‘Why acting as king will suit me’

Maxwell Uche is a Lagos-based Nollywood actor who has featured in both Igbo and English movies such as ‘Four Men Down’, ‘Return from Libya’, ‘Ekwotosi Nwa Afo Ngwa’, and several more. In this Interview, he talks about his journey in the industry, taking up challenging roles, and lessons he has learnt over the years. Excerpts: […]

Maxwell Uche is a Lagos-based Nollywood actor who has featured in both Igbo and English movies such as ‘Four Men Down’, ‘Return from Libya’, ‘Ekwotosi Nwa Afo Ngwa’, and several more.

In this Interview, he talks about his journey in the industry, taking up challenging roles, and lessons he has learnt over the years. Excerpts:

Weekend Magazine: How did your journey in the film industry begin?

Maxwell Uche: I have always had a passion for acting from my early years. In secondary school, I was a member of the drama club and we performed on stage. My journey into the film industry began in 2014 after my secondary school and during my time in the university when I decided to pursue my passion.

WM: Did you have your family’s support from the onset?

Uche: My father never wanted me to act but my passion for it won. He is a businessman and I am the first son so he wanted me to take over when he retires. He was disappointed by my career choice. Even though I handled the business for a while, I never felt fulfilled despite the cash flow. At a point, I felt I was living my father’s life and fulfilling his dreams.

WM: What was it like playing the role of a promiscuous man in ‘Nkwa Firorom?’

Uche: I played the role of a local champion who was impregnating women in the village. In a scene, I yelled at a woman to intimidate her and denied that I was responsible for her pregnancy. While playing that role, what went through my mind was to ensure I showed how promiscuous men behave. The truth remains that any man who abuses a woman is not worth calling a man; you don’t need to exercise your power on a woman. We all are human beings, irrespective of gender. You have no right to be hard on a woman by raising your hand or voice on her. The character I portrayed met his waterloo at the end of the movie.

WM: What role have you played that you consider most challenging?

Uche: My most challenging role is crying. I am not that emotional, so crying is tasking for me. However, I have been working on that and next time I come across such roles I believe I would do better. Secondly, I have a calm personality so acting aggressive roles are also challenging for me. Whenever I play challenging roles, I have had to do extra research to ensure I wear the character appropriately.

The movie that brought me to limelight is titled ‘Four Men Down.’ In fact, when it was first released, I received frequent calls from many friends, old and new.

WM: How challenging has your career been so far?

Uche: The challenges are enormous, especially for somebody building a career from the scratch. With no one to spring you up, you have to do literarily everything on your own because you do not have a godfather. I want to believe that these challenges are also my strengths. The more I face, the harder I work to standout. Finance is also a huge challenge because this career, takes almost all your time, you always have to be available and you require adequate financing to get to locations and even sustain yourself.

WM: What have you learnt or had to teach yourself over the years?

Uche: In other to achieve your dream and goals, perseverance is key. This also applies to acting where consistency is essential to your career growth.

WM: What role do you look forward to playing and why?

Uche: I look forward to playing a royalty, either as a king or a prince. In most epic movies I have featured in, I acted as a warrior. I clinched the role, probably due to my body stature and baritone voice. Cast directors look at my stature and feel I will portray a more intimidating role as a warrior. I strongly believe I have the charisma to act as royalty also.