LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigerian actress Damilola Oni has shared a personal story about an uncomfortable moment in her career and the challenges actors face behind the scenes, revealing how a colleague’s refusal to work with her led to a sudden change in her role.
During a recent interview on Oyinmomo TV, the actress explained that the incident left her confused and frustrated.
According to her, the unnamed senior figure made it clear they did not want to share a set with her.
“Someone once said they can never work with me. I don’t know if it was an offence, but the person said they can’t work with me, that they can’t work on the same set with me,” Oni said.
The situation became more upsetting when she arrived on set, excited to take on what she described as a major role, only to be left waiting for hours without any direction.
“In fact, there was a time when I was on set and supposed to play a role. It was quite a big one for me, and I was excited about it. I had waited for five, six, and even eight hours, and no one had attended to me. I was wondering why I hadn’t started filming when I was supposed to be the lead actor,” the actress stated.
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However, the producer later revealed the senior colleague had given an ultimatum, which led to her being moved to a minor role. She explained that the producer had to choose between keeping her as the lead or losing the unnamed colleague, a decision he was not willing to make.
“Later, the producer came into the room and asked if I had offended a certain person. I asked what happened, and he said the person we were supposed to act together with said we had to pick between them and you. And he said he can’t pick me over the person,” she added.
As a result, Oni was reassigned to a much smaller role, despite initially being cast as the lead. Although the experience was painful, she chose to accept the smaller role and prove her resilience.
“So, I said there is no problem. So I asked what next, and he said the only thing he could do is to offer me a minor role with about 4 to 5 scenes. That’s what I will end up doing. I wanted to pick up my bag and leave. I was distraught, I was pained, but I thought that leaving would mean that I allowed the person to crush me, and I didn’t want to. Because we will both succeed in our careers, and no one can frustrate me to stop this job. The sky is big enough for everyone to fly,” she said.
The actress used the moment to highlight her determination, making it clear she remains focused on growth despite setbacks.
