Popular Nollywood special effects and make-up artist, Hakeem Onilogbo, aka Hakeem Effects, has recounted a difficult experience he once had with an actress who disrespected him on a movie set.
In an interview with newsmen he said, “Some years ago, while I was growing in my career, an actress came on set and I was asked to do a makeover on her. She then asked me to wash my hands. I washed my hands in her presence, but as I was about to pick my brush to start applying the make-up, she asked me to go and wash them again. I washed my hands about 10 times because she was frustrating me.”
Rather than react negatively, Hakeem said he found a subtle way to express his displeasure. “When it was time to fan the people I worked on, I focused on an up-and-coming actress and left the other one sweating. She then complained and I told her I couldn’t keep washing my hands because I wanted to fan her.”
Speaking on how some actors treat crew members, Hakeem noted that disrespect on set is often rooted in personal issues rather than professional dynamics.
“In most cases, actors and crew members have a cordial relationship. However, many production teams treat actors far better than they treat crew members, forgetting that without the crew, actors cannot function,” he said.
On how he would react if he were physically assaulted on set, he responded, “They cannot do it because respect is reciprocal, and I will never cross my boundaries or do something to trigger anyone to violence. It is not in every matter that you clap back at someone.”
This comes on the heels of the recent news that an actress, Shirley Igwe, was suspended by the Actors Guild of Nigeria, after she allegedly slapped a make-up artiste on a movie set.
