It's Not My Job To Protect Actors' Marriages – Biodun Stephen

Nollywood producer Biodun Stephen has responded to criticism over kissing scenes in Nollywood, stating that safeguarding actors' marriages is not her responsibility.

Speaking in a video on her Instagram page, she addressed remarks from a critic who suggested that such scenes could ruin actors' homes.

Stephen clarified that while kissing is not central to her filmmaking class, she includes it when the story demands it. She explained that believability is key in selling emotions and chemistry on screen. She noted that actors and their spouses understand the demands of the profession and should manage their relationships accordingly.

She further emphasized that her role as a producer is to present actors properly to the audience without making them feel personal. However, she maintained that she cannot be held responsible for the state of their marriages, adding that no one is forced to work for her.

She said: "There's this lady that always has a mouth for Nollywood. She said something about the kissing, Nollywood, and producers. And she said something about producers taking things easy on having actors kiss because we're possibly ruining their marriages."

"Kissing is not really part of my craft because I want you people to watch my movies with your children, but that doesn't mean that when an opportunity comes for it, I won't embrace it. I will embrace it as long as the story calls for it."

"One of the things we're selling actors on screen is believability. You're selling an emotion, you're selling a chemistry, you want people to believe this love so that they can root for it."

"Yeah, it can be done without intense kissing, but when you are now bringing things like the marriage not working"

"I think that responsibility is on the actor who has chosen the profession and also on the spouse of that actor who has accepted that my spouse is an actor, and therefore things like kissing and rubbing might occur."

"And they must have made their peace with it. That responsibility is not my responsibility."

"We have actors who will say to you that I'm sorry, I can't kiss for personal beliefs, and there are actors who say I don't mind kissing."

"My job as producer or director is to protect you as actors. My job is to present you properly to the audience without making you feel personal, but my job is not to break your home because that's not on me. I did not put a gun on your head to work for me."