Rita Dominic shared details about the amount of money she received as payment for her debut movie role during a recent interview with Joy 99.7 FM, Ghana.
She mentioned that she received N10,000 (equivalent to GHC 80.00) for her first film appearance.
Rita also highlighted that, despite the initial low pay, her passion for acting kept her motivated, as the Nigerian film industry was not as financially rewarding back then.
The actress said; “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 the 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.”
Asked the lowest amount she has ever received for a movie role, Dominic responded; “The first film I did, the filmmaker paid me N35,000. But he owed me N25,000 for how many months. In fact, he didn’t even pay me the balance. He paid me only N10,000 [laughs].”
On the same platform, Miss Dominic highlighted the need for actors to be prudent with their finances to avoid financial struggles in the future.
She noted that some celebrities feel compelled to overspend to maintain their public image, which is why they go broke, but she has always prioritized living within her means.
“It is expensive as well, having to support the brand or the the celerity status which is why you have to know how to spend our money.
I do not [feel pressured]. I am not one of those. I definitely don’t feel pressured. Some do, which is why they feel the need to do other things to keep up their appearance,” he stated.
Rita also advocated for African actors to receive royalties for their work on the same platform. She emphasized that while many filmmakers are dedicated to their craft, the key to improving their livelihoods lies in earning residuals, also known as royalties, in the film industry.
Rita participated as a speaker at the Women of Valour Summit in Ghana, which was organized by media personality Nana Aba Anamoah.
The event also featured speeches from other notable women, such as Ghanaian film producer Shirley Frimpong-Manso and South African broadcaster and actress Bonang Matheba.
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