In a recent interview with Ghana’s Joy 99.7 FM, Rita Dominic, a seasoned Nigerian actress, candidly shared the modest remuneration she received for her inaugural venture into acting.
Recounting the early days of her career, Rita Dominic disclosed that the initial movie in which she took on a starring role only paid her N10,000. Despite the financial challenges within the Nigerian film industry (Nollywood) at the time, she emphasized her dedication and passion for the craft as the driving force behind her pursuit of acting.
“I just wanted to be an actor. And to be honest, there was no money in Nollywood back then. We were just doing it for passion. We have the passion for the art which was what fuelled us.
“It was very challenging. But we just kept doing it until the industry got bigger and bigger. And obviously, the pay became much better.”
When questioned about the specific compensation for her inaugural acting gig, Rita Dominic revealed, “The first film I did, the filmmaker paid me N35,000. But he owed me N25,000 for many months. In fact, he didn’t even pay me the balance. He paid me only N10,000”