Nigerian film star, TV show host, presenter, and model, Joseph Benjamin is not a new face on the Nigerian entertainment scene. He became big for his role in hit films like ‘Tango with Me,’ ‘Mr & Mrs’ and shone like bright stars as the male anchor for MTN Project Fame for many seasons. However, he relocated to the United States of America six years ago, but returned to the country, KAYOWA ADEGBOYEGA spoke with him on varied issues including family, and career. Excerpts
So, you’ve been away for a while and you are coming back. When they approached me for this Star Magnate project, I looked at the concept and realized it was something fresh and new, and it was about fashion, and what we represent in Nigeria. I just felt like, look, this is great, it’s fresh, it’s a great platform for us to showcase our fashion. The fashion industry is experiencing a major boom. I felt like this was great. It was the first of its kind, so it would be a great opportunity for budding fashion designers to showcase their capacity; their creative ability to the world, and be able to see something beautiful.
I just felt like, it’d be great to jump on this, you know, and because, to be honest with you, I think we’ve barely scratched the surface of the potential that we have regarding the fashion industry in Nigeria and Africa at large. I thought it was something great for me to jump on because I’m somewhat of a fashion enthusiast myself. A lot of Nigerians would rather see themselves at home in locally made designs as opposed to the norm back in the day when it had to be some big-name brand.
How would you describe your relocation experience, and what prompted it?
It was driven by a need or a desire to explore what the world had to offer. I had gotten to a point in my career where I felt like I had hit every height I could, and I just felt like there was much more I could acquire, there was much more out there that the world could offer. I took that bold step to make the move and at the time it was more like I didn’t have a concrete plan in the same sense that, ‘Oh look, this is how it’s going to be, it’s going to be this long, or whatever it is,’ you know, but I just went with it because sometimes I’m that impulsive, and so that’s what prompted the move to relocate. It had nothing to do with the wave of relocation that the country has experienced in the last couple of years. At the time I relocated, the term ‘Japa’ was not a thing, but of course, after that, it became a thing. And like I said, people relocate for various reasons and I would say that that was my reason. And of course, family is here, so that was what prompted my relocation journey.
There was a time you talked about becoming an Uber driver in the US. It went viral in Nigeria, knowing you are a successful actor in Nigeria. Are you still working as an Uber driver, and what did you learn from the experience?
I’ve always, prior, based on how I was raised, I’ve never seen anything as demeaning, I’ve never seen any form of trade, or earnestly, as demeaning. So I hopped on it, and I did it, right, and it was a beautiful experience for me.
Did you pick up Nigerians, and did they recognize you?
Yes, I did pick up a lot of Nigerians and yes, they did. They were inspired by it. I had this one lady who hopped into the car, the moment she recognized me, she had to call her husband and say, “Guess who the Uber driver is, Joseph Benjamin,” and the husband ended up having a conversation with me on the phone, and all of that.
I’ve had instances where a lot of them would take pictures. And for me, I believe that that was a necessary experience for me. It was part of my journey to greatness. I would say your story is not complete if you do not follow a path that takes you away from your comfort zone. And so it’s something that I proudly say that, yes, I enjoyed doing, and it helped me. It inspired a lot of people. Easily, my car became an inspiration hub because every time people entered my vehicle, they would be listening to music, then it would spur them on. They would leave the car a lot better than when they came in.
Read Also: CBN warns banks against cash hoarding, Naira abuse
So for me, I felt like it was a necessary journey. It was a path that I had to follow. God had to make me go through that, and it further built character in me, which was y great. I know I had this one guy when he got out of the car, he was a Nigerian, and he said to me, “Bros, you inspired me, man.” That did not just encourage me; it made my entire journey, in a sense. It was the highlight of it for me. I was trying to make ends meet, but I was also inspiring lives by the journey that I had embarked on.
You’ve been married and started a new chapter in your personal life. How has family impacted your career decisions, and what role does your wife play in your journey today?
I do have a beautiful life, and my wife has been an immense support to everything that pertains to my career. She’s been a very formidable force around me, and a lot of the decisions and choices that I’ve made have seen a lot of support from her. So, family has been a major part of my life, a huge balance for me.
How do you envision the Star Magnate project impacting the Nigerian fashion industry?
I believe it has significant potential. Before now, Lagos Fashion Week was the biggest platform for showcasing or giving an avenue or creating a pathway for fashion designers to showcase their creativity. Not everyone has the opportunity to showcase their collections there, but Star Magnate is that platform that will see us allow modern fashion designers to discover new talents. With the positive reception so far, I believe the second season will see a flood of designers wanting to be a part of it. So I believe that this is going to grow a world of creativity for our fashion industry, yeah.
Why did you return to Nigeria from the United States?
The truth is I never left. My career has always been in Nigeria. I just took a break. I felt this was the right time to return. You harped on the volatile economic climate right now. The truth about it is that the current economic climate is something that is not just peculiar to Nigeria. It’s all over the world, that’s the truth. It’s just that Nigeria is experiencing a more intense hit on this. But I don’t think that plays a role in you making decisions, regarding career and all of that, you know, so I just felt it was time to be back.
What do you think was the most significant point in your career?
The most significant point in my career was when I started hosting Project Fame West Africa, which remains one of the most successful music reality shows from Nigeria. Another highlight was booking a role on Greenleaf, a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. That was also a huge achievement and a significant point in my career as well.
How do you approach acting and what does it take to stay relevant in Nollywood and the entertainment industry generally?
I would say, my starting point was ‘Tales by Moonlight’. Now, for those who are old, and of course, there are a lot of us who are old enough to remember ‘Tales by Moonlight’. Someone else took my money. Because I didn’t know how the system functioned at the time. Imagine I was living in Ikeja, Lagos, and going every day to collect money. And, of course, we’re dealing with a lot of these government personnel. It’s how it was. And I’ll go every day to collect my money. So this particular day, this guy then asked me, ‘Have you signed up for the episodes that you featured in? I said, ‘No, no, no.’
He said, “You need to sign.” I said, “Okay, let me go to the accounts department to sign.” He said, “Don’t worry, I’ve signed for you.” I didn’t know that he’d signed for me. He was collecting my money. And I kept going every other week. And eventually, they told me, someone signed up for these episodes. I’m like? How? That’s one memory that will forever be engraved in my head. But those were the building days. Those were the formative years that saw me rise into this. And I remember also, my first, not just stills, but my first movie role, which was in 1995. I wasn’t paid for that. Someone sat on my money as well. Yeah, someone sat on my money.
I remember telling my mom. And she said, this particular day, ‘we are going to that office on Victoria Island’. She followed me over. She took me to the office in VI. I remember, Engineering Close. The office was still there. She took me there. My mom created a scene. “How would you bring down, put this boy in a film, and not pay him?” It rained thunder and everything. That day, because they were not going to pay me, they had to. It was so embarrassing that they had to write a check. Those were moments that, honestly, they’re fun to think about now, but they were not interesting at the time. They were quite discouraging.
Taking you down memory lane, I remember days when we used to go to auditions. You have like a thousand people, and maybe they’re looking for three people. The joy of it then, when we were starting in the industry, was for the passion of it. We weren’t pursuing fame. It was just the passion that drove us. That is what has sustained us up until now. The passion, not fame. The thing I tell these younger fellows is, if fame is what is pursuing you, you get burnt out, you get discouraged down the line. If passion is driving you, even when it’s discouraging, you keep going because you know that you’re grounded, and rooted in this. I remember we would sometimes not even have transportation fare to go back home. We’d go from audition to audition. Sometimes one of us in our crew had a car. We’d all squeeze ourselves in. It was a lot of fun. I miss those days when passion was the driving force, not numbers and fame.
With the Lagos Fashion Week just concluded, and hosting Star Magnate, what tips or advice do you have for other players in the industry?
Let’s not sleep on the fashion industry. There’s a lot that can be achieved from there. You know, beyond just designers showcasing their creativity, it also showcases our culture. So, I just feel like more platforms like this should spring up, because like you rightly said, before Star Magnate coming up, Lagos Fashion Week is the only, I would say, the only major platform that has given a voice to fashion in Nigeria, and locally made fashion in Nigeria. So, I’m not just saying that. We need a lot more stakeholders to juggle this, and I believe that with that, our fashion industry will see a massive boom.
A lot of people think the creative industry is too open and lacks a unified entry point, unlike professions like law or medicine. Do you think Style Magnate can act as a gatekeeping model for the fashion industry?
Yes, Style Magnate can serve as a platform for new designers, almost like an academy. Working on this first season, I remember one of the tasks at one point when the designers were told to sketch and sketch out their designs before they started to cut and sew, and a lot of them were not able to. You know it was new to them, it was foreign, you know, so it was also an opportunity for them to learn that. So it was like, I saw a lot of it, it was a fun task to give them. So yes, I believe Style Magnate can be an entry point and a gatekeeping medium for budding fashion designers.
As the host, what would you say qualified you for this role?
I think the producers wanted someone with a strong presence and a good balance of fashion sense and hosting skills. And maybe it is someone who would be a good bridge between having a great fashion sense and also being able to accurately deliver what they were looking for. As for the impact, I believe the show will positively influence our youth by creating opportunities and fostering creativity. We need more platforms like this that intellectually engage and creatively impact our young generation.
Not many know that you used to have a career in music. Is it something you hope to pursue full-time going forward?
Yes, it’s still there. I’m still singing. Music is a huge part of me. I believe it’s music that expresses who you are and you want to be able to give it a voice as it rightly requires, not follow a particular trend. No, you’d have to go with what your heart needs. So it’s still there. It’s still there. I’m still working on music and pursuing it full-time.
As someone who has great taste in style, are there lessons you’ve learned from the Style Magnat show?
One of the lessons I learned is that your creativity is never limited. Your creativity, what you’re able to do, and what you’re able to express, largely depends on your imagination. Because I saw a lot and I was blown away. I was blown away and I was humbled at the same time. There’s a lot that we have to offer as a people.
How important is it for us to continue to have platforms like this in the Nigerian fashion scene?
Extremely important. I believe that the fashion industry is also part of the creative industry. The creative industry contributes significantly to Nigeria’s GDP.
More stakeholders need to support initiatives like this to help our fashion ecosystem grow and give more opportunities to local talent. And see how much it can engage and give some sort of strength to our Nigerian youth. Let’s use Lagos as a case in point. There’s probably one or two stores or shops that must showcase our locally made fashion. It’s more like having a food restaurant. It’s all over. So imagine what we can achieve. Imagine how that can increase, how it can triple that, increase that. If we have a lot more stakeholders, that will put their weight behind this. So I just believe that Lagos Fashion Week has been doing great. Style Magnate has come and has come to stay. We’re seeing the potential that this has to offer and all of that. And I know eventually people are just going to see that. And everyone would want to be a part of this. Imagine that designer who is far away somewhere in Aba. Who can make some amazing pieces that would blow you away. They can stand toe-to-toe with some of these big-name brands. And that person has an opportunity to get on Style Magnate and showcase what they have to the world. Because Style Magnate is Pan-African. That’s the vision. Of course, we had one of the contestants from South Africa. And that’s the first of its kind. Imagine we get designers from Kenya, from Malawi, from Uganda, from Zimbabwe, from Cameroon, Ghana. Style Magnate can be some sort of melting pot for fashion enthusiasts and fashion designers.
What has been the greatest highlight of your time on the show?
Being around talented designers and inspiring them through their creative journey. It’s not just about hosting but making a direct impact on their growth. It’s not being on the show, being the host, and all of that. That’s relative. But how much of a direct impact do you have on people? For me, that is what qualifies success. Okay, so for me, being around these guys, being a part of their journey, for me, was the greatest highlight. The camaraderie and backstage moments were the most rewarding for me.
What’s next for you after Style Magnate? Any new film projects or plans in fashion?
I have several projects coming up in 2025, including collaborations with Funke Akindele and Mo Abudu. As for fashion, who knows? It’s best not to commit to things prematurely, but I’m open to exploring it.
What do you think Style Magnate would do for the contestants in terms of exposure, market opportunities, and all that, having been in the process of production as well?
I hope the contestants will leverage the opportunity they’ve gotten to sell themselves to the world. I’m just hoping that they’re able to maybe leverage the opportunity they’ve gotten. Just being on the show and people seeing what you’re able to do, it’s a win for you.
What is your advice for the current generation and the upcoming ones in the industry?
First of all, what drives you is what matters. Define your why. “Why am I in this? Why am I doing this?” Your why defines the vision for you. Your why guides you. Don’t do it because people think you have a talent for it. Do you believe you have a talent for it? Define your why. When you’ve defined your why, and you know in your soul this is it for you, be true to it. Be absolutely true to it. That way you can give your best at every point. Give your all because you never know who’s watching. When you have a small window of opportunity to showcase what you have, put your best foot forward because you might never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Make that first impression count. Always work on yourself, build on yourself, and push yourself. Don’t wait to be ready. Always be ready. A lot of people wait, thinking when the time comes, they’ll start preparing. No, prepare like you are about to hit it. Prepare like that kick is there. Stay prepared. When preparedness meets opportunity, success is inevitable. Always be prepared. Keep going. Never, ever compromise your standards to get there because what you compromise your standards to get, you will have to compromise your standards to keep.
