In an industry often clouded by sex-related controversies, Nollywood actress, Sandra Okunzuwa says she maintains a clean reputation.
Born on February 25, 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 interview with Jermaine Media on YouTube, the actress spoke about her experiences within the industry, specifically addressing longstanding discussions around 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.
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, but YouTube has improved earnings for actors and filmmakers. With YouTube, everything is now different,” she observed.
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 five to six million naira in a movie project, you are sure of making returns in double or even triple folds. 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 N5 million for a four-day shoot,” she added.