We Weren't Doing It For Fame Or Money – Stella Damasus Speaks On Nollywood's Big Three Era

Veteran actress Stella Damasus has reflected on the era when she, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, and Genevieve Nnaji were regarded as the "Big Three" of Nollywood.

In a recent interview with Pulse TV, she explained that what set them apart was their authenticity, noting that they were not trying to imitate anyone or pretend to be who they were not.

Damasus recalled that there was no social media at the time to measure their fame, so they had no idea how big they were becoming. She said seeing themselves on posters was about the extent of it, and they only got recognised occasionally in public.

The iconic movie star described the era as one where young, beautiful, and talented women came together to do the work with everything they had and a strong determination to succeed.

She also acknowledged that their rise brought about constant comparisons, with fans favouring one over the others. According to her, this pushed each of them to keep proving themselves because none of them wanted to be seen as the weakest.

"They called us the Big Three, Omotola, Stella and Genevieve. We were very authentic; we weren't trying to be other people, copy other people, or be who we aren't. Everything was authentic; we weren't doing it for fame or money."

"There was no social media to tell us how big we could get. We didn't know. After you see yourself on a poster, that's about it; people may recognise you here or there at that time."

"You saw young, beautiful, and talented women coming together to do the job with everything they had and so much determination to succeed."

"It brought about a lot of comparisons. Fans who love one more than the others, and we had to keep proving ourselves. So we don't think we are the weakest. Nobody wanted to be the weakest."