Nollywood legend, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, has voiced his opinion on the casting of British actor Idris Elba as ‘Okonkwo’ in the upcoming TV adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart.
According to Udokwu, Nigerian actors would be better suited to bring out the depth of the character due to their understanding of the culture and background of the story.
Speaking in an interview with Channels TV, Udokwu shared his thoughts on the decision to cast Elba in the lead role, which was famously portrayed by Nigerian actor Pete Edochie in the 1971 and 1987 adaptations of the novel.
“There is this conversation about Idris Elba being cast to play the role of Okonkwo in Hollywood’s make of *Things Fall Apart*. I don’t have anything against that as an actor, but I think we have top-class actors in Nigeria who can play the role even better, knowing where the story is coming from,” Udokwu said.
He further emphasized that Nollywood has many talented actors who could deliver a powerful interpretation of Okonkwo’s character.
Udokwu also highlighted the need for more collaboration between Nollywood and international film industries, stating that such partnerships would help Nollywood grow on the global stage.
“We need more collaboration. I said this years ago that Nollywood has come of age. We don’t have to do anything more to prove to the world that we have world-class talents. What Nollywood needs now is collaboration, and it is beginning to happen. We need to have more and more collaboration with our counterparts in Europe and North America,” he stated.
He expressed optimism that Nollywood would continue to evolve, thanks to these international partnerships, adding, “That is the path to follow now, and I believe that it is beginning to happen gradually, and we will eventually get there.”
