Actress Favour Etim has opened up about the emotional demands of playing Ifedayo in Scratch, Clarence Peters’ anthology series which premiered on YouTube on June 12.
Structured as a collection of interconnected short stories, Scratch features a different lead character in each episode. Etim stars in the opening episode as Ifedayo, a young woman secretly working as a cam girl to support her deeply religious family.
Speaking with The Nollywood Reporter, Etim described the role as emotionally challenging, particularly because she initially struggled to separate the character’s choices from her own personal judgement.
“I tried to look beyond Ifedayo’s actions to understand what was driving her emotions,” she said. “I didn’t want to play her from a place of judgement because I did judge her. As an actor, you’re not supposed to do that.”
According to Etim, Ifedayo’s decisions were rooted in survival and responsibility rather than rebellion.
“Every decision she made came from a desire to protect and provide for the people she loved because they were the only ones she had,” she added.
Etim revealed that she landed the role after Peters discovered her 2022 short film Something Special and later contacted her for a screen test.
“Fast forward two years later, I got a message from him on Instagram asking if I was available for a screen test,” she recalled. “I went for it, and I remember feeling like the role was mine already.”
To prepare for the role, the actress said she researched the styling, mannerisms and language associated with OnlyFans creators. However, she explained that the emotional aspect of the performance proved more difficult than the technical preparation.
Some scenes from the production were also adjusted due to YouTube’s content guidelines. Etim admitted that certain moments stayed with her long after filming ended.
“I remember after we shot the scene, I got back to my hotel and I cried,” she said. “I didn’t feel like myself for two days.”
The actress also reflected on audience reactions to a scene involving Ifedayo and her sister, which included a partly Yoruba monologue she initially felt insecure about performing.
“The initial idea was to say it entirely in Yoruba,” she said. “Clarence later told me to mix Yoruba and English. We shot it twice, but I still didn’t like it. Surprisingly, people loved it.”
Beyond the series, Etim said the character changed the way she thinks about sacrifice, self-worth and empathy, especially after speaking with someone she knows facing similar struggles.
“What I said to her was: you do not have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone,” she said. “Wanting to provide for your family is admirable, but your self-worth should not depend on how much you sacrifice yourself.”
Etim added that she hopes audiences leave Ifedayo’s story with more compassion for people navigating difficult circumstances.
“It is very easy to judge people based on the choices they make, but we do not always know the circumstances that led them there,” she said. “Compassion goes a long way, not just towards others, but towards ourselves as well.”
