Award-winning actor and filmmaker Uzee Usman has revealed that a prominent Nollywood director once told him he would never succeed in the film industry because of his appearance.
Speaking on the UnlimitedOne show, Usman said the incident occurred during an audition at the National Theatre in 2003. Although he declined to identify the director, he noted that the same person has since directed a series for him.
“He looked at me and said, ‘You will never make it in this industry. You don’t have the personality. You are too ugly,'” Usman recalled, adding that the director advised him to pursue a behind-the-scenes role instead.
Taking the advice differently, Usman approached renowned Nollywood makeup artist Gabazzini and trained under him from 2003 to 2005. He later travelled to South Africa to study special effects before returning to Nigeria, where he built a successful career as one of the country’s most sought-after makeup artists.
