Omotola Jalade reveals Hollywood pays her residuals after five years, says 30 years in Nollywood brought none

• Omotola Jalade made the comments during a podcast conversation about her career.

• She said she receives residual payments from her Hollywood projects after five years in the industry.

• The actress said she has never received similar payments despite 30 years in Nollywood.

• Her comments have renewed discussions about royalties, residuals and payment structures in Nollywood.

Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has opened up about the difference in payment structures between Hollywood and Nollywood, revealing that she receives residual payments from her Hollywood projects despite spending fewer years in the industry.

The actress made the revelation during a podcast conversation, where she discussed her over three-decade career in Nollywood and her experience working in Hollywood.

Omotola said that after only five years of working in Hollywood, she regularly receives envelopes containing residual payments from her projects, unlike her experience in Nollywood, where she said she has not received similar payments despite 30 years in the industry.

“The fact that I’ve only worked how many jobs in LA, I just got back from LA and my envelope is packed, pile of residuals waiting for me. But I’ve only put in five years in Hollywood. I’ve put in 30 years here and I’ve never received an envelope,” she said.

Residuals are additional payments actors receive when their work continues to generate revenue through platforms such as television reruns, streaming services, syndication and other forms of distribution.

Omotola’s comments highlight a long-running conversation about the structure of Nollywood’s compensation system, particularly whether actors and other creatives receive ongoing financial benefits from films that continue earning money after their initial release.

The actress, who began her career as a teenager, has become one of Nollywood’s most recognised figures, featuring in hundreds of films and earning several local and international recognitions.

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She has previously spoken about the need for a stronger system in Nollywood that protects creatives and ensures they benefit from the long-term value of their work.

Hollywood’s residual payment system is supported by established industry structures, including collective bargaining agreements and performers’ unions that help determine how eligible actors receive payments when their work is reused or redistributed.

Omotola’s comments have since sparked discussions about the need for improved contracts, intellectual property protection and better compensation structures for Nigerian actors.

Her remarks come amid broader calls within Nollywood for reforms that would ensure actors, filmmakers and other creatives receive fairer compensation as the industry continues to grow globally.