I’ll be stupid to say there is no sexual gratification in Nollywood
By BISI OLALEY, AZUH AMATUS and ONUOHA OLIVER
Friday, September 2, 2005

Charles Okafor Photo: Sun News Publishing

In Nollywood, it is incontestable that Charles Okafor has paid his dues. His name readily rings a bell. Charles, who made his debut in the famous movie, Oracle, perhaps, attained stardom through his dastardly role in Keneath Nnebue’s NEK Video’s production of Rituals. Nevertheless, as a career-actor, Okafor says that he has a mission to use his talent to touch people’s lives positively.

Okafor, who is a graduate of Theatre Arts, is also a producer and now the C.E.O., C&E Productions. As one of the Nollywood’s pioneer actors, Okafor reasons that mediocrity should be wiped out of Nigerian movie sector for the industry to move forward. During a visit to The Sun Corporate Office, in Lagos recently, Okafor, who frowns at the current trend in Nollywood where plagiarism of foreign cultures is the order of the day urged his colleagues not to dump their heritage for other people’s cultures. He also spoke about his intending marriage, problems in Nollywood, as well as alleged rampant homosexuality and lesbianism in the industry. The actor, who denied that some artistes’ fees are in six figures also debunked rumours making the rounds that he is on sabbatical, rather, he went off the scene to produce an advocacy movie entitled: Called by Fire.

Background
My name is Charles Ezechukwu Okafor. I was born on the 23rd of July, 1970. I hail from Umuleri, Anambra State. I am the fourth in a family of six. I attended Araromi Primary School One, Olodi Apapa, Lagos after which I proceeded to St. Gregory College, Ikoyi. I read Theatre Arts at the University of Port-Harcourt and graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in 1993. After that, I proceeded to the University of Lagos to pursue a masters degree in Political Science and International Relations. I worked briefly with the Security and Exchange Commission, following the completion of my national youth service. After spending six years in S.E.C., I resigned voluntarily and went into full time acting.

Journey into acting
(Hmmn…) You see, acting is a tiny compartment of a larger world of art. So, I tried not to be pigeon holed into acting. I ‘d rather prefer you asked me what motivated me towards the arts to which acting belongs. Art is an innate sensibility. In other words, we are configured by God that creates and builds the sensibility of the artistic. We are born with a talent inside of us. So if you ask me, I will actually say that I was born with the talent. But if you talk about professional acting, I have been in this for over a decade and two years.

Who led me into acting?
It is very unfortunate that people have that impression that they are led into the arts. I hold a different view. My position is, however, predicated on the fact that for one to be a success from whatever venture, he/she must easily identify the divine propelling force. Such an individual must ask himself, Where is he being led? Has God created him to be in this or that? So, my involvement in acting has been divinely inspired. I could see some people who are role models but I made up mind to become an artiste long before they began to influence me. It might be a complex thing to understand but I will break it down. I remembered that when I was young, I was told by my uncle that I will gather children and tell them stories. I cannot remember when I did that because then I was very young. My Uncle would also tell me that he knew that I would end up a dramatist. I am a career actor and I see acting as an extension of social commentary and I am a social commentator. I am going to correct a cliché that somebody must be a link or a motivating factor. It is wrong. We seem to be giving the glory to man, whereas the glory is supposed to go to God. Actors are not made but born. That is why there are people who have been in the business of acting long before my father was born yet they did not make any success of it. Why? Because they did not decide, identify or determine if they were called. We are not all called to be actors and that is why I insist that I am a career actor and not an ordinary actor. As a career person you are focussed; you have your training; you have everything clearly defined and you want to build on it.
Career is developmental. It is not like because someone burnt down my spare parts shop in Alaba, I should, therefore, end up in acting. There are many cases like that, and that is why mediocrity thrives in the industry. You might have spent 25 years in the acting industry only to discover in the 26th year that you are in the wrong profession. It is not all about the link but the fact that one has not identified his or her calling.

First day on location?
Beautiful! Exciting! Interesting! It was like when you have read for an examination, burnt the midnight oil and walked into the examination hall. One feels confident. So, for me it was a mixture of excitement and confidence because the opportunity came for me to practicalize all that I have learnt. You see, I featured in 142 stage plays from my first to my final year. Stage is the real thing. Television is a plastic thing as they say. I looked forward to when I was going to be on the tube but I played a lead role in Memorial Hospital, a soap opera, while I was still in the Security and Exchange Commission. After I have done all that, I looked forward to a time when I would join the movie industry.

Nollywood
Nollywood is an ambitious drive; an ambition driven on a weak leg. Nollywood is a statement of the copycatism that is affecting every Nigerian which explains why we are finding it very difficult to penetrate Nollywood with quality works. For Nollywood to really come to stay, one must deal with the mediocrity in the system.

Mentors
I might have people whose works have inspired greater challenges in me, I prefer saying it that way. So, when I acted in an epic film titled Igodo, I actually put myself in the hue of Charles Elston when he was banished from the presence of Pharaoh. In chains, he walked out of the courtroom. If you noticed his strides, and the manner in which he walked, that was exactly what I did when I played the role of Agu in Igodo. The truth remains that there are acting styles that are recognised universally. As a graduate of Theatre Arts, I should identify with and reconcile the job with the universal principle of acting and also be judged on that principle.

Movie that made me popular
I must confess to you that it will be difficult to remember the first one. But I can give you a range of three, Journey Hell, Oracle, Obsession by Zeb Ejiro and Rituals. I think these were my very first movies.

A millionaire actor?
I am very comfortable by the grace of God. I won’t count myself among the rich and I won’t call myself a millionaire. But cumulatively, I have made a multiple of millions but I have never been paid a million naira for any job. I have never received a million for any job and it does not make sense to lie. When I read it, I laugh because we know the tricks that go underneath. People in their estimation or strategy give themselves publicity so that marketers would think that they are up there. But that is all false living. I know that I have never been paid a million naira for any job neither do I have a million naira in in my bank account.

My absence from Nollywood.
At a point, I stopped accepting acting roles because a time comes in one’s life that you have done quite a sizeable chunk of everything and you suddenly decide to be doing something different. What am I talking about? In 2000, I think this is the first time I am giving an exclusive revelation. In my outfit C&E Productions, on a particular night, I woke and asked myself what have I done? I was under the tutelage of late Professor Ola Rotimi. He was my teacher and in many ways, my mentor. I recalled one of those days when I was in my final year, we started talking about Aristotle’s poems and somewhere along the line, the discussion changed. At a point, he just told me, you have to take charge. He also said something that is very eternal and that is why we have to wipe off mediocrity from the industry. He said that creativity is elastic and that is why you can kill an actor if you ‘type’ him. There are people that you would see in 35 movies last year, it is the way you would have seen them in 2000. I decided to go beyond entertainment acting to what we call advocacy acting. Advocacy acting is about using the instrumentality of play nay methodology to advance the cause of conflict resolution in Africa and in the world. That was what brought about my advocacy movie entitled: Called by fire which I produced in Accra, Ghana. I took featured artistes from Nigeria, Ghana, Britain and Australia. The project received endorsement from Ghanaian government. It was a dream project in which I invested everything that I had.
However, Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, supported our cause with a million naira.

Any plan to do another movie?
Yes! The work we do are capital intense because it is advocacy-driven. When you are doing something beyond entertainment, there are messages couched in it, it is a research kind of work. If I want to talk on cancer of the liver, I will meet with experts not just gloss over the topic, it is like doing an indepth story.

The synopsis?
I can not! And that is not to say that I am scared of giving it to you but you see, the work have to go through four drafts before the final copy. Before the end of the year, I promise that I will be able to give it to you.

Are you back to acting?
I did not go on sabatical, I have always been in acting. I went to do serious work, Called by Fire (laughs). Beyond Called by Fire, I have done other works in the realm of acting. There are three Ghanaian projects which I was involved in.

Tackling mediocrity in Nollywood
Before 1920, the coming of Charlie Chaplain in America, the American movie industry was without shape. In the same year, two shrewd business men came in and pumped money into film making. They sourced for professionals in every compartment. They were the people who turned around the movie industry and gave birth to Hollywood. Professionalism involves doing the right thing the right way and at the right time. As at 1993, the Nigerian film industry was equally like the American industry that was in the doldrum. The industry reached its peak with the success recorded in Living in Bondage. It was then they realised that it was a lucrative business. The Warner Brothers, The Fox, Pyramid were all business tycoons looking for profit and while looking for profit, they were mindful of professionalism. The Nigerian movie industry will evolve over time and I think we are gradually getting to that pont where we will begin to take the right step in the right direction. I must tell you that some how certain key persons who actually started fimmaking in Nigeria and at a point started introducing fraudulent dispositions and this discouraged the executive producers. As a result, the executive producers became directly involve in film making. Originally, it was not like that ! There used to be a popular joke in the film industry when people would say to the director, ‘director colour bar don finish.’ Then, the E.P. would scamper around to look for money to get out of the mess. And it was because the EP was ignorant of the fact that colour bar had nothing to do with it. At some point, some of them began to say that if they became apprentices and learn under the director what stops them from making their own films? And let me say this that it is not professionally proper for studio owners or E.P. to get involved directly in film making. The present situation is the fall out of the fraudulent dispensation of the past. But then we can not continue to say that what is wrong should be taken as a virtue. I am saying that a time shall come when the EPs will take the back seat.

Sex for roles in Nollywood?
To me, there is nothing like Nollywood, it is a copycatism of Hollywood. Yes! I will be the most stupid person if I tell you that there is no sexual gratification or a condition attached to each role a female artiste takes. I don’t believe in that school of thought where truth is subdued and lies glorified. Why is it that actors go outside the film industry to pick their wives. You see them in skimpy dresses and they prostitute themselves at night. I don’t have any apology for saying that. I feel that we are Africans and should be seen as such. Homosexuality and lesbianism is like a piece of cake in the movie industry now. You are not a star if your life does not preach it, I went through your papers and I saw one of your Sun Girl mentioned an actress as a role model. I laughed because the average Nigerian doesn’t know what it means to have a role model. The least a female actress takes are sticks of cigarette, while hemp and cocaine are everybody affair. And the people celebrate iniquity and the point is that we have a responsibility, Daniel 12:3 says " those who draw men to God shall shine like a star" and that is my own definition of stardom. What value has Nigerian movie industry added to Nigerians? The industry is the highest employer of labour. From January through December, new talents are sourced for, even Waka pass roles. It is even an insult to call an artiste Waka Pass, that name is derogatory, we are very instrumental to the economic growth of this nation.

Marriage
Marriage is a gift from God. The Bible says: “ He who findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord." Thank God for Jesus. I will be getting married next month.
Can you tell us who she is?
She is not an actress, that is all I can say for now. I need to respect her privacy and not divulge information that she might not like. She is a very good company, we found ourselves.

How we met?
Incidentally, she was in my premiere at the Muson Centre. I won’t say that it was love at first sight. I did not meet her at a singles forum as some would think. Even the singles forum is one of the lies of the devil to pull Christians down. We met and I think I liked what I saw, and I fell in love with her.
Future actor turned preacher
Every Christian is a potential preacher. As an actor, I am a preacher. It is just that everything I do now must glorify God.

My vision and mission
My mission is to distinguish myself within the environment, culturally, socially, historically. We can make a statement of conviction due to the talents God has deposited in us. That is why I quarrelled with the word, Nollywood. It’s a product of our subservience to other people’s culture. Visit Hollywood and see how things are going on, every department is handled by professionals.