Nigerian actress, Rita Dominic expressed her eagerness to witness African actors earning royalties for their contributions.
In an interview with Lexis Bill on the Joy FM Personality Profile, Rita emphasized the significance of residuals, or royalties, as a means of improving filmmakers’ lives, particularly in their later years.
She pointed out the financial challenges faced by some aging actors, stressing the need for a system where actors in Africa can benefit financially from their films even as they age. Rita highlighted the anomaly where films featuring these actors continue to generate revenue on platforms like YouTube, yet the actors face financial struggles.
“It will be nice for actors in Africa to have their royalties so that way people are not struggling when they get older, which has been the challenge in the industry for some old actors. They have been struggling financially and that shouldn’t be so. These are people who have done major films, been involved in major films and all that and then all of a sudden when they are old, they are struggling financially. Meanwhile, their films are still being played on YouTube, on all these platforms and they are even getting royalties or getting monies from them,” she said.
Rita also advised actors to manage their finances wisely, acknowledging the pressure some feel to sustain a celebrity lifestyle.
“Maybe some of us need to invest more, do more financial planning, and understand that the work will not always keep coming,” she advised.
