Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia has said that intimate scenes in movies— including passionate kissing and hugging—are purely professional acts and hold no emotional attachment for her.
Speaking in an interview with Punch, the actress addressed the ongoing debate about how intimacy scenes are handled in Nollywood. Etinosa explained that for a trained actor, such scenes are simply another part of the job.
She said professional actors should be able to enter a character and detach from it easily once the director calls “cut.”
“Intimacy scenes in Nollywood are like any other scenes. Once the director says ‘cut,’ everyone is normal,” she said.
According to her, kissing and hugging passionately on screen are performative acts, not emotional experiences.
“Kissing and hugging passionately is a performative act. You can do it without thinking about it or feeling anything. That is where acting comes in. It is not registered in your mind as something erotic,” she explained.
Etinosa added that during such scenes, her focus is on ensuring the shot looks good, not on any physical sensation.
“Most times, I am thinking about whether the scene looks good enough on screen. It is more calculative than intimate,” she said.
Despite how real the scenes may appear, the actress stressed that she feels nothing during intimate moments because her mind is firmly on the job.
“Even though it looks real, I do not feel anything during intimate scenes because it is a mind thing. When your mind is tuned to your job, you do not get carried away,” she added.
Her comments contribute to the broader discussion around professionalism, boundaries, and workplace conduct within Nollywood’s growing film industry.
