Call him a jolly good fellow and you would be absolutely right but Ghollywood actor, John Dumelo,believes that life is short. OVWE MEDEME caught up with him at the Nigerian launch of Ghandour Cosmetics product range and he speaks about his love for the Nigerian culture, rivalry between the Nigerian and Ghanaian industries, marriage, family and sundry issues.
HOW did you get to be chosen for this?
I think I’ve been working for Ghandour Cosmetics for a couple of years now. I’m the brand ambassador for Style Up. Style app is the gel for men. But you know when you are working for a cosmetic company, you just don’t work for one brand. Even though I work with style app, I still have links with BO16 and other brands that Ghandour does. That’s the reason I’m here. I’m here for BO16 and I always support their activities.
Do you make use of their products?
Yes, I use Style Up all the time and I think that’s one of the reasons why they chose me. Maybe because I have a little fashion sense, I always keep my hair well cut. So that’s how they came to choose me as ambassador for Style Up. Since I started using the product, I know a lot of boys or a lot of men who have always wanted to use the product too because it’s good for the hair. It straightens out the hair and it makes the hair look neat and it attracts the women as well. When I say it attracts ladies, what I’m saying is that your hair becomes nice and you know ladies like nice things. Some ladies are attracted to nice hair, so, obviously, that would attract some of the ladies.
How many women has it attracted to you?
I can’t count it now (laughs).
We’ve heard you speak Yoruba and Igbo. How did you get to speak Nigerian languages?
I’ve had a lot of Yoruba and Igbo girlfriends, that’s why.
Can you name some of them?
I’ve forgotten their names (laughs). I’m not being serious here. But I’ve worked in the East so I’ve taken up a lot of Igbo language. Of course I always come to Lagos before I go to the East, so I picked up the Yoruba language from here and then, of course, I have a lot of Yoruba and Igbo friends.
About the movie industry, what would be your perception about how we do things here?
Well, Nigeria does good films and it always keeps Ghana on its toes in terms of films. Ghana does the same thing but I think it is a healthy competition that is going on. Ghanaians copy Nigerians, Nigerians copy Ghanaians in terms of filmmaking but at the end of the day, like I said, it’s a good marketing strategy. We have a lot of fan base in Nigeria. Nigerians also have a lot of fan base in Ghana and both of them make things work out properly.
How easy was it for you to break into the Nigerian movie industry?
In my time, that was around 2007/2008, it wasn’t that easy because we had other Nigerian actors around. So, for them to accept us was a big challenge. But I think, by and large, we all accepted the fact that we can come to Nigeria and work, or Nigerians can come to Ghana and work, so it was ok.
You are known for your write ups, advising women not to rush into marriage. Is that the real you?
Of course I said that. It was like a series I did because I’ve seen a lot of people talking about the beauty of marriage. I’ve also seen a lot of people getting into marriage early and I’ve seen a lot of people getting into marriage and divorcing early. I think people just like the idea of marriage but they don’t know how to stay in the marriage. They like the idea of love but they don’t know how to be in love or stay in love. So I thought, since I have some following, I decided to say that this is what I’ve heard, this is what I’ve seen. Let me just put it in writing. I was just advising people not to rush into marriage because their friends are getting married or because they want to have beautiful wedding pictures in Bellanaija, or because you want to rent a nice place, play music and everything. That’s not what marriage is about. Marriage is making it work and that’s what is making a lot of marriages fail these days. People go into it with the wrong mindset.
How much of all these are you imbibing?
That’s why I’m taking my time now, so when I get married it would be for the right reason.
Do you intend getting married soon?
Oh, yes.
There are rumours about you and Yvonne Nelson being an item. Is she the one?
Yvonne? Who is Yvonne? (laughs)
But a picture of both of you surfaced recently and people were wondering whether you are making it official?
Yvonne is just my friend; I mean we have enjoyed a beautiful relationship, by that, I mean friendship over a long period of time. And yes, we had some misunderstandings but I asked myself, what is life? Life is short. Let’s just make up, and that was it.
Your countryman, Chris Attoh, came to Nigeria and snatched one of our damsels. Are you thinking of following his footsteps?
If you give me, I’ll take now.
What are your thoughts on fatherhood and parenting?
Fatherhood is very good. It is very important when it comes to parenting. I’ve also witnessed a lot of families where the father wasn’t around and what the children grow up to be. I’m not saying that women are not good parents. Women can do their best but when you have a father, it just makes everything wonderful. It’s the same thing as when you have a father and there is no mother. The children also turn out to be something different. I think both are very important. Fatherhood and motherhood are very important.
Growing up, which of your parents were you closer to?
I was closer to my dad.
What does Dumelo mean?
It means Town Crocodile. Crocodiles are normally not in town. They are found in water or swampy areas.
Do you have any piercings?
No, I don’t have any piercings.
Do you have anything against those who have piercings or tattoos?
I have nothing against those who tattoo or pierce their body. It’s a lifestyle choice. It’s the same as those who drink and those who don’t drink. We shouldn’t judge.
How did you get into acting?
I actually did my first film when I was seven years old. It was a hit in Ghana then.It was called Baby Thief. After that, I think I developed a strong sense of film. I’ve had that in me ever since.
What motivated you to continue?
I think God has a purpose for everybody. As I say, sometimes you want to be something but God wants something else for you. So I think that is what God showed me. So I developed the passion for acting and that was it.
