Nigerian actor, Mofe Duncan, has shared his past encounters with producers who criticized his weight and marginalized him early in his acting career.
Duncan opened up about the challenges he faced with body shaming in the industry, revealing how a troll once disparaged his appearance by linking it to his weight. He recounted a painful back injury sustained while rigorously working out to conform to societal beauty standards.
The talented actor disclosed the emotional toll the body shaming he endured took on him during those formative years in the entertainment business.
He wrote:
“So this guy @iamadeogooluwayimika said I’m not allowed on the most handsome men in Nigeria list because I’m big. Lol!
“So comments like these brush off me like a leaf falling from a tree, zero impact. Zero damage.
“I’m a big guy, yes. I’ve been big for the past 10yrs, yes.
“Did I have a severe back injury whilst in the gym trying to look how people wanted me to look? Absolutely.
“I’ve been trolled and even had producers not want to work with me after calling me ‘fat’. Did it affect me years ago? Yes.
Does it affect me now? Never. Has it affected my acting or my career? I’d let my movies speak for me.
“What about my personality? Never. Or my health? Nope. Now some would say ‘Ignore these trolls.’ I should, shouldn’t I? Yes.
“The thing is…. this post ain’t for me or about me, it’s for others like me who get body shamed or called ‘unpretty’ because they’re larger than their peers.”
