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In an industry often overshadowed by sex-related controversies, Nollywood actress Sandra Okunzuwa maintains a clean reputation.
Born on 25 February 1996 in Benin City, Edo State, she has grown from an emerging screen talent into a filmmaker with a strong digital presence and a portfolio of projects that reflect her expanding ambitions.
In a recent YouTube interview, the actress spoke about her experiences in the industry, specifically addressing longstanding discussions about sexual harassment in Nollywood.
“I have never experienced sex for a movie role in the industry. I have never had such a situation since I joined. No producer has ever asked me for sex in exchange for a movie role. I am not suggesting it doesn’t happen, but I have not had a personal experience,” she said.
Ms Okunzuwa, however, acknowledged a separate incident early in her career involving a director who showed romantic interest in her.
“The only experience I have had is with an unmarried director who asked me out for a serious relationship that could lead to marriage. I turned that down because marriage was not on my agenda at that time. We did a couple of projects together after that,” she recalled.
Beyond personal encounters, Okunzuwa also commented on ongoing debates about earnings within Nollywood, particularly the perception that actors are underpaid.
“I think this has been going on for a long time now,” she said. “But YouTube has improved earnings for actors and filmmakers. With YouTube, everything is now different.”
She explained that her move into YouTube-based film production in December 2024 created new financial opportunities and altered her approach to filmmaking.
“Then, if you invest like 5, 6 million naira into a movie project, you are sure of making returns in double or even triple folds,” she noted. “However, now viewers are demanding Netflix-standard movies in terms of production quality.”
According to her, increasing audience expectations have significantly raised production budgets.
“Now, I spend about 15 to 20 million naira on one film. Actors are now very expensive, too. Those who are valuable on YouTube are paid well. Some charge as much as 5 million naira for a four-day shoot,” she added.
