Nollywood actor and former Big Brother Naija housemate, Adeoluwa Okusaga, popularly known as Saga, has pushed back against the widely held notion that kissing scenes in movies are enjoyable for the actors involved, insisting that the reality on set is far removed from the glamorous impression audiences tend to carry.

The actor made the candid admission during an appearance on the Nolly Icons podcast, where he spoke at length about the unspoken discomforts of filming intimate scenes in Nollywood productions.

Saga was unambiguous in his assessment, stating that despite featuring in multiple romantic films, he has never had a kissing scene he would describe as a good experience. He described the act as strange and physically intrusive, explaining that having another person’s saliva in one’s mouth is deeply uncomfortable regardless of the professional context.

“It is not easy to kiss another actor. It is weird. I have not really had any good onscreen kiss. It is weird having people invade your mouth with saliva. It is not something we enjoy. People think we enjoy it, but we don’t. We are just doing it for the story most times,” he said, adding that if he had the freedom to choose, he would remove kissing from his performances entirely.

The actor also shed light on the sheer volume such scenes can involve in a single working day, revealing there was one occasion on set when he had to kiss four different actresses. He used the disclosure to make a broader argument about the unacknowledged professional sacrifice involved, calling on the public to appreciate rather than judge actors who take on such scenes. In a subsequent clarification, Saga addressed his “lover boy” reputation, acknowledging that the label has some truth to it as a reflection of his real-life personality, but stressing that his onscreen intimacy is entirely professional.

“I didn’t make the statement because of a bad kiss. A lot of times when people see us kiss in movies, they think we are enjoying it. There is no fun in there because we are acting. So it’s not like it’s sweet or sexy or anything. It’s just our work,” he said.

Saga’s remarks have resonated widely in Nigerian entertainment circles, where onscreen kissing has long been a subject of public debate, with some audiences assuming actors exploit romantic scenes while others criticise Nollywood for including such content at all. His willingness to speak candidly about the physical and psychological awkwardness behind those scenes offers a rare and honest perspective from inside an industry that rarely pulls back the curtain on what happens between takes. The comments have drawn significant reaction online, with many fans expressing surprise at the level of discomfort actors routinely endure for scenes that last only seconds on screen.