Veteran Nollywood actress Stella Damasus has reflected on her early years in the Nigerian film industry, recalling a period when she said she, Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde were regarded as the industry's “Big 3.”
Damasus made the revelation during an interview with Pulse TV, where she spoke about the careers, competition and fan comparisons surrounding some of Nollywood's prominent female stars during the industry's earlier years.
“They called us the Big Three, Omotola, Stella and Genevieve. We were very authentic; we weren’t trying to be other people, copy other people, or be who we aren’t,” she said.
According to Damasus, the trio's approach to acting was driven largely by their passion and determination rather than the pursuit of fame.
She recalled that social media was not available at the time to give actors an immediate measure of their popularity or show them how widely their careers were being followed.
“There was no social media to tell us how big we could get. We didn’t know. After you see yourself on a poster, that’s about it,” she said.
Damasus said the actresses were young, talented and determined to give their best to their work.
“You saw young, beautiful, and talented women coming together to do the job with everything they had and so much determination to succeed,” she added.
The actress also recalled the comparisons among the three stars and how fan preferences contributed to competition.
She said supporters often preferred one actress over another, creating pressure for each of them to continue proving themselves.
“It brought about a lot of comparisons. Fans who love one more than the others, and we had to keep proving ourselves. So we don't think we are the weakest. Nobody wanted to be the weakest,” Damasus said.
Damasus' comments have since generated mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians agreeing that she was one of the major actresses of that era, while others disputed her description of the trio as Nollywood's “Big 3.”
Some commenters argued that actresses such as Rita Dominic, Oge Okoye and Stephanie Okereke were also major figures during the period.
One social media user argued that the three should instead have been Genevieve, Omotola and Rita Dominic, while another defended Damasus and said those questioning her status likely did not follow Nollywood closely during that period.
The debate has consequently revived memories of Nollywood's earlier era, when actresses competed for leading roles in films and developed large fan bases before social media became a major platform for measuring celebrity popularity.
Damasus' recollection offers a glimpse into the period when Nollywood's leading actresses became household names largely through films, television appearances, posters and word-of-mouth rather than the social-media platforms that dominate entertainment promotion today.
While the description of Damasus, Genevieve and Omotola as the industry's “Big 3” remains a retrospective characterization by Damasus rather than an official industry ranking, the reaction to her comments has once again sparked conversation about the actresses who defined Nollywood's earlier years.
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