I was paid N15,000 for lead roles – Jim Iyke

By Rita Okoye

Popular Nollywood actor, Jim Iyke, has opened up on the events that led to his infamous two-year ban from the movie industry, as well as the struggles he faced in his early years as an actor.

Speaking at the recently held Mind Shift Conference, the actor revealed that his decision to uphold personal standards and demand better pay for actors made him a target for producers.

“For the first two years of my career, they kept offering me small roles, and I refused them. I said if it’s not a major lead, I am not doing it. At some point, I was broke, but my self-value was too high. It wasn’t just about money—it was a standard I set for myself. I knew it was only a matter of time before the right opportunity came.”

Iyke disclosed that when the breakthrough eventually came, the reward was underwhelming. “I have been paid ₦15,000, ₦20,000 for a lead role. I did four movies and still got paid peanuts. I used 80 percent of the money to change my wardrobe, just to make my look worth it. After the movies came out, producers made over a million in sales, but when they came back for another role, I charged them ₦1 million.”

The actor went on to reveal that his push for better remuneration among colleagues eventually triggered his temporary ban from Nollywood.

“It was a battle between actors and producers. I was later banned because they said I orchestrated a group of actors who were demanding too much money. Isn’t that ridiculous? Producers were becoming multi-millionaires while many actors were struggling to survive,” he explained.