Actor Tony Lutakome mocks critics after securing four roles despite high price tag

Actor and martial arts kickboxer Tony Lutakome Kayanja, renowned for his role in The Nudes, has responded to critics who questioned his decision to raise his price tag for acting roles.

In January 2023, he boldly announced that he would not accept roles that paid less than $2,150 (about sh8m).

The announcement created buzz on the internet, with film critics and analysts predicting that he wouldn't secure any roles with such high demands. Some fellow actors even suggested he lowers his asking price significantly, thinking his career had reached its end.

However, in a recent social media post, the actor laughed at his critics and proudly revealed that he had secured roles in four movies within just a few months, all of which paid him well.

He recounted how the film industry had reacted to his announcement and found humour in the fact that they were proven wrong.

"Seven months down the road, two local productions done one from NO END ENTERTAINMENT by mama Halima Namakula's #BabiryeNeNakato tv series... and the latest series of #0muzigo from Zenken Films that's premiering on 7th August on @zenken films on YouTube plus two Kenyan productions coming soon," part of his post read.

When The Kampala Sun asked whether his price tag was respected in all the projects he worked on and if he faced challenges securing other roles in different movies, he confirmed that he was indeed paid the amount he desired, although some producers refused to meet his financial demands, and he stood firm and chose not to work with them.

"Do you also think I am joking? Man! I was paid quite well. All the people who hired me for these roles agreed to my financial demands. While some declined to honor them, I still maintained my stand, and we didn't work together," he said.

Lutakome emphasised that it is essential for actors to assert themselves and fight for their financial worth and rights; otherwise, they risk being exploited by industry bosses.

"It's upon us to take a stand. If we don't fight for ourselves and establish our own price tags, bosses will make us work for peanuts," he added.

However, it remains unclear whether he truly received such substantial payments in this burgeoning industry. The Kampala Sun is still making efforts to reach out to his employers to verify the details of the financial agreements.