Jane Thomas Rogers is a Nollywood actress and the Former Financial Secretary of the Northern Filmmakers Association of Nigeria (NFAN). In this interview with Victoria Chukwuani she discussed some challenges the film industry faces and explained how producers demand sex before assigning roles to actresses.
You have been acting and have been featured in many award-winning movies so far. What inspired you to act?
“I started acting way back in primary school; like I always say, I always wanted to become a role model. The acting I began with was more like a stage drama. I wanted to be in a position where I could create influence, touch lives, and be a voice to the voiceless.”
You said, you need to be at a place of influence where one can be heard. What inspired that statement?
“Talking about a place where I needed to be a voice, this is because of my foundation. Growing up, I had issues because my uncle took over some of our assets and the many injustices which were done to my mother, and we were helpless and couldn’t fight back. I decided to make it a life-long dream to put myself in those shoes and fight for people who had no one to fight for them.”
As an actress from the Northern part of the country, what are the challenges you’ve been facing or have faced during your journey?
“I started in Kaduna and was featured in some Hausa movies. Some of the early challenges I faced were, as a Southern Kaduna person, they expected you to speak the Kano Hausa: So it was more like we were marginalized.
“Like in some of the movies, the Fulani people use Fulani intonation in their acting. They also have the Bwari people (Abuja inhabitants) who use their intonations in film, and the producers do not have an issue with it, but when a Southern Kaduna person in the movie speaks with a Southern Kaduna accent/intonation, they reject the intonation and expect them to talk like the Kano person. That was a big challenge for me.
“If a southern Kaduna person does a movie, African magic will tell you that they want Kano Hausa, so how do we promote our indigenous languages? We have the Yorubas doing their thing and also the Igbos, so why do they compel the Hausas to speak only Kano Hausas?
“Another major challenge faced in the movie industry is sexual harassment. In my case, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) chairman at the time was like a mentor to a family friend and me; that helped me greatly, but regardless, these are things we are facing and advocating against. I’m currently blacklisted and in the wrong books of so many producers because I have been fighting against the menace of sex for roles. As I speak to you, I am in court with one of them, that is the extent that they have gone now all to silence me. Artist exploitation, sexual harassment and all of that.”
Are you seeking help from other actresses to curb the menace of sexual harassment in the movie industry, or are you doing this all by yourself?
“Some of the star actresses in the industry are compromised, whilst others find it difficult to speak out. When Kate Henshaw had an altercation with the current president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, he threatened to expose her secret: Henshaw fired back, saying everyone had a dirty secret, but became silenced afterwards.
Some of these actresses, because of the fear of being exposed, do not want to come out publicly to advocate against sex for roles.
“There are caucus and forces in the movie industry, so you need the grace of God to fight these forces because they are ready to fight you to any level. They will fight your career and make sure you are irrelevant.
“And again, the horrendous process of proving an assault makes it difficult for actresses facing these challenges to speak up or prove their case.”
What is your advise to young actresses aspiring to be like you?
“Ensure you get a mentor who can guide and lecture you. Otherwise, they will mess you up. These mentors must have integrity to lead you so you don’t fall prey.
“My friend recently did a write-up and tagged it; I will make you a star. This is the language most producers use to lure young girls into sleeping with them because, of course, everybody wants to be a star and with such words, they start visualizing themselves as a star. At the end of the day, these people get taken advantage of, and there is nowhere to go.
“In the industry, these producers say they have a big role in giving to you, but if you don’t comprise, they blacklist you.”
Do you think there’s a way out?
“Yes, there is. The security agencies have to come into the picture and offer help. Also, Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) must help fight against these things. There’s also a need for top actresses to team up as a voice, which is why I like what Tonto Dikeh is doing. We need more of her, people who can courageously speak up and fight against the menace.
“Also, the Federal government must be involved and channel its torchlight to the film industry by setting out a non-partial committee devoid of nepotism and sentiments. So many things are happening in the industry, and i don’t know who to cry to. The government must help actresses fight against the injustice being perpetrated in the film industry.”