Atlanta Girl - Grace Amah of Nollywood

I am from Ebonyi State, but born and bred in Lagos. I speak Yoruba very well. Some people want to call me a Lagosian and I answer when they do.

Do you see any difference between those who studied Creative Arts and those who did not.

Is there really? There are lots of us in the industry who do not read anything close to Drama or Creative Arts or Theatre Arts and they are just as good as those of us who are formally trained. I will rather say that when the talent is in you, you excel better rather than just trying to be good doing it. There are some actors and actresses that you don’t even need to go the extra mile to get the best out of them. Some others have become so good in their acting because they have been doing it over a long period of time so they know where to correct the lapses, when they see the lapses, they know.
Whole families are glued to their television sets watching One Bad Apple and you as Segun’s jilted fiancée.

What other home-videos have you appeared in apart from Day of Atonement?

There are many of them. Elastic limit, Cinderella, Atlanta, Love Paradise I can quickly remember these for now.

So, what is your character in Day of Atonement.

The character I play in the movie is that of the sister to Mike, the room-mate of James.

We are from a family that lack financially. But I am always there for my brother, helping with the little I can provide for him so that he can face his studies as an undergraduate. I am eventually put under a lot of stress in providing for him and one thing leads to another. It is quite a gripping and a movie full of passion.

What should an actor do to get into character?

The first thing to do of course is to read the script. I try to imagine myself being that character. I try to see how I can make it real. There was a movie, Pastor and the Harlot, in which I played a wayward character and those who watched the movie and my friends were like saying: Hey! You are sure you had not done this type of thing before! God knows I have never been a prostitute before, nor will I ever be! But that is just what it takes. You visualize, imagine and make the character real.


How come acting? Why not something else?

In fact, I was earlier on studying to become a lawyer at Ibadan. I was reading law. Along the line I just felt it was better for me to transfer to Unilag to face something else. My parents were initially not in support but I was determined because in secondary school, I confided in a friend of mine that I wanted to be an actress in life. Fortunately for me while awaiting my JAMB results, I had done some appearances. I have so built on that experience so I can now blend . Besides, I really found commuting between Ibadan and Lagos very stressful.


Earlier...?

I went to secondary school in Lagos. Stadium High School, Surulere. I told you I am omo Eko proper (laughing).

Media “lies” and hype..
I don’t like the impressions at all, because they could be negative. Why? A parent cannot have a child, hear such impressions and encourage the child to go into the movie industry. But on the other hand, it does not bother me. Why it does not bother me is because I know myself. Yet, you cannot be content with that, because it is only those who are close to you that will know you are not the kind of person people talk negatively about.
As far as the media is concerned, I have never lost any sleep over it. Why? Because I feel it is their job, they are only doing their job. Initially, the media was not favorable to me but I am beginning to get good mention and reviews now. Nor can I really blame people for their opinions. There are some of us out there that go out of the way to mess around and when people now insinuate, can you really blame them? After all, people say there is no smoke without fire.

Are you rich?

(Laughs).... I am still working hard to earn the big money. I see it coming soon in the industry where actors and actresses will be earning good money.

So, in what way will you say, acting a Christian movie is different from acting in any other movie?

Acting is acting. It all depends on the character you are given. If you are given a script to play Jesus Christ, you read and visualize what it takes to be Christ while He was on earth.


While visualizing that, you need to be spiritually motivated. The important thing is to come out with a fantastic role. If I am asked to play Mary Magdalene or Mary the mother of Jesus, I will do so and achieve their character. In fact, I will want their role to affect me. But I will not play a gangster or a prostitute and let the character affect me in real life. I guess it is better to let positive roles affect you. But a role is a role to play. I have seen people acting roles of rich men and women in a movie and wanting to carry on in that manner, even in real life. If you take it too far, it begins to affect you.


Philosophy?

I believe in everything that is good. My upbringing has been such that I see things from a different perspective. Yes, I believe in God obviously. I am into acting but I do not want any role I play to make me a bad person. I am me. I am a calm person. I want to do something that is right. I believe in hardwork too. I want to see myself where God wants me to be. He knows what is good for me because whatever I want for myself may not be what He wants for me.


Who are your mentors or the role models locally and internationally?

Joke Silva inspires me, so does RMD, Liz Benson . Liz remains the number one motivation. Internationally, I will mention Denzel Washington and Martin Lauren. It is not an exhaustive list, though.

I'm reading: Atlanta Girl - Grace Amah of Nollywood

Pa Kasumu - Kayode Odumosu of Nollywood

Francis Olukayode Olugbenga Odumosu was born on the 16th of March 1953 in Agbeni area of Ibadan, Oyo State, though, he is from Ogun State by origin. His father is from Odogbolu (Ijebu) while his mother is from Ake (Abeokuta/Egba), that is why he refers to himself as “Ijegba”.(The combination of Ijebu and Egba).

Pa Kasumu started his career at age 15; taking up challenging roles on stage under the tutelage of Elder Chief Ayinla Olumegbon whom he knew through his area Uncle then (Mr.Afolabi), popularly called “Brother Simbat”. He got baptized through a stage play titled “Iyawo Orun (1968). And ever since then, he has grown from strength to strength, but no without facing some serious challenges.

When asked about how many works he has featured considering the years he has put in, he has this to say” Well, I thank God for sparing my life to witness today. I since lost count of my work, but I can assure you that they are well over 400 movies.

On Nollywood evolution, Pa Kasumu said “Maybe, if will have chicken out or abandon the Industry, many people will not meet what they are meeting today (Nollywood), for we have suffered a lot, as we tried to preserve the profession we cherished with passion, even without money and societal acceptance. Indeed, we worked with our lives, for the love and the passion we have for the profession, then, privileges and fame is not attached to the profession like now, and money was not just there. But thank God, today, it is a different ball game; we are now been appreciated and accepted globally”.

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A Pictorial Glance at Ashley Nwosu of Nollywood

Versatile actor and a pioneer artiste of the Nollywood phenomenon, Ashley Nwosu has another side of him, which the public is yet to know.

At the recent launch of Ogologolonga, a musical album by gospel musician, Ayo Agbaje, the actor stunned many of his fans including his wife and son, when he vacated his table to join the singer and his cultural dancers on stage. Nwosu, who was obviously carried away by the song could not restrain himself from singing.

“Yes I have a very big passion for music,” an excited Nwosu told http://nigeriafilms.com shortly after his brief performance.

He explained further, “I would say acting was a second talent because when I was 10 years old, I used to entertain people in my community through music.”

The actor, who shot into limelight in the early 1990s in Day of Reckoning, said something new is happening in his life. He reveals this and others to us:

Love for music
I have a very strong passion for music. In fact I would say acting was my second talent because when I was 10 years old, I used to sing for people in my community. I was involved in millinery where I cut and dry materials. But in the evening when people got tired, they would return and I would entertain them. I used to do exactly what Ekom Obong Okere, the Nigerian native Xylonophone prodigy does to people in Cross River. Throughout my youthful days, I was always composing songs and I often received inspiration in my dreams all of which I used to remember clearly the next day. Unfortunately, I lost my song book, an exercise book which contained over 200 songs during the Biafran war.

Favourite musicians
I grew up listening to foreign music such as Isaac Newton, Kool and the Gang, Kenny Rogers, Don Williams among others. However, my favourite was Barry White and up till now, I have about ten of his albums with me. Back home, I enjoy and draw inspirations from artistes such as Victor Uwaifo, Nduka Osadebe, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and Sonny Okosuns. Till date, I still enjoy their music in spite of the growing pop culture among young musicians of today.

Going into music
I still nurse the ambition to go into music. At the moment, I am preoccupied with a new movie, which will soon be premiered in Lagos and Abia, my state of origin. Once I am done with this, I will throw myself into music. This time around, it will strictly be Christian music.

Why gospel
I can't explain this, but one way or the other, the impression continues to dawn on me that I have to join the choir and showcase what I can do. Occasionally on my own, I sing fantastic songs but I don't know why I have not recorded them. I sing for myself, and I enjoy doing this quite a lot and the inspiration just keeps coming. After the premiership of the movie, I hope to have pulled enough funds to go into music.

My new movie
It is a Christian movie that addresses various aspects of human life. It featured stars such as Olu Jacobs, Nonso Diobi, Alex Usifo, Emeka Enyiocha, Queen Okoye, myself and a group of 18 elders in Enugu State. So, it is a very big movie. I deal with two things in the movie one of which is the challenge youths go through. The movie is about the battle a pastor encounters with evil forces and it also exposes the extent, which men of God go to become successful in the ministry.

Something is happening in my life
Something new is happening in my life. Although, I have always been a Christian, the level, which I have gone now is higher. I have never in my life envisaged this. I attend a local parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Absence from movies
There is no big problem about that. The fact remains that throughout last year, we had a conflict between Censors board and marketers, which affected the number of movies shot last year. It is not as if I have not been shooting movies, but most of the ones I shot, I discovered, were taken outside the country before they were returned here. This time around, with this new censor's board arrangements, this ugly development would be stopped. When an artist shoots a movie, he loses contact with the marketer. They just abandon one and feel one is not entitled to know what happens afterwards. I feel it should be a mutual relationship where actors are encouraged to shoot their own movies. There is need for cooperation from both sides.

Era of movie premieres
This is a positive development for the movie industry. It will give investors such as corporate bodies and government the guarantee that through premiership alone, good profit can be recouped. For instance, I plan to have a Hausa translation for my movie and get a northern government to partner with me. With this trend, Nollywood will become an investor's delight. The standard of production will also be raised and our movies will become globally accepted when there is enough funds.

The new marketing framework
The implementation of minimum capital requirement for marketers by the censor's board is very important. As an insurance person, pooling of resources is very critical to the existence of the insurance industry. Otherwise, just one major case of accident or disaster is enough to make an insurance company crumble. Essentially, I think the new drive by the Censor's board is for security of investor's fund. I can remember when I went to England, an Irish man challenged Nollywood that we needed to be more organized.

He told me that our movies were selling in the West Indies like hot cake. So what stops our marketers coming together to go and see how we can establish direct business deals with people over there through the Nigerian envoy. If the policy is pursued aggressively and unregistered marketers are driven out of business, investors will smile. Recently, I learnt that somebody loaded 40 feet of containers with Nollywood films in VHS format and was moving it to countries like Mozambique and Angola because that is what they are still using there. Now, how do our marketers react to this? Instead, we still depend on the Idumota clique.

How l started acting
I started with NTA in 1988/1989, and I am among the people who started Soap operas and Tele movies. I also acted in the movie, Glamour Girls (Part 1) in 1992, after that I ventured into other businesses but the urge for acting was strong. So, I returned and featured in Day of Reckoning, First Lady, Old Soldier, The Rise of and Fall of a Prophet (which was very tasking for me) among others. I have now lost count of the numbers of films, which I have acted in but I think it should be over a hundred.

About my NGO
I want to premiere it here in Lagos and I have started talking to Dansa Juice as well as to Abia State government for the premiere in Abia State. All these efforts will culminate in the setting up of an NGO with the Abia State government, which I propose to call MyThird Eye. I have noticed that a lot of government functionaries do work but because of lack of monitoring units, they have a problem that is why I call it My Third Eye. I hope to meet the Governor on this project. Whose project will involve going to hospitals, motherless babies home, communities among others. I will then give them feedback because most of the people in the ministry might not have time to report the correct state of affairs. I hope to achieve this before the end of this year.

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