For many that thought beautiful actress Alex Okoroji, who has not been seen on screen for sometime, has gone on a sabbatical, they might want to have a rethink as the workaholic role interpreter is still in the industry and breaking new grounds. Currently, Director of Brand Communication and Relations, Actors Guild of Nigeria, Okoroji who is known as ‘Queen of Expression’ and chair, Media, Arts and Communication, G100 has a couple projects on film, television and voice. The media personality and jovial CEO of The Brag Media company had a chat with THE NATION’s SAM ANOKAM about her big plans for the industry, her forthcoming works and every other interesting matters in-between.
WHERE have you been all these while?
I have been about and around. I have been around but doing a lot more globally. I have been involved in other things. I have been writing books. I started my radio show for a radio station in New York and that show led to other things. I have written four books in that period and of course, doing voice acting, doing a lot more voice and also working for some other organisations. Right now, one of the biggest things I have been doing is G100. G100 is like a G20. G 100 is for women. It is a group of 100 global women leaders. I am the chair for the media arts and communication. We have been traveling, going to the UN and other organisations but my focus is in the arts but I am still here. I have been working with the actors guild in the last dispensation as director of International Communication; more of the international side of things.
How is it looking up for Nollywood outside Nigeria?
It is looking good. The truth is that there is a whole lot more awareness about the industry especially with OCT platforms like Netflix where our work is now more globally available and with our local talents now doing movie launches, premiers in theatres in the US and the UK. So there is a whole lot more awareness. Even in the international scene, you hear people talk about Nollywood now. There is a whole lot collaborations with Nollywood and Hollywood. There has definitely been progress.
What are your plans with your current portfolio in AGN?
I am now a member of Mr. President’s cabinet and I was appointed Director of Brand Communication and Relations. The aim is to facilitate more sort of organic relationship between the guild and other organisations and brands. Why because they feel like actors by virtue of them being cultural ambassadors, using the arts to project their works, heritage of Nigeria and Africa. They are obviously brand faces of our country
What we are trying to do is build a guild that is inclusive, one that brings everyone together because for a long time, there has been that sort of disconnection where people feel like what is the guild doing for us and so now we are like saying, the guild is here doing a lot for us. There are a lot of people now saying that we are not going to say what is the guild doing for us but we are ready to do something for the guild and come together and say these are the things we need. For example our HMO, there is a lot of areas where actors in general need to build a career that works for them. I don’t want to say too much but we are coordinated. There is a whole lot more contribution with people of ideas in terms of how to build the guild.
What is happening to you in terms of acting?
I have a couple of projects – television, film and then voice. Why I am doing more voice is that I realize that there are no boundaries with voice. There is a global market for voice acting. For example, I did an animation film that is coming out soon. Though OTC platforms are helping screens, they have taken what will normally be a big screen and project to have a small screen on your mobile device, the Netflix and all. Having voice and been able to bridge that gap internationally, from the account that I have read, I could do a whole lot stuff as a voice actor. There is less competition in that area. I am back to doing television and film. Everybody should watch out.
How lucrative is voice acting?
In Nigeria it is easy if you are looking on the commercial side of things maybe not as a voice actor. Again, I believe that there is a lot of money I feel we leave on this table. For example, if you look at in the film sector, there is something called right dubbing. If you shot a film and you wanted to translate, not everybody would read in English. Look at the soap operas they brought from Mexico, even the Indians television series, if you go into the South African guild, there are actors who are multi lingual. There is a lot of money in dubbing. Actors here who speak Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba should be making money. Actors who are multi lingual can dub a particular film in a different language. There is definitely a market for that. On the commercial side, actors working with couple of businesses doing voiceovers for infomercials, there is a broad range things like podcast; there is what we call podcasting. These are drama series but made for audio platforms. These are like audio dramas like what BBC used to do. There is a programme that they used to do on radio but these are radio hours but now you can have them more as a downloading podcasting.
You have so many things going on at the same time, you are likely going to be the Opera Winfrey of Nigeria?
Some people have been seeing that into the future, I don’t know. Maybe I might start a media company. A lot of that is starting on the FM medium where I talk about expression, you. As a versatile actor, you have to look at the different platforms and see how you can benefit from them and explore your talent.
What do you want to achieve at the end of the day with all of your efforts?
Impact! That is the entire goal. It is; how do you leave your imprint and change things? One of the challenges is being able to develop ourselves, being able to see how other people do things everywhere else and you come back to your country and say what can we pick from that? How can we look at the system and try and adjust? It gives you an idea. I keep saying that when we use an insular approach, we don’t know what everybody else is doing and we are not able to do our own. When you look at the global sphere and see how other people are operating and you educate yourself up to that level and of course, I have been doing a lot of educating myself, going back to school, looking at the entrepreneur side of media, the entrepreneur side of business.
But you have not been on ground?
I have been on ground. The thing is that I have not been stepping out into public places. The last dispensation I was Director of International Relations. It is not like this is my first appointment in AGN. This will be my actual second appointment.
Are you working on having an academy for the young ones?
That is a future plan though it is very close. I told you I was part of the G100. We have presidents, ministers, prime ministers, ambassadors, the list is endless. Somebody asked me how my being on the team benefits me? I am the only Nigerian woman and when you look at the history of the people you are working with, then you know it is an opportunity that you have. For example, we would be having the G100 West African meeting in the first week of March. We are bringing vice president of Liberia, who is our special guest of honour. We are bringing a lot of people into Lagos, Nigeria, March 6 and 7 and we have the women economic forum, this is the 88th edition, never been done in Africa before. This is the first time. So, 87 editions have taken place before now, everywhere else in the world except Nigeria. The fact that I am able to bring that home and say you know what I need you to start this conversation here, I need you to come and see what we can do here. I think that is the start of so many other things to come.
Why do you believe in Nigeria?
It is my country. It is my home. No matter where you go, you must have root somewhere, this is my home. People keep asking me, why am I still here, why haven’t I left? I was like, if we all run away, who is going to make the difference? We can all say we are not coming back but somebody has to make the change. If not you, then, who? If not now, then, when?
What are we expecting from you now, are you producing a movie, are you on set, what are you up to now?
Right now, I am recording an internet series. Now, there is a lot of boom on internet series. I am very much a supporter of digital entertainment. I feel like digital is the future and the thing about digital is that it breaks the boundaries, the barriers. The challenge with the way we have been doing things is that we are very analogue in our approach and what that means is we make it for us by us and it is small but when we embrace the digital side of things, the project can go as far as it can go, there are no boundaries. This is where we are now benefiting from Netflix because people anywhere in the world can now watch our films. I am really embracing the digital side of things. I am currently filming an internet series and working on a cinema film.
How is your social life?
I listen to music. I will be honest with you, I haven’t really relaxed in a long time because I have been spending so much time working and that is because there is so much to do but there is barely any time to relax. Relaxation to me is having time with my son, listening to music.
