Nigerian Movie Star Profile
One of the most naturally gifted actor the Nollywood has ever produced, Ernest Obi spoke with Orji Onyekwere on why he has not been acting for sometime now and his new found love
You’ve been off the screen for a while, what have you been doing?
I didn’t go off the screen, I just diversified and I am mainly into
producing and directing now. I mainly changed focus but once in a while when
I get a good script, because people still come, they say they want me to
feature in their movie, but again the script would not have to be the
conventional love story etc. I think one has got to a point where you say
it’s either a good script or you don’t do.
Why the change of focus? Was it because of competition?
Like I earlier said, it just has to do with fulfillment. The kind of
challenges I wanted as an actor in terms of script were not coming, it is
still the same kind of scripts and stories that were coming out.
So because I don’t believe in sitting down and complaining, since I majored
in directing, I could go back and work on scripts and interpretation.
The movie “Rattle Snake” shot you into limelight, how were you able to
fit into character?
I will not say Rattle Snake shot me into limelight, I don’t know which of
the movies, but I could give some credit to “Glamour girls” where I washed a
lady’s panty. That stucked to peoples memory. Back to ‘Rattle Snake’, it was
a good script directed by Amaka Igwe. I think the environment in which we
worked was very conducive because we worked like a family. We shot that
movie for almost a year. We will go off and come back and it was not all
about money. It was about dedication and whatever role you were playing you
become and integral part of that role.
Why do you think the zeal is no more there and the emphasis has been
shifted to money?
It has dropped to about 40% from my own observation because then if you get
a script you want to read the script and start working on the
interpretation. But now, I have seen a situation where an actress comes on
your set and she has not read the script and she asks you, ‘wetin the script
talk about? And I said okay you go back to the hotel, I will work with you
tomorrow and sometimes the person you’re working with will say she is here
now, lets continue and I don’t allow that because I want her to understand
the script then we can talk. Yes, if you don’t do it that way you will find
out that the person is only coming there to download for you what she did on
another movie, that is interpretations. That’s why you have an actor in ten
movies and he is rendering his lines the same way, no difference because he
had not had time to work on character and interpretation.
Which of the movies gave you a tough challenge?
‘Atrocity’ where I played Pete Edochie’s son and Franca Brown was my step
mother. It was emotionally touching because I went too deep into character
and most times when I am asked to stop crying, the tears will continue
flowing. I continued crying and it was a really torture from the first day
to the end and I never got to sit back and watch the movie because the first
time I tried, I started crying again.
Then ‘love affair’ which was directed by Lancelot Odua Imaseun. I played the
role of ‘Pokamessiah’ and I was a school cultist. Another one is ‘Till Date’
where I have to run on the street naked. That movie gave me a big challenge
because I didn’t get anybody to play that, so I have to play it myself. I
will say that every job I have done is unique in its own way because I try
as much as possible to interpret each of them differently. I have played
practically everything, the mummy’s boy that crys a lot, angry youngman like
in ‘Calamity’ a lot of people swore that I was into drugs or that I used to
be on drugs. But I told them it’s not true because I have to understudy
someone who had the drugs problem and I did that for three weeks before I
shot the movie and that was my cousin. So, that was why it worked well for
me. When I did the movie ‘Lamentations’ I played the role of a mad man. I
have to understudy a mad man in my area for a week; I became very friendly
with him a lot of people thought that probably he was my relative.
Do you usually go back to watch your movies and say ‘oh’ I should have
done this or that?
Every time, its like when you’re on stage what Professor Ola Rotimi will
call wait and get, whatever you give to the audience, that is the same way
they will reply. They are like your mirror most times because the director
sometimes let something pass.
Most of the time, you watch your movie and say, you should have done it this
way or that way. I take out time to watch them because I am my greatest
critic; I look at them and say, just in case I get anything similar I don’t
repeat the same mistake again.
Most of the time you find yourself in roles where you have to cry, how do
you get into character?
(Smiles) funny enough, I am actually an emotional person and when I am
really tensed up I cry.
Up till now?
Oh… yes, it makes it easy for me because that is the only way I can let it
out when I am tensed up. Again I am temperamental, it is a two way thing,
its either I keep it in there and explode or I let it go.
Sometimes, when I watch things like movies on television, I cry. People who
know me will tell you that I am extremely stubborn and I can get down when I
was younger if you say fight, I am there. I cry for example, when you see a
child who needs help but nobody wants to help, I cry because I can’t afford
to help.
Would you think of coming back on screen because I know, a lot of your
fans are missing you?
Like I said if I get a good script like I did one early this year ‘Golden
Axe’ because they called me and said the director insisted on me. That’s
Andy Amenechi and I went there, it wasn’t for the money. I read the script
and I was thrilled. He asked me if I have read the script, and I told him
yes and he asked me how much do I want and I told him to give me what he had
and he was shocked I did it for the passion, not the money I wanted to do
the job. Sometimes I direct movies and they insist I must act too. It’s not
as if I don’t like money.
Are you a stage person?
Oh-yes I started from the stage. A lot of people run from the stage because
there is no much money on it. My first love is the stage, when you talk
about the passion. When you are on stage it’s as if you are in a different
world entirely but again that’s the problem. Here they don’t really pay
those on stage very well, sometimes they just do it for the love of theatre.
They really don’t get much from it; you have to pay your bills.
So who is Ernest Obi?
(Smiles) I am a very down to earth, unassuming and very social to a fault
because they will tell you if you needed somebody to listen to you, go to
Ernest but sometimes it’s not too good because they take me for granted. I
am nice to a fault, but I am learning not to be too nice.
I am from Ukpor Ebe, Nnewi South Local government Anambra and a very proud
Igbo man and I am a traditional man but do not believe in taking life. I am
a Christian, a bible believer not an addict church believer.
I am married and have two kids, Anesthesia and Silvia, they live in England.
Relatively, I am happy because nobody can be 100% happy in Nigeria.
What was growing up like?
It was fun, it was stressful and choking. My late dad was comfortable, may
be that was why he married many wives. Conservatively, my mum will know
better because she was the one that will arrange the things they will use in
marrying the other wives. My father will tell her, you need somebody to help
you, you are like a mother now and she will say ‘I have heard you’, (laughs)
we had about 7 women go through our family as wives.
Any childhood pranks you can remember?
Oh yes (smiles) I think it has to do with acting because in my house they
call me “Photo” because I always love watching movies. I am glued to the
television, once you buy me bread and a bottle of Coca-Cola. I am addicted
to Coca-Cola; I don’t drink beer or smoke.
I started watching movie when I was small and I used to play the pranks of
passing out and you watch everybody running around. I will jump up and start
laughing and I think it was from there my love for acting started, I did
this like thrice or twice and it worked.
Tell us more about your education.
I went to Onward Primary School in Oduduwa which is probably the first
primary school in Surulere. By then we were leaving at Aguda. From there I
went to Baptist Academy, Ikorodu road, I stopped school and joined my father
in business before I went to University of Ife, where I read Dramatic Arts
in Ife, there I met Professor Ola Rotimi.
A lot of your colleagues have been involved in a couple of scandals but
it seems Ernest has built a fence around himself?
Ernest is one of the most imperfect human beings on earth. I have made my
mistakes and I’ve learnt my lessons and I think it made me stronger. I keep
to myself. If I have light or otherwise, I could put on the generator and
watch movies and I can stay in doors for two weeks. If I feel like drinking
wine I buy wine here in Winmis Hotel and take it home and I cook my own
food.
I’ve had enough share of the scandal. Before I stopped talking to the press
there was a story about me last two years. They said I went to Warri to
shoot a movie and one of my fans came to my hotel room and I raped her and
they put my picture. Luckily, for me I was on location in Lagos shooting a
movie and for six months, I have not left Lagos and that edition was a new
edition and it was my wife that picked up the magazine and showed me the
thing on set. When I called the guy he said, it was a mix up, that it was
one other Ernest it was not even a rape case.
I am an open person, I don’t regret anything I do. I can tell you about my
family freely but if I don’t want to tell you, its none of your business.
Any embarrassing moment?
Oh…it happens everyday. Somebody calls you by 12 am and say “Ernest I can’t
sleep.” Who are you and she will say just a fan. Somebody call you and say,
Ernest I am imagining you on top of me.” Another person calls you and say
“Ernest I heard your are endowed.
Two days ago a girl called me and said Ernest can I come to your room, I
told her I was in my house but she said I was in my hotel room and that I am
in Presidential Hotel Port-Harcourt, that her mother said she was with me
yesterday with Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey and I told her I was not in Port
Harcourt. She said, why are you lying and she got nasty. Married women call
you and say some nasty things too.
Do you have a movie hero (foreign)?
Mel Gibson- you know he has a short coming, slow speech but he is good, a
fantastic actor. Has now diversified into directing.
Locally?
Uncle Olu Jacobs, passionate actor. He wins my heart. I love working with
him. His wife Joke Sylva, Clarion Chukwura, Pete Edochie, he’s got charisma.
You said something about being a traditionalist, tell us more about it?
Yes I am from a traditional background and I am also a titled man, my father
gave me the honour of the highest title in our land. They call it, Ikwa
Amuma, it’s almost like a Chief priest. Its the first time I am telling
anybody. You don’t get it, it comes to you, it was an extremely expensive
thing to do and he did it for me.
I am from a traditional heritage, so I look on things from traditional
perspective, that’s why even if I am not married, I won’t jump into bed with
any woman or just do one night stand.
Filmography:
Daytime
Lovers,
Lake of Fire,
Red Rose,
Glamour Girls, Blue Sea,
Ungrateful,
Aba Riot, Days of Glory, Dying Days, Floating Feelings, Last Card, Love
Affair, Love Crime, Masquerade in Church, Master of The Game, My Angel,
Never Too Late, Restless Mind, Redeemed,
All I have,
The Soul That Sinned etc.
Tel:571-247-2679 email:contact@nigeriamovies.net
