Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor has clarified why her peers plead with people for financial support when suffering from long-term illnesses.
She characterizes the actors in an interview as “heavy spenders,” saying that their opulent lifestyles make it hard for them to save money.
Some Nollywood stars, according to Ozokwor, make good money, but when faced with illness, they frequently decide to ask for public assistance.
The movie star claims that family members and friends put a lot of financial pressure on actors and that when an actor gets sick, they can no longer make money, which is why they decide to ask for public help to cover their medical expenses. She said,
“Some of us [actors] are paid well, but before this sickness get, nobody helps you because everybody feels you’ve a lot of money. And you’re managing it [sickness] with your family. Also nobody pays you anymore when you’re on that sick bed. Because it’s when you’re healthy that you can be shooting movies and getting money. The illness has kept you out for a long time and the money you saved has been exhausted.
The seasoned actor, who nevertheless has a youthful appearance, went on,
“And you know, because of the nature of our job, we are heavy-spenders. The clothes you wear matters to the world. We call it packaging. The way you packaged yourself. The worst is that you can’t even repeat your expensive clothes. These are the things that make us spend a lot of money. And then people pounce on you, they feel you’ve a lot of money because they see your face everywhere. I know how many people that have come to this house today to ask for help.”
