Lilian Afegbai, a Nollywood actress, has disclosed that she was often turned down when she first began her acting career, especially by people she already knew in the business.
The former Big Brother Africa housemate claimed in an interview with The Sun that despite the fact that many of her friends were involved in the film industry, she found it difficult to land acting gigs.
She said: “One of the biggest challenges I faced was dealing with rejection and people not being willing to take a chance on me as an actress. In the beginning, I heard a lot of ‘no’s, and sometimes it felt like doors just weren’t opening.
“People that I know, friends in the production industry, casting me as an extra and not an actor. It’s different when you play a cameo, but when it becomes the norm for your friends to forget you are an actor, it’s frustrating. When you remind them, they say you should come and play extra.
“Instead of letting it break me, I used it as fuel to work harder, sharpen my skills, and prove myself. Over time, consistency and perseverance paid off, and those same ‘no’s eventually turned into ‘yes.’”
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