Nollywood filmmaker Biodun Stephen has defended the use of kissing scenes in movies, stating that producers and directors should not be blamed for problems that may arise in the marriages of actors.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding intimate scenes in Nigerian films, Stephen said actors willingly choose their profession, while their spouses understand the nature of the job before getting married.
She explained that although kissing scenes are not a regular feature in her productions, she includes them when they are necessary to make a story believable.
According to her, acting is about convincing audiences and creating genuine chemistry between characters, adding that this can be achieved with or without intimate scenes.
Stephen stressed that the responsibility of protecting a marriage lies with the actor and their spouse, not with filmmakers.
“When you begin to say things like, ‘the marriage, the home,’ I think that responsibility is on the actor who has chosen this profession, and also on the spouse of that actor. That responsibility is not my responsibility,” she said.
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The filmmaker also noted that she respects actors who decline kissing scenes for personal or religious reasons and is willing to adjust scripts where possible. However, she said other actors are comfortable performing such scenes if they are essential to the story.
She maintained that her duty as a producer and director is to ensure actors are treated with dignity and professionalism on set, not to manage their personal relationships.
“My job as a producer/director is to protect the actor. But my job is not to break your home because that’s not on me. I did not put a gun to your head as an actor to work for me,” she said.
Stephen concluded that while filmmakers have a responsibility to portray actors respectfully on screen, safeguarding their marriages is a personal responsibility that rests with the actors and their partners.
