- Uzor Arukwe fired from Etisalat in 2012, took responsibility for incident
- Struggled in Nollywood, faced rejection, minimal pay
- Persevered, achieved success, shares inspiring journey
Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has shared his inspiring journey into the movie industry, revealing how he was dismissed from his job at Etisalat Nigeria in 2012. In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jidenonwo, Uzor recounted how he was sacked from his role as a specialist, despite hoping for a promotion to manager.
Uzor took responsibility for an incident in his department, but failed to disclose details. He then attempted to transition into Nollywood, but faced rejection and was jobless from November 2012 to November 2013. When he finally started getting roles, he was paid minimal amounts, including N1,000, N2,000, and N10,000, and even received “thank you for coming” as payment at one point.
Uzor reflected on his journey, saying, “I worked in telcos, retail, and sports. To be honest, I was fired from Etisalat… I was fired sometime in 2012. Something happened in my department, and I had to take the fall as the leader… It was one of the hardest things ever. They stripped me of everything that makes you think you have a job.”
Despite facing challenges, Uzor persevered and eventually landed his first gig with Iroko in 2018. He shared his struggles, saying, “I was broke, busted down, and had no money. It was so bad that I was saying prayers at noon.”
