By Abigail David
Nollywood actor Ray Emodi has explained that burnout and exhaustion, rather than a loss of passion, prompted his temporary decision to step away from acting.
In a video shared on YouTube, the actor apologised to fans for announcing his exit from the film industry, saying the decision was emotionally driven and made after years of nonstop work.
Emodi disclosed that he appeared in more than 300 productions, including feature films, short films and television series, between 2017 and the end of 2025 without taking extended breaks.
“I acted since 2017 till last year. That’s about 300 productions. Eight years, no vacations, no rest. I was tired. If you do something too much, you get tired. I needed a break to find the love for acting again,” he said.
The actor stressed that acting remains his passion, noting that he studied the profession and earned a master’s degree in acting for film.
He admitted that his earlier decision to focus entirely on music was made in the heat of the moment and expressed regret over the way it affected his supporters.
“I have high respect for acting. Waking up one day to say I’m not acting again felt like I swindled you guys. I’m sorry for playing with your emotions,” he said.
Emodi added that his goal has always been to inspire people through his creative work and announced plans to return to acting in a more balanced way to avoid another episode of burnout.
Earlier this year, the actor announced his departure from Nollywood, citing traumatic experiences on movie sets and revealing his intention to concentrate on his music career.
