Why I’ll never direct a film

You became involved with acting way back in primary school, in plays. Did you know then you’d be acting for a living? I was in Corona School, Victoria Island, where a wide range of extra-curricular activity was offered to expand the child’s repertoire and you will also appreciate the fact that practical experiences tend to […]

You became involved with acting way back in primary school, in plays. Did you know then you’d be acting for a living?

I was in Corona School, Victoria Island, where a wide range of extra-curricular activity was offered to expand the child’s repertoire and you will also appreciate the fact that practical experiences tend to linger on much longer than theoretical approaches to capacity-building.

A lot of factors may have affected my choice to participate other than a superior ability, for instance,  in the stage production of ‘Wizard of Oz’ which I may have protested vigorously at the time, or I may even have looked excitedly forward to.

But the fact remains that our little contributions on that production made our parents proud of us and somehow we gained satisfaction, as well. When we saw the appreciation from our parents, some innocent career direction was easy to arrive at, since we only mirrored whatever direction parents looked at. How could I – or in fact any one of us – think that those innocent actions were indeed definite career moves?

Have you ever applied your formal education (a degree in Linguistics and a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy) in a career other than acting?

Unconsciously, I may have borrowed from informal experiences during the course of my studies but, honestly, the closest to formal adaptations may reflect during my services as a Master of Ceremony, and only then.

Have you ever thought of directing a film?

That’s probably the top question on everybody’s lips. I’m a bit selfish about a few of my abilities, just as I am not in a hurry to trivialise the exploitation of my voice, so I am not in a hurry to direct even though I have. Not a film, but equally creative works. For now, I have weighed my strengths and directing does not fall in my first three.

What do you think of the new crop of young, more artsy Nigerian movie directors?

We need to give credit to some of our younger directors. They are thinking. They come equipped with passion, determination and a sense of adventure. Also, they have veracity for making good films, enough to make the cinema circuit locally and internationally.

When you make a good film, as the director, you take the credit.  That’s why his on-screen credit reflects as a so-and-so director’s film. This means the director takes responsibility for all the silly mistakes we often make like wrong costumes, inappropriate locations, poor editing, bad lighting, and all that. So any director worth his onions would plan carefully before and after every shoot, which is something the younger directors are doing, aided by the advantage of learning from older colleagues.

What do you feel about the rise of Ghanaian actors in Nollywood?

It’s a spontaneous reaction to what the market wants. The market is tired of seeing the same set of people. So, when you inject new energy, they welcome it. The fact that we have Ghanaians is a move in the right direction. We are hoping for more collaboration.

At the last AMAA, the Kenyans performed even better than the Nigerians. And they are like our children but they did better. I think we should be looking at doing some work with them so that the mediocre producers we have in this industry, who seem to think that all they need to do is to get a camera and ensure the pictures are right, would go home and rethink.

Your marriage is almost 20 years on. What does your wife think of your profession, which puts you constantly in the midst of beautiful women?

My wife is my best friend and ideally that should more than adequately, answer that question but then again I would appear to be most unfair to all she has sacrificed in ensuring that my chosen career is a success. I can only Thank God for his wonderful gift to us. Ours is a growing relationship. She pays no attention to rumour or gossip.

Strange as it sounds, we renew and refresh as often as we can especially after our numerous differences in opinions which occur even if close friends and family will argue.

And your kids – how do they feel about having a celebrity actor as father?

My children are the best superstars in our lives. And even though they had agreed  to participate on only a few projects, it is obvious that with very little encouragement, they can easily build a thriving career. Thank God they appreciate creativity and because they do in real terms, they are proud of what I do, even though they have identified with other professional callings.

Decades later, what’s the status of the sequel to critically-acclaimed ‘Flesh and Blood’ which you were part of? Will fans ever get to see it?

Flesh and Blood (Part 1) was coming right at the heels of Opa Williams’s ‘Tears for Love’ which, if you like, we can describe, even today, as a classic and one of the very best out of Nollywood. Not only was it great with the storytelling, a few other firsts about production were recorded. I had a two-week window to build the strong relationship you saw with my screen family, especially the children, sponsored by the producer.

Riding on fundamental issues such as family, themes such as rivalry and love, the story seemed endless as it kept growing and winding. Ameze Imariagbe extended the other frontiers you appreciated on Flesh and Blood. She played the twins’ role, interpreting and demonstrating full characterization for two separate individuals, drawing a lot of attention to the story. She wove her own story to have two sisters, physically identical but antagonistic to each other. Guess who was trapped in the middle of this family feud? Me.

How do think Nollywood is faring as a creative industry?

The product of Nollywood is consumed world-wide. The industry is growing. What we are seeing now is a move towards professionalism. It’s a departure from mediocrity. Earlier, everybody was in the industry, every hawker on the street, you know. But right now, there is a sort of streamlining going on. I have been producing in this industry for almost as long as I have been acting, so I think it is welcome that things are happening to set us back on track.