One of the leading actresses in Nollywood, Omoni Oboli, has said there is nothing wrong with Idris Elba’s casting as the lead actor in the upcoming film adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel Things Fall Apart.
The actress spoke in an interview with Channels TV on Saturday.
‘Things Fall Apart’ is Achebe’s debut novel, first published in 1958.
The novel depicts the pre-colonial life in Igboland and the subsequent appearance of European missionaries and colonial forces in the late 19th century.
When it was first made into a movie in 1971 and a mini-series in 1987, a Nigerian actor, Pete Edochie played Okonkwo, the novel’s protagonist.
In the upcoming remake, Elba, a British actor, will play the lead role, a development that has sparked widespread criticism.
However, speaking on Channels TV, Oboli said there is nothing inappropriate about Elba playing the lead role since he is African.
Noting that Africans are better suited to tell their own stories, she said, “I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with Idris Elba playing ‘Okonkwo’ in Things Fall Apart’.
“Idris is African. His dad is Sierra Leonean. Yes, he has lived abroad but he is African. So, that is an African telling an African story.
“So, I do not see anything wrong with that. I am just being honest.”
The 52-year-old Elba was born in London to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother and is one of the top 20 highest-grossing actors in the world.
A veteran actor, Bob-Manuel Udokwu had previously opined that Nigerian actors could provide a deeper insight into the role.
