Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing Sunday has revealed that she rejected an early-career script that required her to perform a scene involving a dog, stating the role conflicted with her values and could damage her public image.

Speaking on a recent episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, the actress said one of her biggest challenges at the beginning of her acting journey was encountering inappropriate or unrealistic scripts.

She explained that despite being new to the industry, she was unwilling to accept a role she believed would follow her throughout her career.

“Despite being a newcomer, I was given a script to sleep with a dog,” she said. “I rejected it because I can’t start off my career like that. Imagine my first ever movie, I am sleeping with a dog. It doesn’t make sense. It is going to be a tag because whatever you start with is what people would associate you with.”

According to Blessing, other aspiring actresses quickly accepted the role after she declined it, though she noted that none of them went on to gain significant prominence.

She added that shortly after leaving the production venue, she met veteran Nollywood filmmaker Emeka Duru, who expressed interest in working with her. This meeting ultimately led to her debut appearance in Through the Fire, a film produced by Emem Isong.