To Kill a Monkey actress Lilian Afegbai has opened up about how her friends in the film industry repeatedly cast her as an extra despite knowing she is a professional actor.
The 33-year-old spoke in an interview about her most challenging experience in Nollywood.
“People that I know, friends in the production industry, casting me as an extra and not an actor,” she said.
“It’s different when you play a cameo in the film, but when it becomes a norm that your friends casting for a big production forget that you are an actor and when you remind them, they say you should come and play extra. They were comfortable with me playing extra.”
Lilian starred as Idia in Netflix’s new crime thriller To Kill a Monkey, directed by Kemi Adetiba. The series explores themes of cybercrime, betrayal, and survival and features a star-studded cast including Stella Damasus, Bucci Franklin, William Benson, Chidi Mokeme, Bimbo Akintola, and Ireti Doyle.
Speaking about her role in the series, Lilian had earlier said, “Playing Idia was more than just a role. It was a journey of becoming one with a character whose strength, vulnerability and spirit I poured my soul into. I gave everything to bring her to life, and seeing your kind words, messages, and encouragement means the world to me and makes it all worth it.”
Lilian’s performance in To Kill a Monkey marks a major career milestone after years of being cast in minor roles. Her breakthrough as a producer came in 2018 with the romantic drama Bound, starring Rita Dominic and Enyinna Nwigwe. The film won the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award (AMVCA) for Best Indigenous Language (Igbo).
She has since gone on to star in films like The Wedding, The Women, Road to Yesterday, Double Strings and Hotel Labamba, where she played a leading role in the 2023 crime-comedy drama.
Lilian was also a housemate on Big Brother Africa in 2014 before launching fully into acting.
