Veteran Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus is shedding light on the frustrating standards and stereotypes Africans face in Hollywood.

In a recent clip making rounds online, the actress recalled how casting directors and producers overseas frequently required a particular “African” accent, which she says doesn’t reflect how real Africans speak.

“They’re like, ‘No, there’s a particular kind of accent that you must have.’ So that’s why they force our people to put it on. ‘Hey, my name is this… Have you ever come to this place?’ I’m like, we don’t talk like that.”

Damasus emphasized that Africa is not a monolith and that countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and others all have their own unique tones and dialects, not the overly stereotyped version often portrayed on Western screens. She went on to highlight the colourism and identity struggles many African actors face when trying to break into the Hollywood scene. They say to me, ‘We want an African to be very dark. That’s the kind of African we are used to. We’re not used to your kind of African.’” “So, you’re not dark enough. You’re not light enough to be half-caste. You’re not mixed race. Your accent — you don’t sound American, British, or African. I’m like, how do you think Africans sound?”