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| Ramsey Nouah |
(CNN)It's probably the most important advice Nigerian movie superstar Ramsey Nouah ever received: "My friend said," Nouah recalls,"'you look like a great actor, why don't you act?'"
That was some 25 years ago, when Nouah was looking for funds to cover his school examination fees. Nouah took his friend's suggestion and started auditioning for TV shows. He quickly landed a role in a successful soap opera, and soon after he made his debut in Nollywood, Nigeria's mighty movie making machine.
Today, Nouah is one of the industry's most popular names, having starred in dozens of films and won several accolades. His latest movie -- "Thy Will Be Done," by director Obi Emelonye -- became last month the first Nollywood film to premiere at London's BFI IMAX, Britain's biggest cinema screen.
CNN's African Voices caught up with Nouah to talk about Nigeria's film industry and present him with the questions you sent via the #AskRamsey and #CNNAfrica hashtags.
CNN: How have you seen Nollywood change and grow over the years?
Ramsey Nouah: There have been several phases in Nollywood, like in everything in life. We started off Nollywood almost like making bread out of stone; there was nothing, no investment, no structure, nothing on the ground to actually help the industry but we've brought it this far and we are very happy.There was a point where there was a nosedive, when it was hitting the rocks because it was predominantly dependent on DVDs, and the quality of the production was poor. It was successful up to a point until piracy came in and intellectual properties weren't protected and practitioners weren't getting their worth. But now there is the cinema, which is growing drastically in Nigeria and that has really helped bring back Nollywood. To read the full interview click here
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