Kanayo O Kanayo is Nollywood's most iconic ritualist — the actor hates it

<p>Kanayo O. Kanayo first played the character of a ritualist 31 years ago, and he's found it impossible to shake the reputation.</p>, <span>Kanayo O. Kanayo wants to be remembered for more than his ritualist roles Instagram/@kanayookanayo</span>, <h2>No one bears the brunt of Nollywood's typecast problem quite like Kanayo O. Kanayo, an actor who cut his teeth playing iconic ritualist roles in a series of classic occult films starting in the 1990s.</h2>, <p>He made his ritualist debut in Nollywood's first blockbuster success, 1992's Living in Bondage, playing Chief Omego, a megarich motor spare parts dealer who sacrifices his mother for wealth.</p>, <p>The film's mainstream success and the actor's magnetic performance in a supporting role launched a trend of ritualist films that populated the market in the 1990s and much of the 2000s.</p>, <p>Kanayo O. Kanayo went on to play Gabriel, who unintentionally sacrifices his son for wealth, in Executive Billionaires; Edward, who sacrifices two sons and blocks his wife's womb, in The Diamond Secrets; Amobi, who, as a 30-year-old man, pledges to an occult group to die at the age of 42 in exchange for wealth, in Nothing for Nothing; and Nobert, who sacrifices his father, twin sister and wife to enjoy 10 maximum years of wealth, in Standing Order (Thou Shall Be Rich).</p>, <p>The actor was prolific with his ritualist roles and quickly became the face of Nollywood's potent era of ritual films, but he wasn't alone.</p>, <p>Clem Ohameze was quite prolific with the ritualist roles, too, and often co-starred with Kanayo O. Kanayo, including in Nothing for Nothing and Standing Order (Thou Shall Be Rich).</p>, <p>To some degree, other actors like Enebeli Enebuwa, Zach Orji, Prince Emeka Ani, Alex Usifo, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, and Ejike Asiegbu developed quite a reputation for ritualist roles.</p>, <p>But none of Kanayo O. Kanayo's peers has retained the shine quite like he has decades later, and now he's the Nigerian pop culture avatar of the ritualist.</p>, <p>By the mid-2000s, he al