Your Theatre Degree Isn’t Getting You Cast? Heavens Obule Explains Why

Let's get uncomfortable for a second. You spent four years studying Theatre Arts at university. You can recite Shakespeare, you understand method acting, and you've done Stanislavski exercises until your soul hurts.

You graduate with distinction, ready to conquer Nollywood. You send out your headshots, attend auditions, and post monologues on Instagram.

And then... nothing.

Meanwhile, someone who spent three months in the Big Brother house just landed a lead role in a ₦200 million production.

They can't hit their marks, they don't understand blocking, their line delivery is flat, but they're getting paid millions per shoot day while you're still begging for ₦50,000 roles.

Welcome to Nollywood in 2025, where your Instagram follower count matters more than your certification.

We sat down with Heavens Obule, a producer, talent manager, and co-founder of TakeOne Productions, who's lived through every side of this industry, from struggling actor to successful producer to talent manager representing the next generation. And he didn't sugarcoat anything.

The Formula Nobody Wants to Admit

"When a film goes to distributors, they literally ask: 'Who's in it?'" Heavens explained. "Not 'What's the story?' or 'How's the cinematography?'  it's 'Who can sell this film?'"

And by "who," they don't mean who can deliver the most compelling performance. They mean, who has the most Instagram followers, the most recognisable face, the biggest social media engagement. SOCIAL CURRENCY.

This is the reality that film schools don't prepare you for. 

Heavens broke down what actually happens when producers are casting: "Producers are asking themselves, 'If I put this person in my film, will people buy tickets? Will streaming platforms pay me more?' And if the answer is no, you're not getting cast."

What Talent Managers Actually Look For 

When Heavens is scouting or signing talent to Take One, the conversation starts with something most acting coaches never teach: What does success mean to you?

"Some of my talents just want two jobs a month that pay well so they can eat and take care of their families," he said. "They don't even care about being Instagram famous. But I tell them, you have to have an online presence. Because if you're not visible, you don't exist in this industry."

It's the paradox of modern Nollywood: You need to be seen to get work, but you can't get work to be seen.

So what does Heavens actually look for when scouting talent?

First: Can you act?

"All my talents are trained actors," he emphasised. "They went to school, they understand the craft. That's non-negotiable for me."

Second: Are you willing to be commercial?

"I tell my talents straight up, if you want to just do art films and wait for festival circuits, and you don't have trust fund money, you're going to starve. You need to find the balance between doing work that feeds you and doing work that feeds your soul."

Third: Are you online?

"I don't believe in hiding your talent. You can't have a gift and keep it to yourself. You have to let the world see what you can do through social media, through content, through being present."

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Here's where it gets a bit tricky. Heavens made a distinction: "There are producers who cast for the art, but they're in the minority. And they're usually grant-funded or they have money from other sources. But most producers? They're doing this for business. They need to make their money back. So they're casting whoever will sell tickets."

This is the blueprint that university theatre programs aren't teaching: Build your audience first, prove your commercial value, then leverage that into better artistic opportunities.

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We asked Heavens how he felt about producers casting Big Brother housemates and content creators over trained actors?

"I understand the frustration, but I also understand the business. When you put a Big Brother star in your film, you're tapping into their existing fanbase. Their fans will show up opening weekend just to see them. That's guaranteed revenue," he said.

But then he added, "The problem is when producers only cast for numbers and don't support those people with trained actors around them. When your entire cast is just influencers and reality TV people, the film suffers. You need a blend."

The most sustainable approach isn't choosing between art and commerce, it's figuring out how to do both. Cast your commercial draw, but surround them with actors who can actually carry scenes. 

"Some of these reality TV people actually want to learn," Heavens said. "The industry needs to stop treating them like they're stealing jobs and start integrating them properly. Pair them with acting coaches, give them smaller roles first, let them grow."

One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was when Heavens talked about privilege, something Nollywood rarely discusses honestly.

He told me about his own journey, how he almost became a chartered accountant because his father secured a banking job for him. He had financial stability while pursuing acting, which meant he could be selective about roles.

"When I was starting out, I could afford to turn down ₦40,000 roles because I had other income. But for someone who's paying rent and feeding themselves from acting alone? They can't afford to be picky. They take whatever comes."

This is the conversation nobody wants to have: Success in Nollywood isn't just about talent or hard work. It's about access, timing, financial cushion, and yes, privilege.

"If you're a trained actor but you're broke, you're going to get frustrated out of this industry," Heavens said bluntly. "That's just facts. The industry doesn't pay enough at the entry level for you to survive on acting alone. So my advice? Find something else to do that generates income while you build your acting career."

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After an hour of conversation, we asked Heavens the question every aspiring actor wants answered: Should young people still study Theatre Arts in university?

He didn't hesitate: "Honestly? Not really. Not if you want to work in Nollywood specifically."

He clarified: "I'd tell them to do a screen acting course instead. Get certified in screen acting, learn the technical side of film acting, hitting marks, working with cameras, and understanding continuity. Because stage acting and screen acting are completely different."

But then came the harder truth: "If you're not from a wealthy family, and you want to be an actor, you need a backup plan. Period. You need something else to generate income while you build your acting career. Because the industry will frustrate you out if you're relying on acting money to survive in your early years."

On whether acting is even a sustainable career in Nollywood?

"It can be," he said. "But you have to be strategic. You have to outlast the initial frustration period. The people who are successful now didn't give up. They found ways to sustain themselves while building their careers."

"But notice they didn't just act. They built brands, they created content, they stayed visible, and they diversified. That's the blueprint," he concluded.

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The Hard Reset Nollywood Needs

Toward the end of our conversation, Heavens got reflective about the industry's future.

"Nollywood needs structure. We need proper systems for managing talent, proper contracts, and proper working conditions. Right now, it's too chaotic."

But he also acknowledged the progress: "Ten years ago, actors weren't making the kind of money they're making now. YouTube created a whole new economy. Streaming platforms brought in bigger budgets. Things are changing, just maybe not fast enough."

His advice to the industry? Stop pretending it's just about art. Embrace that it's business, but make it better business.

"Be honest with actors about what you're looking for. If you want commercial value, say that upfront. If you want trained actors, invest in them. If you want new faces, give them a real chance, not just one movie, then back to obscurity."

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