It's almost time for the prestigious awards undefinedwhich a lot of actors and filmmakers define their worth by.
What Nollywood actors can learn from Leonardo DiCaprio
Does winning an award really make an actor 'the best?' For years, Leonardo DiCaprio did not allow the Oscars to define who he is, be like Leo!
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![Kanayo Kanayo [Instagram/kanayo.o.kanayo]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Kanayo Kanayo [Instagram/kanayo.o.kanayo]")
Winning an award is great. It's like a validation, but that should never define an actor or filmmaker.
Earlier this year, a talented and respected "You said I don't get my sound right? And October 1 got nominations in several award events and won at AMVCA."
The above response had me wondering "does an AMVCA nomination or win make you perfect?" My answer would be NO! I have seen some actors nominated, and tried understanding how they made the list. I rush to see the movie that earned them the nomination, and immediately feel it's an insult to talent to nominate them. So, a nomination doesn't always mean an actor did well in a movie - you could just be the Jennifer Lawrence of Nollywood.
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An award or title doesn't define you. It doesn't make you more or less talented than fellow actors. We have the perfect case study; Leonardo DiCaprio.
After six Oscar nominations and numerous times that he should have earned a nomination, DiCaprio won his first Oscar award this year for "The Revenant," which you and I would agree isn't his best performance ever.
We all know he has deserved this award for a long time, but his numerous misses didn't make any less of a great actor.
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undefined empty handed. Rather than complain or go all Kanye West, Olamide-Don Jazzy, or throw subtle shades, he found that next big role and continued to challenge himself and present us with classic movies.
Leonardo once said, “I am really moved by all the people on the internet demanding that I should win an Oscar but to be honest, I only do this job because I love it, not to win prizes.”
Here in Nigeria, we don't have a perfect award system! Actors you don't understand on screen get nominated and even win, almost every actor is an award winner, and
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When you're talented and good at what you do, people can only say "I wonder why he hasn't been recognized by AMVCA or AMMA", but nobody would doubt your talent or success, or considered you less of an actor for not winning.
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If the above mentioned filmmaker had defended his work with anything but his AMVCA win, then we could listen. But defending your talent with an Award that is based on fan base, isn't enough.
Sometimes better movies and actors lose out because they don't have that fan base. I have been voting for my favourite Nollywood actress nominated this year. Deep within me, I know her performance in film that earned her the nomination, isn't better than her competition. But then, I'm a fan, so all my friends must vote, and who knows, she could win. If a Jury were to sit and vote based on talent and other factors, she probably won't be among the first three.
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Leonardo is a talented actor, but imagine if he failed to win his first Oscar on Sunday, and no one spoke up. The internet was ready to celebrate his win, or rant over his loss. This can only happen when the whole world really recognises your talent.
Be more concerned about your work and talent. Be that actor who people will vote for because of talent, consistency and depth, not because their friends have been bullying them to vote 100 times and bring back the trophy.
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Leo did not allow the Oscars to define who he is, be like Leonardo DiCaprio.
Watch Leonardo DiCaprio's perfect acceptance speech below.
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