…’No, there’s a particular kind of accent that you must have.’ – Stella Damasus told.
The iNews Times entertainment reports that Veteran Nollywood actress Stella Damasus has opened up about the challenges African actors face in Hollywood due to stereotypes and misconceptions about African identity and accents.
In a recent clip that went viral on social media, Damasus shared her experiences with casting-directors and producers who often expect a specific “African” accent, which doesn’t reflect the diverse accents and dialects found across the continent.
She highlighted the frustration of being asked to adopt a stereotypical accent that doesn’t represent the real Africa.
“They’re like, ‘No, there’s a particular kind of accent that you must have.’ So that’s why they force our people to put it on. ‘Hey, my name is this… Have you ever come to this place?’ I’m like, we don’t talk like that,” She said.
Additionally, Stella Damasus spoke about the colorism and identity struggles many African actors face when trying to break into the Hollywood scene, where there’s often a preference for a specific skin tone.
“They say to me, ‘We want an African to be very dark. That’s the kind of African we are used to. We’re not used to your kind of African,’” Damsus said.
“So you’re not dark enough. You’re not light enough to be half-caste. You’re not mixed race. Your accent — you don’t sound American, British, or African. I’m like, how do you think Africans sound?”
Damasus’s comments shed light on the need for greater representation and authenticity in global cinema.
Stella Damasus experiences raise awareness about the challenges faced by African actors in Hollywood, and the need for more inclusive storytelling, iNews Times reports.
