Nigerian actor, Jide Awobona is set to play a woman in his movie ‘Rise With Me‘, scheduled for release on 26 December 2025, on YouTube.
The movie poster was shared on his social media accounts; in it, he is seen holding a baby. The caption read, “I celebrate the unbreakable spirit of women who rise above adversity, shatter glass ceilings, and inspire generations to come.” 
If you grew up in the early 2000s, you might have watched ‘Madea’, ‘Norbit’, or ‘Big Momma’s House’, where actors like Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy, and Martin Lawrence wore “woman suits” and played comical, loud African American women. Jide is not the first person to get this idea, but even then, it was always problematic because it stereotypes and ridicules women.
A Woman is Not A Costume
Jide’s case feels even more misplaced because he doesn’t need to play a woman to celebrate women. The right person to do that is an actual woman. There are many talented actresses who could play the role.
A woman is not a suit to wear or a caricature; you cannot simply put on a wig, a dress, and red lipstick and automatically transform into a woman just because you are an actor.
Being a woman is a lived experience. This is distinct from transgender people who genuinely believe they were born the wrong gender, which is not the case with Jide.
Representation Matters
In many countries, representation is a major issue. People from marginalised communities, such as Latinos, Asians, and Black people, may struggle to find work; therefore, it is vital that they are given roles where they embody the characteristics naturally, rather than someone “acting” like them.
Imagine the outcry if an Asian person used blackface to play a Black character. Why not pay someone who fits the profile rather than spending hours on makeup, costumes, and hair to be something you are not?
Plus, before the liberation of women, they could not act on stage or in movies, and their roles had to be played by men. Since this is no longer the case, why should men still play roles made for women?
Is He A Drag Queen?
Another issue is drag culture. Is his performance a drag? “Drag queens” refers to men who dress as women in elaborate clothing and makeup as a form of performance art. Is Jide a drag queen? If he is, he should let us know.
The official trailer has not been released yet, but it would quell concerns if he is simply a man playing a woman in the movie, perhaps pretending to be someone else to cover something up. However, it would be absurd if he portrayed a biological woman from the beginning to the end of the movie. That is quite ridiculous, and there should be no reason for it.
On the other hand, Jide is not letting the criticism deter him as he tells those people ‘gossiping’ about his movie to stay tuned.
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