“We Were Called The Big Three”— Stella Damasus Names Genevieve Nnaji And Omotola As Nollywood’s Leading Trio In The 2000s

Veteran Nollywood actress Stella Damasus has recalled the early years of her career alongside fellow actresses Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, describing the trio as the “big three” female actors in Nollywood during the 2000s.

Damasus made the revelation while speaking on a podcast, where she reflected on the period when the three actresses were prominent figures in the Nigerian film industry.

According to her, she, Genevieve and Omotola built their careers authentically, without trying to imitate one another or conform to the image of other celebrities.

“They called us the big three. Genevieve, Omotola, Stella. The three of us were in this thing, playing friends. We were very authentic. We were not trying to be like other people. We were not trying to copy other people or be who we were not,” she said.

Damasus said the three actresses were focused on their craft rather than fame or money, noting that the absence of social media at the time meant they had little idea of how successful they could eventually become.

“Everything was authentic. We were not doing it because of the fame or the money. There was no social media to tell us how big we could get. We did not know,” she said.

The actress recalled that seeing their faces on movie posters and being recognised by people was one of the clearest indications of their growing popularity at the time.

“After you see yourself on a poster, that’s about it. People will recognise you here and there and all of that at that time,” she added.

Damasus described the period as one in which young, talented actresses entered the industry with determination and a strong desire to succeed.

“And you just saw young, beautiful, talented women coming to do this job with everything they’ve got, with so much determination to succeed,” she said.

She also acknowledged that their popularity led to comparisons among fans, with audiences often debating which of the three actresses was better.

According to Damasus, the comparisons created an atmosphere where each actress felt the need to continually prove herself and avoid being perceived as the weakest among the trio.

“And I won’t lie, it also brought a lot of comparisons. Fans who love this person more than this person, more than this person. So it meant that we had to keep proving ourselves that we’re better. We’re better. So don’t think I’m the weakest link. Nobody wanted to be the weakest link,” she said.