Veteran Nigerian actress Stella Damasus has revealed how her role as Nosa in Kemi Adetiba’s Netflix series To Kill a Monkey helped move her acting career forward, after she initially believed she had missed out on the part.

Damasus shared the experience during an appearance on Pulse Nigeria’s “Old Vs New,” where she reflected on different stages of her acting career and revisited some of her notable screen performances. She said the response to To Kill a Monkey changed how audiences and people in the film industry viewed her.

According to the actress, Nosa was originally written for a younger actress, and casting for the role had already been completed when her management representative encouraged her to audition. She had less than 24 hours to submit a self-tape and was in the United States at the time.

Damasus said she completed the audition via video call, with another actor in Nigeria helping her read the lines. After sending the tape, she did not receive an immediate response and assumed the role had gone to another actress.

She later discovered that the production team had decided to rewrite the character around her instead of proceeding with the younger actress originally considered for the role. Damasus went on to play Nosa, the wife of William Benson’s Efemini, in the eight-part crime drama.

The actress has previously spoken about the demands of playing Nosa, describing the character as one of her most challenging recent roles. She said the production required intensive rehearsals, regular gym sessions and physical preparation, while director Kemi Adetiba pushed the cast to repeatedly work through scenes until they reached the required standard.

Damasus also explained that she worked on Nosa’s physical mannerisms and character development, including changes in her speech, posture and movement as the character’s circumstances changed throughout the story. She performed her own physical stunts and worked with Adetiba to develop a detailed backstory for Nosa.

Released on Netflix in July 2025, To Kill a Monkey follows Efemini, a struggling man who is drawn into cybercrime after reconnecting with an old acquaintance. The series was created and directed by Adetiba and stars William Benson, Bucci Franklin, Bimbo Akintola, Chidi Mokeme, Ireti Doyle, Lilian Afegbai, Teniola Aladese and Damasus.