ACTOR, Jide Kene is one of the top crop of actors proving their worth in Nollywood at the moment after making his big break with Living in Bondage sequel. The actor who is also passionate about politics speaks with ADENIYI ADEWOYIN in this interview on diverse issues.
THERE’S a big project you are currently involved with, let us in on it?
Yeah, Nigeria movie industry is really breaking barriers right now and we cannot do this without the help of the local people and local people nah me, local people nah the person wey I wake up see by my side my neighbour, everybody involved that’s what I mean by local people nah we go carry our local contents, carry our local markets go give internationals so if you watch now, the movies we are making now is a big deal. We dey shoot brotherhood now, and the budget ehn, baba we fit dey pursue billion oh! Just to have a SWAT van on set is a big deal like the real armored tank. So we are shooting what we ought to be shooting. Imagine closing down third mainland bridge for six hours, do you know how much energy you are going to have to use and money and resources and all of those things. If you even watch on Netflix right now, we are like top 10 in 20 countries with “Blood Sisters”. I really love everything they did in that one so big things dey come, make we no dey make too much noise again you understand, big machine things are actually coming out from Nollywood soon.
Does Nollywood as an industry actually need that international appeal?
Well, I feel like we are the real story tellers out of the three industries – Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood nah we really get stories. We have not really tried to bring out in big scale. The white people can’t tell our stories for us, nah only we fit tell story of how dey take comot pikin from mama hand, how dey take carry person husband put for slave ship,…. try to remain in the past but they have told our stories for us so it is time we tell our stories how we think is best.
That being said, I’ll just say that we are not really looking to get international appeal or recognition, because we want more people to know us, it is basically more or less about a branch they do well we go open another branch, if your business begin dey prosper you do wetin you expand am. So, basically, we were seeing our counterparts from Korea and the other places definitely expanding and being there every Oscars so that’s what we trying to do right now. We learned these things from them, film making and all of that. One day, we’ll get to a level where our industry is where they want our plaques and awards but for now let’s stay focused and move up which is Hollywood.
Let’s talk about the roles you’ve been playing, you played the role with Nancy in the movie ‘Kambili’ what did that do to your career and your brand because after ‘Living In Bondage’, lot of people didn’t see much of you till ‘Kambili’?
Well, you know Living in Bondage has been three years now or four years now I can’t remember but the honors about it is that Kambili was the next film I shot after Living in Bondage so trust me guys, I’m not your regular guy, I didn’t mean any disrespect to anybody or sections I just mean that I don’t like to be much. I like it when I do one and you know that oh shit he’s back! That’s how I want to keep it because in the industry if you want to survive for long a time you have to do and disappear not for too long. I’m just watching, Nollywood never really reach 40years since it began so I’m just watching what people above me have done, how they managed it, I’m trying to plan mine in the right way so basically I don’t believe in being on every movie or on every new movie on African Magic or stuff you know, you’ll hardly see me on every platform all the time. I try to be on all of them but you know two in a year or three in a year basically.
Why do you say do and disappear, don’t you think it’s going to affect your brand in terms of visibility because the industry is very competitive and there are many of your kind who are contending for the same role, so if they give you a certain role now and you’re available for it would you reject it because you don’t want to be on every movie?
Yeah, like last year, I did about 3 to 4 comedy films. I did Dwindle with Broda Shagi and Kayode Kasum, I did Luckily Unfortunate with Yvonne Jegede and Linda Osifo, I did with popular YouTube comedy series Third Avenue for Accelerate TV its shown on YouTube so I expanded because I didn’t just want people to know me with Living in Bondage, black roles you know tough guy I show am say I dey mumu small you get that kind of thing e dey my body ehn ehn. I think the real thing here is the versatility and the range of what you’re able to bring. Will Smith started with a lot of comedies and then decided to do a lot of action movies that same way Eddie Murphy started with a lot of comedy now he’s back with a lot of drama. I’m trying to make sure I’m serving next 4 decades basically and yeah I might even stop being a full time actor, I might go into politics or go into anything but the most important thing is whenever you hear that Jide Kene Studios has something out you know it’s going to be big and good.
You are one of the newest Nollywood sweethearts, how do you cope with female fans and even female colleagues who want more from you?
Hrmmm, the world is run by women to be honest, in every home now, for any marriage that is upstanding, you will realise the woman is boss as long as there’s love. I appreciate the love of all my female fans in everything but I can only belong to one person at the end of the day but I can also belong to all but not in every departments. Trust me like I have a foundation that support single mothers. You know people from single parents, who are finding it difficult, so I understand these things so I want to work effectively. I prayed for this day, I did pray to be here to have this influence so the best way to return glory to God is to actually use it well.
Tell us about that foundation, I never knew about it, tell us about it?
Yeah, wipe a tear initiative started off after COVID-19 because during COVID, I spent most money I earned from endorsements on supporting people that find it so difficult, like I literally was like oh who needs money today and I’ll be sure that the person needs money not to buy drinks or anything but to survive. Yeah, it was very difficult, so I started it off by testing it. When I mean testing it I mean applying it publicly, asking for people to send in submissions also applying privately as well reaching out to people who I have heard their stories and stuff. I don’t want to make it an NGO because most times people use NGO to just move money and, I’m not saying that all NGO’s, please don’t quote me wrong, I’m just saying that most times when you hear NGO people are looking for funds, I’ll rather keep it on a low make it an exclusive thing and have it functioning, have proof over years that its functioning.
Tell us about your journey into Nollywood?
I’ve been acting for like 12 years, I had a poor phone conversation with an old friend of mine today who has now moved to the United States and she was like I appreciate the fact that you never ever sold yourself short like you always knew who you were and you are going to get here and I’m like yeah this is just the beginning. Let’s be honest, so in all honesty, in the whole matter who knows where we could be tomorrow five years time, ten years time nobody really knows so the honest truth is I keep my fingers crossed. Journey to Nollywood took some time, some good time, anybody that wants something worthwhile will wait, you can’t plant mango and harvest in six months that’s maize. If you want a perennial fruit, you will plant, wait years before you reap your first seed but when it comes it doesn’t stop.
When it comes to accepting roles, is there one role you never accept?
The only role I would not accept is a role that I don’t see the essence of it.
Would you just play a sex role or will you turn it down?
Like real sex. (Laughs)
Do they have real sex, I don’t know if they have real sex?
Is this still an interview smile what’s going on here (laughs)
Let’s go back to the question, so what do you consider before taking an intimate role?
Well, if a story needs intimacy to be able to be believable or sell especially when it involves a couple or when it involves trying to make a film about a person’s personality that’s going to be very reckless life or making a film about HIV and we need to shoot scenes to show how it was reckless, if it’s important, I’ll do it, if it’s not relevant try somebody else.
Was there a time you wanted to give it up on acting?
Of course even if it’s one year you try to spend in the movie industry they’ll frustrate you. It’s not just the movie, the comedy and the music industry they’ll frustrate you is just as simple.
Is it about the money for you?
See if you pursue excellence money will pursue you but once you decide to make the best film you’ll make the best money.
Talking about politics, how much do you think influential people like celebrities have to take part in politics?
I don’t believe that people should run for office just because they’re popular, you listen to people on TV, when you interview a celebrity you can tell if he’s all about his business or if he’s more than that. How I am talking to you right now, you should be able to tell if I can convince people to vote for me based on credibility, you need to be able to look at the person before you and tell is he trying to be a designer boy, I really enjoy this thing called politics. If I didn’t attain the height I have now I will probably be a teacher or something. Public service is very important, very important.
In the same vein, 2023 is by the corner, how do you think we can actually have this desired change politically?
I’m calling on everybody that owns a cellphone not just celebrities right now, not just people who belong to political parties, everybody that owns a cellphone, yourself, myself to please push your agenda now. I’m not telling you what agenda to push but I’m telling you push your agenda, if you’re tired of recycling then the same energy we used to occupy the toll gate is that same energy we need to get our PVC’s.
If we don’t have one, find it if we have it before, prepare, research on this people who are running. Let’s hope that they don’t fail us at the primaries because that’s the most important thing. If you take off a wonderful candidates at the primaries based on connections we have limited people to vote for do you understand what I’m saying? If we really think we are hot headed, we really think about lazy youths now is the time to shun the numbers of adverts you see on the main road or whatever, shun that, do your research, find out who’s really really good for us, who’ll represent us when other nations leaders are present in a room, who can speak effectively, who can attract tourism, who can attract the very basic things that we need.
That’s what we need to find out, some people are not meant to be president because they’re very good with the economy or because they’re very good handling economy infrastructure, it is better you become the minister of such industry, everybody cannot be President, the way we are buying tickets these days if we are doing fundraising for political parties literally is like most people just want to buy to let you know oh I got money and I can do this.