I never knew I’d be an actor – Tope Tedela

Tope Tedela is an award-winning Nigerian actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as ‘Slow Country,’ ‘What Lies Within,’ ‘A Soldier’s Story,’ ‘Oasis,’ and many more. Here, he talks about his acting career, playing John in the soon-to-be released science fiction movie ‘Ratnik,’ his one-man play ‘Whumanizer,’ and more. Excerpts: […]

Tope Tedela is an award-winning Nigerian actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as ‘Slow Country,’ ‘What Lies Within,’ ‘A Soldier’s Story,’ ‘Oasis,’ and many more. Here, he talks about his acting career, playing John in the soon-to-be released science fiction movie ‘Ratnik,’ his one-man play ‘Whumanizer,’ and more. Excerpts:

“Weekend Magazine: You featured in the science fiction movie, ‘Ratnik’, due out in March 2020. How would you describe the experience, being that there are not many of its kind made in Nigeria? 

Tope Tedela: A lot of my career growth can be credited to working on what many may call unusual or novel productions in this clime, so when Dimeji Ajibola, the director, reached out to me I was delighted to be part of such imaginative material. Though I had a lot of questions about how we were going to achieve all that when I read the screenplay, it did not deter me from embarking on the adventure.

WM: In your role as John in ‘Ratnik,’ you were hooked to some sought of serum that made you hallucinate. What proved most challenging when it came to bringing this particular character to life?

Tedela: John is definitely one of the most interesting characters I have had the opportunity to interpret. For me, it was a mix of some kind of fear and exhilaration because a lot of the juice was in the screenplay and I just worked on from there. However, Jamie Foxx’s tortuous turn in his Oscar-winning performance in Ray was a huge inspiration.

WM: How did your acting career begin, generally?

Tedela: I’m one of those people who never knew what they wanted to do for a long time and I dilly dallied from point A to point B trying to discover myself and who I wanted to be in the world. I did not think acting could be a career path so even though I was enthralled by films and the work of actors, I never considered myself towing that line, until I did and the rest is history.

WM: What was your first experience onset like?

Tedela: If you want the truth: I wanted to pee in my pants. I’m not joking. I had auditioned for a show titled ‘Edge of Paradise’ and I got a call back and eventually got the part. I was excited of course and felt that I had arrived. Alas, I got on set and it just felt like an entirely new world to me and I wanted to run away from the very thing I thought I wanted. Many thanks to Greg Odutayo, Debbie Odutayo and Bayo Alawiye, the directors and producer, who practically guided me through the process of filming.

WM: You have featured in films like ‘Slow Country,’ ‘What Lies Within,’ ‘A Soldier’s Story’ and many more. Which role has challenged you the most in your entire career and how did you manage it?

Tedela: I tell you it is different strokes for different folks and different styles for different performances. The challenges that a role presents differ from project to project and at different levels, physical or emotional and so on. Most of these roles task you on different levels and it’s hard to single one out.

WM: You played an interesting role in the TV series ‘Oasis,’ where you were a born-again Christian who went to prison for being wrongly accused by a female friend. What did it take to get that role and how were you able to handle it?

Tedela: I started out singing and acting in church so I sort of had an idea of how I was going to approach the part. All that was left was the specifics of who Oreva was and the unique situation(s) he was constantly finding himself in. It was draining but I am glad to have been part of something impactful.

WM: You have received several awards for your work. How would you say this has impacted on your career?

Tedela: Awards could put a spotlight on your work as a performer and from that perspective winning awards have done that for me and I do not take any nod I have gotten for granted.

WM: What particular award do you look forward to getting?

Tedela: It will be nice to get an Academy Award, would it not? That would be something!

WM: You are also a producer. What kind of films do you look forward to seeing come out of Nollywood and why?

Tedela: I believe that there should be a myriad genre of films that can cater to the taste of everyone. The questions may now be how do you know what the taste of audiences are or do filmmakers cultivate that taste? Personally, I want to see different kinds of films so that when you walk into a theatre, you are spoilt for choice.

WM: What is your typical work day like currently?

Tedela: I am currently working on my one-man play titled ‘Whumanizer,’ which follows Babatunde Bridges, a 21st century man in the modern world as he struggles with his identity, masculinity and his conflict with the murky waters of patriarchy. It was written by Odenike and Abiodun Kassim. I rehearse during the day and at night I head to the studio to oversee post-production work on ‘Country Hard,’ a crime-drama feature film on which I serve as producer and one of the lead actors.

WM: When you aren’t acting or producing a film what are you usually found doing?

Tedela: I mostly read, play guitar, swim or practise yoga.

WM: What other film project are you working on at the moment?

Tedela: I am working on two gripping short films whose titles I cannot disclose yet. I am really excited about them.