonise you. Some of them would start seeing you as a very proud person.
Source:Vanguard