Roy De Nani speaks on 13-year Nollywood ban, losing two kids to sickle cell

Roy De Nani, the ace Nigerian actor, has opened up about the career setbacks and personal tragedies he has faced over the years.

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In a recent episode of the ‘Where Is The Lie’ podcast, De Nani revealed that an unnamed individual once blacklisted him in the movie industry for 13 years, a move that he said negatively impacted his career.

According to him, there were instances when film productions were shut down after producers received orders to remove him from their projects.

“That was how it started from 11 months to 13 years… A man gave an order that nobody should give Roy De Nani a job again. For years, even when I was already recording, a producer would come in and say, ‘No, cancel it. Stop,’” he said.

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De Nani also spoke about the death of his brother, noting that none of his colleagues in the entertainment industry attended the funeral.

“I have a brother from the same father. When he died, not a single actor or actress showed up,” he said.

The actor further shared the heartbreaking loss of his son and daughter, who died because he could not afford the blood transfusions needed to manage their sickle cell condition.

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De Nani stated that he received no support from the movie industry during that difficult time, though he suggested it may have been due to a lack of awareness rather than intentional neglect.

“I lost my son and my daughter because they needed blood transfusions to keep living, but there was no money to buy the blood, and they died,” he said.

“Nollywood never came to help me. Not that they don’t care, but they haven’t been touched by it. Let it be said that way.”

With decades in the industry, De Nani is known for films such as ‘Atinga’, ‘Midnight Love’, ‘The Last Burial’, ‘Onye-Eze’, ‘The Catechist’, and ‘Axe of Vengeance’.

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