Popular Nigerian actor, Stan Nze, has voiced strong concerns over the growing trend of actors taking unnecessary risks in pursuit of screen perfection.
The celebrated Nollywood star described the idea of endangering one’s life for a movie role as outright “stupidity.”
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Nze emphasized that role interpretation should never come at the expense of personal safety. According to him, the industry has trained stunt professionals whose expertise lies in executing dangerous feats on set, and actors should not attempt to replace them.
“Why would I risk my life jumping from a dangerous height in a movie?” Nze questioned. “That’s what stunt guys are paid for. They have the training and experience to handle such situations.”
The actor further noted that taking reckless risks in the name of acting excellence could lead to tragic consequences, only to be quickly forgotten by the public. “I’m not going to be foolish and jump a dangerous height just because I want to be the best actor in Africa. People will only do a minute of silence and move on—it is stupidity,” he stated firmly.
Nze added that while he remains committed to giving his best on screen, he would only perform scenes within his capacity, leaving stunt performers to handle more dangerous tasks.
His remarks shed light on a growing conversation in Nollywood about safety standards and the responsibilities of actors versus professional stunt performers, raising important questions about how far actors should go in bringing their characters to life.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Stan Nze has stressed that risking one’s life for movie roles is unnecessary, insisting that dangerous stunts should be left to professional stunt actors.
