Popular Nigerian actor Stan Nze has stirred conversations in the Nollywood film industry by candidly stating that risking his life for a movie role is outright "stupidity." In an interview with The Nation, Nze emphasized the importance of role interpretation and safety, cautioning against actors putting themselves in harm's way for the sake of authenticity or acclaim.
Nze pointed out that there are professional stunt actors trained and well compensated to handle dangerous scenes in films. "Why would I risk my life jumping from a dangerous height in a movie? Jumping characters are done by stunt guys. That’s their job," he said. He emphasized that stunt performers have the expertise and experience to perform risky actions safely, and it would be foolish for lead actors to undertake such dangerous tasks themselves.
He further explained that risking life just to be recognized as the best actor in Africa is not worth it, stating, "And the people go do one minute of silence and then move on, it is stupidity." Nze underscored that he will focus on the roles meant for him while leaving the stunt work to trained professionals, reinforcing the value of teamwork and safety on set.