Veteran Nollywood actress Stella Damasus has spoken candidly about the subtle and overt biases African actors face in Hollywood, especially when it comes to accent, appearance, and representation. In a revealing interview with Arrow House, Damasus criticized the global film industry’s rigid and often inaccurate portrayal of Africans, saying these stereotypes hinder opportunities for diverse African talent.
According to Damasus, casting directors and producers in Hollywood often expect African actors to fit into a narrowly defined mold — one that includes East African accents, extremely dark skin tones, and a specific set of facial features. She said this rigid expectation has made it challenging for West African actors like herself to land roles in major international productions.
“Hollywood filmmakers insist there’s a particular accent Africans must have to act in their movies,” Damasus explained. “I’m Nigerian. I don’t sound like that accent they expect. Maybe it’s one or two countries in East Africa, but we [West Africans] have different dialects, different tones. We’re not all the same.”
The celebrated actress also recalled a past experience with a Hollywood casting executive who told her outright that she didn’t fit any of the industry’s preconceived categories.
“They said to me, ‘We want an African to be very dark. You are not dark enough, and you’re not white enough to be mixed race. Your accent is also in between — you don’t sound American, British, or African as we know it.’”
Damasus challenged the entire idea of a singular “African” accent or identity, noting that Africa is a continent with over 50 countries and thousands of dialects, accents, and cultures.
“Africa is full of a million and one countries. Within those countries, there are different tribes, and within those tribes, different dialects. Yet Hollywood lumps us into one accent, one look.”
Her revelations highlight a long-standing issue with Hollywood’s representation of African identity, often shaped by outdated colonial narratives and limited cultural understanding. Many African actors, especially those trained and raised on the continent, find themselves excluded or typecast in overly simplistic roles — warriors, refugees, or mystical healers.
The few African actors who have broken through in Hollywood, Damasus observed, are typically raised abroad and better equipped to match the industry’s expectations in terms of accent and cultural alignment. This includes stars like Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Boyega, and Lupita Nyong’o, whose global upbringing aligns with international performance standards.
While Damasus celebrated their achievements, she called for a broader and more inclusive representation of Africans in mainstream media — one that recognizes and values actors from diverse backgrounds and regions of the continent.
Stella Damasus, who has starred in numerous Nigerian classics and more recently relocated to the U.S., has long been a champion of African culture and storytelling. Her recent U.S.-based projects, including the highly anticipated debut of her directorial film Water Girl, have been praised for their authenticity and advocacy for African narratives.
Her powerful statements add to the ongoing global discourse around equity and representation in entertainment, especially as African content continues to gain global recognition through platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.
Damasus’s critique is a reminder that while African music and fashion may be making waves globally, the film industry still has a long way to go in dismantling stereotypes and embracing the continent’s true diversity. Her call is not just for herself, but for the next generation of African actors hoping to make it beyond the continent without having to change who they are to fit outdated global expectations.