I was offered as low as N1000 for acting roles – Uzor Arukwe

“The challenges I faced were basically being undermined and underrated,” the ‘Sugar Rush’ star shared. “A lot of people did not know what my capabilities were, so they were not sure if I could act or not. I had to prove that I knew what I was doing and I was good at it. I have been trained for this and waiting for opportunities (for some time).”

He continued “also the fees one got for acting was ridiculous. One could act a role or two, and be paid as low as N1,000. It was terrible but like in every other industry, one has to keep pushing. One must be consistent and persistent.”

Speaking on life before Nollywood, Arukwe revealed that he worked in the retail and telecommunications sectors for 10 years before finally taking the bold step.

“I always wanted to be a professional actor. I wanted to make a living from it,” the actor said per Punch NG. “I worked for 10 years in the corporate world. I spent five years in a telecommunication company and another five years in a retail company that was into sport equipment.”

The movie star has starred in over a dozen Nollywood productions ranging from Iroko productions to cinema films and web/TV shows. Some of his notable features include Kayode Kasum’s ‘Sugar Rush’ and Ndani TV’s cancelled web series ‘ Oga Pastor!’