Actor, model, movie producer and director, Ikechukwu Mitchel Ogbonna, speaks with IVORY UKONU about his career, some of the challenges facing Nollywood and how to tackle them. Excerpts:
How long have you been in the movie industry?
My life has been a movie I must say. I have always wanted to be popular, even though I had no idea how to go about it. I always felt like I was a star that needed to be seen.
But you haven’t always been an actor
Yes, I started out as a model. And like I said, my life has been a movie, I have been an actor all my life, from the day I was born. But professionally, I joined Nollywood in 2011. But before then, I had a few minor roles here and there. I was a housemate in the Amstel Malta Box Office reality TV show in 2005. The show was geared towards positioning house mates in Nollywood. When I came out of the show, I began to hustle for movie roles, but they weren’t coming. So I just stayed away. I don’t like pushing or forcing things. I feel like anything God wants for me should happen naturally without me trying too hard. So I focused on modelling for some years locally and internationally.
In between those times, I did some television presenting for two shows: One was about legends and the other about music, it was called ‘Music and Vibes’ for movie producer, Elvis Chuks. So while I presented his music show, I got the opportunity to appear in a few scenes in some of his television series. But I joined Nollywood fully when my colleague, Rukky Sanda, told me she wanted to give me a role to play in her movie.
I got to the movie set, saw actors like Nse Ikpe-Etim, Yemi Blaq, Kate Henshaw, developed cold feet and ran away. Rukky was quite upset with me, but she called me again to play the lead role for another movie. You can imagine me, never really acted in a proper movie and then just jumping right into playing a lead role in my first movie. I did the movie but I wasn’t quite sure I performed well but when the poster of the movie came out, my followers on Facebook began increasing, people began to show me love. That opened doors for me and I must say that Rukky was really instrumental to my acceptance into Nollywood because I was playing the lead role in virtually every movie she was producing.
Elvis, Rukky and even Ini Edo played very vital roles in my career. They prepared me, kept pushing me, giving me big roles and pairing me with very big actors. So it came to me when I least expected it and it came with force, I wasn’t really ready for it but I embraced it.
And that ended your modeling career?
I can never truly abandon modelling because till today, I still influence products and services for brands. Some designers pay me to wear their clothes. It is the same as modelling. But the difference is that now I am a brand and I cannot discuss with other brands along the same line I am influencing at the moment, unlike in the early days when I could just model for different companies. Now, instead of just paying me to advertise something, it is more of a partnership. I am not doing as many modelling gigs as I did back then because the pay now is huge. So it is still a part of me.
Nowadays more actors seem to have fully embraced brand influencing, thus reducing the number of movies they appear in. Why is this so?
Actors have always been influencers. Back then when tabloids like ‘Hints Magazine’, ‘Vintage People’, ‘Encomium’ and the rest were the in-thing, you would see, say, a Genevieve Nnaji as a Lux ambassador on the cover page. There was no social media then as a platform for actors to interact with their fans. The only means of socialising was through the pages of magazines and television commercials.
Now that we have social media, brands make do with it as opposed to what was obtainable then. For any company, all they are interested in is the numbers. When they see that this actor has an impressionable followership and they think this actor resonates with what they are trying to sell, they latch on to him. Social media has made interaction with fans personal and these fans easily believe what their idols tell them. These companies will go to the person with a huge followership, hoping that they can leverage on those numbers. But some actors are unable to distinguish between what they believe in and what they don’t. They are all about the money
Personally, I have my own beliefs and will not influence for certain brands, such as sex enhancement drugs, Kayanmata etc. I don’t judge people’s businesses, but you won’t find me promoting such things, no matter how lucrative the offer is. I only promote things I am proud of and can defend anywhere. I want to be able to explain to my son what the product or service I am promoting is all about without flinching or biting my tongue.
Some people hail Nollywood as having come a long way. Do actors now earn well enough?
I don’t think any actor in Nigeria gets paid what they deserve. Musicians get what they deserve. I think actors are still very much underpaid because it is still a growing industry and we are getting to a place where we are beginning to discover ourselves and understand our values. There are only very few actors today that command good pay. That is because they were able to discover themselves and understand that they have a good value and stood by it. But over time, some actors who have come to realise their worth have discovered that they cannot survive if they continue in that way. So now, they quote fees they feel is reasonable enough, even if it is not what they deserve. Personally, I see no reason why actors should not be paid $1 million for a movie role.
Really? How much then does it cost to produce a movie in Nollywood?
It isn’t about production; it is the general body of the movie, from the marketer of the movie to who is buying it. Again, it is all about positioning. Of course, if you have N4 million to produce a movie, you cannot afford to give out N1 million to one actor. But when you now have streaming platforms like Netflix in Nigeria and Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple, which will soon be in Nigeria, why not? These platforms pay in dollar. If Netflix is paying a movie producer $500,000 or $1 million for his movie, the producer has no business paying me N500,000 or N1 million. Besides, we are all informed. We know what big projects and even small projects command. So for the past two years, actors have been paid more than what they ever got prior to now.
Do you guys fight collectively for better pay or is it each man to his tent?
I can’t say that we are doing something collectively as a whole because whatever you discuss together, after everyone disperses, they become different people entirely. Even in politics, you see people supporting somebody else and you do not understand why they are supporting the person. You can imagine me rejecting certain movie roles because of the pay perhaps, but someone else will fight to get that role and the pay. How do you expect anything positive to come out when you decide on something and behind you, they scheme a different thing entirely? I think the problem with some actors is poverty mentality. That mental attitude that keeps saying, ‘I need to put food on my table,’ ‘I have bills to pay.’
Yes, you may need N1 million naira urgently, but is it what you are worth if you go by the entire net worth of the project? The good thing for me is that I spoke with a lot of friends in the industry before I came in and got some good advice on how to stick to my worth. Also, it is important you have a side hustle so that as you are doing the movie on your own terms, it will help your business and also command what you are really worth. That way, you do not have to be forced to accept anything thrown at you.
I have rejected more movie roles than I have accepted and, on several occasions, I have rejected the role based on the pay. They always get back to me on what I insist I am worth. It has happened to me too many times. While I do not judge anyone, I do not think anything can be done collectively about the pay. Every actor just needs to be informed and know their worth and value. Luckily for me, my ex-wife helped out in that aspect. She used to insist on me collecting my worth and would reject what she thinks is beneath me. It was always a fight between us in the beginning, but there was something she said that made sense. She said, ‘Look at yourself like a car. If someone walks into a car shop to buy a Range Rover with the money of a Toyota Camry, would they sell it to the person? Obviously, no. It will remain parked there until the right person comes to buy it. So you have to ask yourself what kind of car you are and put a price tag on it.’ That pushed me to increase my artist fee and from there onwards, I developed the confidence to keep increasing it.
Can you put a number to how many movies you have done?
Over 100 over the course of my career
Have you produced any movie so far?
Yes. I produced ‘Excess Luggage’, my very first production effort. I have produced four movies so far.
What is the catch with actors dabbling into movie production?
For me, I am a businessman first and foremost. I do other businesses, like I said earlier, besides acting. Acting alone can’t pay all my bills. I can sell anything as long as it is legal and I have the means to sell it. I am in the business of film making. On movie sets, I hardly hang out with my colleagues. I am always with the crew, the sound engineer, the director of photography, the movie director…. I am constantly looking into the monitor when I am not filming and that is how I have been since I came into the industry.
I am always curious about how every department functions. I can literally handle any department in the movie industry. With the understanding that I have about film as a whole, it was only right that I go into movie production. What is my money doing, just sitting in the bank? I will produce and make more money. To produce a movie in Nigeria is a very hard thing to do because we do not have the support that we need.
With the advent of social media and the demise of Alaba movie marketing outlets, how do you producers sell your movies?
Luckily, I came into the industry when it wasn’t really about Alaba marketers, when the cinema culture was already established and every movie producer then was just moving to the cinema. And then some online platforms like Iroko TV, IbakaTV, Nevada Bridge came on board. When movie producers produce their movies, it goes straight to those platforms. And now we have Netflix, Prime Videos and others. The industry is still growing. It will only get bigger.
Are there things you wish could be changed about your industry?
Many things. I would like a situation where we would get more support, not just from the government, but from private entities. Nollywood is a big investment; you get as much as you put into it. Most of these big streaming platforms are looking for movies to put on their platforms. If you keep watching old movies on Netflix, you will get tired and eventually unsubscribe. That is why they keep looking to acquire content. All I need to do is to keep giving them good content that is devoid of poor lighting, sound, acting, story lines etc because they have standards and have made the name already. It is a form of investment. But the problem we have is the lack of trust from private entities who do not believe they can recoup their investments in the movie industry.
What most businessmen fail to understand is that business is a risk. When someone goes to them with a business proposal, all they need to do is to evaluate it and see if it is worth the risk, instead of having the mindset that it is bad business, even before it goes to them. Investors need to start believing in what we are capable of doing in the movie industry.
Before now, who would have thought that movie producers would be capable of getting $1 million dollars from Netflix with their movies. But it is getting done already. Mo Abudu, Kunle Afolayan, Ayo Makun are just some of the movie producers commanding that kind of money. So it all boils down to understanding the business of movies and knowing how to go about it.Nigerians need to start embracing our own movies. Right now, we are the biggest market in the world. The streams that African movies are making online is what is making Netflix and other streaming platforms to be rushing to Nigeria because they have seen that Africans are really engaged in African movies now online.
Location for filming is also an issue. Actors get harassed by locals, get denied the use of certain places and go through all kinds of harassment from our fellow countrymen who should be giving us all the support we need. Apart from these, every other thing is individualistic. I cannot speak for my colleagues, I can only speak for myself and I wish that we as actors can understand, respect and stick more to our values.
What do you consider to be the greatest advantage of being an actor?
Fame and respect. There are times I go to a foreign country where they may never have known about me, but once I mention my name and they google search it and see my accomplishment, there is a high level of trust and respect that gets attached to one instantly. So, carrying the flag of Nollywood anywhere I go is a very big achievement. Being an actor opens doors to you in different ways. It is up to us to nurture it and keep making the best out of it. If you stay in one position for too long, people will not respect you anymore. You have to grow. It is not an industry that everyone can easily get into.
I don’t agree. You see all kinds of characters calling themselves actors
Almost everyone has actor on their social media bio, but how many movies have they really acted in? Being in one movie doesn’t make one an actor, you are still working on yourself. I didn’t consider myself as an actor until after four years in the industry.
Are you still in touch with your ex-wife?
Yes, we are friends. We have an amazing son. I am not one of those that believe in bitter breakups. Once in a while, I seek advice from her and vice versa.
Are you thinking of giving marriage a second chance?
I have not closed the doors to marriage, but I am not so eager. I have two children already. My first daughter is from a previous relationship before I met my ex-wife. Currently, it is more about building my career. I have told God that I do not want to look for a wife, I want a wife to find me, if that makes any sense.
But you have to work towards it
I don’t believe so. Some of the best intimate relationships grew out of genuine friendship. That is what I mean by a wife finding me. I am not in a rush. Between now and the next five years, if I find someone or she finds me, I want it to just happen naturally.
Do you imply there is nobody lurking in one corner?
Nobody
What do you do when a woman has a crush on you?
It is okay to crush. I am also crushing on Beyonce and Rihanna and they haven’t looked my way. But it is a good feeling to know that people love you for different reasons, whatever it is. But there are boundaries that should not be crossed.
You have this amazing friendship with your colleague, Alex Ekubo and fashion designer, Yomi Makun. What binds you guys together?
I think my relationship with Alex is God-ordained and authentic. We are best friends. It all started from being colleagues and it grew beyond that into something organic and effortless. I found it easy being friends with him. Surprisingly, his acronym is IK, he is Ikenna. He knows me in and out and looks out for me and vice versa. He is my brother. He is the kind of friend I want to grow old with. With Yomi, it started from business. He asked me to model his clothing brand. And the fact that he was already close to Alex made it easier to be his friend. We all live within the same area. They are just about the only two people who I would share my high moments and low moments with.
You once experimented with wigs. Don’t you think you look better off with your baldness?
I think anyone has a right to look the way they want. But whichever way, I like my looks. I am a very confident person, bald or with hair. I am a very good-looking young man, all thanks to God. But what informed my hair change were two things. The first was business. This began during the Covid19 lockdown when many people began looking for ways to make extra money. During that period, there was a day dedicated to just showing only my movies. In all the movies shown, I had the same look. I don’t have beards so I could easily switch looks. So, I began to wear wigs in movies for versatility.
Now I no longer wear wigs because it is actually painful to do so. I have switched to microscopic pigmentation, MSP. It makes the scalp look like a shaved head. The colour of my skin was used to give me a hairline. It is safe and better. At some point, I will still do a hair transplant. My dream for my career is not going to be limited to Nigeria. I want to be able to wear different looks effortlessly.
You have very flawless skin. What is your skincare routine?
Nothing, it is genetic. I got it from my mom. I try not to use anything. I just use very basic creams to moisturise, nothing harsh. Be that as it may, I am looking at getting into the beauty industry by launching a skincare line. Money must be made in this country but not illegally. That is my principle.
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