Veteran Nollywood actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, has taken issue with some Ghanaian actors who, according to him, demand appearance fees comparable to those paid to leading Nigerian actors before accepting roles in joint productions.
The actor, popularly known as K.O.K., made the remarks while speaking to Ghanaian media in Accra, where he is currently involved in a movie production.
Kanayo said some Ghanaian performers insist on receiving the same remuneration as established Nigerian stars, a situation he claimed has created difficulties for producers and affected the production he travelled to Ghana to work on.
Expressing his displeasure with the practice, the veteran actor said, “I am K.O.K. I was among the founding fathers. You now wake up in Ghana… They call KOK to come and act in Ghana; you, Ghanaian boy, will now insist they pay you the same fees as me. It happens even up to today. There is hierarchy even in heaven. In the movie industry, there is hierarchy.”
He urged Ghanaian actors to negotiate their own fees based on their individual standing in the industry rather than comparing their earnings with those of Nigerian actors.
Kanayo said, “Negotiate what you want to be paid. Don’t equate yourself with me. Tell your Ghanaian brothers and sisters, it is not your business what they pay Nigerian actors. Go and negotiate your own, receive it and go and rest, and then you will have peace in your life; otherwise, I will invoke Amadioha.”
The actor also threatened to disclose the identities of the Ghanaian actors he alleged were making such demands. However, he subsequently backed down from the threat after colleagues present at the production reportedly appealed to him not to reveal their names.
Kanayo’s comments come amid the long-standing collaboration between the Nigerian and Ghanaian film industries, with actors from both countries regularly featuring in productions across the West African movie market.
