By Treasure Anieth
Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has expressed frustration over the constant stream of “Odogwu” roles offered to him by film producers, insisting that he does not want to be confined to a particular type of character.
Arukwe spoke during an interview on The Creativitea Podcast, where he said producers continued to approach him for similar roles because they believed his established character would help guarantee returns on their investments.
“All the producers in Nollywood now want to kill me with Odogwu character. You can’t put me in a box,” the actor said.
He challenged producers to explore other sides of his acting ability by creating different characters for him, noting that his breakthrough in the popular role was possible because a producer was willing to take a chance on him.
According to him, producers should be equally willing to experiment with new characters rather than repeatedly casting him in the same mould.
“The same way someone took a chance on that character, you can also create another character and give to me,” he said.
Arukwe’s comments come amid growing reactions to his frequent appearances in what are commonly described as “igbotic” roles in Nollywood productions.
His manager, Mautin Tairu, popularly known as Mr M, recently appeared to share a similar sentiment after a fan complained about the actor’s repeated shouting in such characters.
Tairu made the remark while responding to a post by an X user, R. Ekpedeme, who called for Arukwe to take a break from the roles.
“Uzor needs to leave the igbotic roles for a while. I need a break from the shouting,” the fan wrote.
The actor’s latest comments have therefore reignited discussions about typecasting in Nollywood and the need for producers to give established actors opportunities to explore a wider range of characters.
