The actress mentioned this while fielding questions from newsmen after the launch of a new book by Nina Anyianuka titled, Disowned.
The book with themes around sexual abuse and harassment was launched at Terra Kulture, Lagos in the presence of numerous Nollywood actors such as the veteran actress, Mofe Damijo and Lala Akindoju.
According to the 56-year-old screen goddess, the pressure on young actresses to offer sexual favours is very high. Explaining, Silva who is married to another famous Nollywood actor, Olu Jacobs says:
“Unfortunately, the casting couch issue is alive in Nollywood”. “Sometimes there is this hunger to get the work. Maybe you’ve gone to several auditions and you haven’t gotten the work, then somebody tells you that it is because you are not doing what you should do that is when you are not getting the work.
“What I say to them is don’t believe it. By the time the producer, director, production manager or whoever insists on sleeping with you, it is very likely you will end up not getting the work. Some of the sad stories we hear are that because some people are so desperate, they end up getting passed around.”
Drawing an analogy with entrepreneurs, Silva said up and coming actresses should not compromise their dignity to get by.
“There is no need for that,” she said. “As an entrepreneur, you go round looking for money and you are probably going to get several ‘no’s before you get your ‘yes‘Veteran Nigerian actress, Joke Silva, has said that sad stories of sex demands are too much in Nollywood. It’s the same with the audition. You must keep your dignity. Find something else to keep body and soul together.
“That is why you hear that abroad people wait tables or work in restaurants because they need something to keep body and soul together until that break happens. You should be proud as long as you are earning honest money. If possible train yourself in audition skills.”
She added that having more women in positions of power and authority in Nollywood could stem the tide.
“We need more women producers, more women scriptwriters and more women stories so that we can then absorb a lot of women in the industry,” she concluded.
