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| Nosa Obaseki |
By
Opute C. Joel
A
celebrity is any well known TV or movie star who spends much time carving a
niche or creating an image for himself. For emphasis, “the image” is one thing
and “the human being is another. Being a human being is a priceless gift from
God which we inherit through our parents. On the contrary, it is very hard to
create an image and live up to it. In the bid of creating and living up to an
image, he becomes famous. However, fame is not the glory; virtue is rather the
goal and glory. Fame is only a messenger to bring more into the fold.
There
are several celebrities over the years that created great images for themselves
and lived up to it in all ramifications. They ruled their worlds in the works
of life that they chose and lived a footprint in the heart of all they
inspired. There are other celebrities who are alive today and working very hard
to build upon the images they have created for themselves and also ensuring
that they sustain it to the end. One of such celebrities is in the person of Nosa Obaseki.
Nosa Obaseki, a
young vibrant, agile and handsome man; dark in complexion and manly in stature,
hales from Benin, Edo State, Nigeria and West Africa but base in Canada. He is
a Canadian Nollywood actor that knows what it entails to feature in a movie and
become a screen god. No wonder great directors in the likes of Isioro Tokunbo
Jaboro, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki, Charles Novia, Kabat
Esosa Egbon etcetera find it easy working with him in great movie projects.
Here
is an opportunity for Opute C. Joel’s Blog to grant him a brief interview about
his career.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SAVING DREAMS OFFICIAL TRAILER
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SAVING DREAMS OFFICIAL TRAILER
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| Nosa Obaseki preparing to go on set with Iyen Agbonifo, the costumier on the set and President of Creative Designers Guild of Nigeria. (CDGN) |
How long have you being in the movie world and what was your first experience like?
I
officially joined the movie industry in the year 1999 but unofficially, 1998.
My first experience was great because, I actually started as a Production
Assistant (PA) who admired everyone that had the opportunity of interpreting a
character before an audience. That is on stage and the screen; so when I had
the privilege of doing such, I knew the worth and held firmly to it and still
holding firmly to it. I was one of the Production Assistants in the movie
titled “Igodo”
What process of preparation do
you usually go through to interpret a role in a movie?
Firstly,
I have to read the script to understand it and then go through some private
rehearsals. Secondly, I discuss the script with the director so as to get an
indebt understanding of the story and my character. I try to find out what he
visualizes for my character and the features I must possess and portray to better
interpret his mindset. Thirdly, I try never to miss any general rehearsal that
concerns me and fixed by the production. All these get me better acquainted
with the role and put me in the right frame of mind and spirit to work.
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| Nosa Obaseki dressed in the royal attire of a Benin Monarch to play the role of an Oba |
What
formal or informal training do you have that qualifies you to major as an
actor?
I got my training on stage. In
1998, I was part of the cast of a stage play titled “Azagidi, a play written
and director by my elder brother, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki. Also, I was part of the
first cast of a stage play titled Idia.
What
was the experience like working with director IsioroTokunbo Jaboro on the set
of Saving Dreams?
Working
with director Isioro Jaboro still remains one of my greatest experiences till
date. The movie Saving Dreams”, was
my first ever featured film in Toronto, Canada and Mr Jaboro met me for the
first time in a meeting we had in a place called “The Suya Spot” and he knew
right there that I was the actor he has been looking for to fit into one of the
characters in his movie. In the course of interpreting my character on set, he
told me so many treasured things that have made me a better actor today. I am
very grateful to him for believing in me even without any major proof of
myself.
How
will you describe the role you played in Saving Dreams?
I
played the character of “Bayo”, a Nigerian immigrant, who migrated to Canada to
pursue his career as a music producer. During this process, he met a woman
called “Brenda” who was a very good singer but couldn’t showcase her talent,
because she was being abused and forced to stop singing by a man she thought
she loved.
What is the hardest role you've
ever played and why is it the hardest?
I
will choose “Saving Dreams”, because it was my first time acting outside my
comfort zone. Though I have acted in London, UK before, but this was different.
Working with total strangers, and working outside Nigeria with beautiful and
brilliant Canadian actors, so it was challenging.
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| Nosa Obaseki |
What is the most fun role you've ever played?
Bayo
in “Saving Dreams”
Do you have a dream role? If yes,
what is it and have you ever had the opportunity to play such in a movie?
I
have always played the role of a calm, loving, gentle and easy going guy in
movies, so I would also like to play the bad guy. Yes, I want to see myself
playing a heartbreaker, a notorious criminal, a ruthless lover, the leader of a
disreputable syndicate or consortium, a lover boy who steals the heart of a
loving married woman with his prowess of love and destroys her home and so
on... I really want to see how I will interpret these roles and what challenges
I might have.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SAVING DREAMS OFFICIAL TRAILER
CLICK HERE TO WATCH SAVING DREAMS OFFICIAL TRAILER
Who are some of the big directors
you've had the privilege to work with in Nollywood?
Directors
like Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, Charles Novia, Ikechukwu Onyeka,
Patience Oghre, Kabat Esosa Egbon, Reginald Ebere, Paul Igwe, Amen Imasuen and
now IsioroTokunbo Jaboro.
Who is, or, are your mentors?
My
big brother, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, Richard Mofe Damijo
(RMD)
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| Nosa Obaseki with the multiple award winning director, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen |
Tell us some fun fact about you
that we don't know.
Most
people know me as a very funny person. I like to make people laugh for fun.
When am with my friends they call me a comedian. Some of them even advised
me to go into stand-up comedy but I know that’s not my calling, I just do it
for fun. As a matter of fact, comedy runs in my family.
Could you talk about the
challenges of drastically changing your appearance throughout your career and
what you did for this movie?
I
try to live a simple lifestyle so as not to always get myself uncomfortable as
an actor. My hairstyle is the simplest a man can keep, I maintain my colour the
way it is given to me by God, I don’t have any special piercing or tattoo in
any part of my body, and I dress very simple but very clean as well. All these
are to better get me prepared for any role that comes across my way. If I add
any special look to my physique, then it might become drastically challenging
like you put it, changing my appearance from one movie character to probably
another contrasting one in the next movie. The major thing I know I try to do is
to ensure that I repeat my exercise routine on a daily basis so as to keep fit
and remain cute for my fans to appreciate. As for this movie Saving Dreams, I didn’t do any
superficial thing to my appearance to look like Bayo, the character I played because
I am natural.
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| A friend felicitating with Nosa Obaseki when he was honoured with an Award of Excellence by Abedorc Production in Toronto. |
If not acting, what other
profession would you have chosen to occupy?
Law
enforcement... I still have my diploma in Police Foundation resting somewhere
in my room.
What advice do you have for up
comers?
Stay
focused, always believe you can do it and never allow anybody stop your dream.
The truth is; nothing is actually impossible in this world. As long as you can
dream it or visualize it; then you can do it. Just always stay positive and
listen directly to your instinct. This little principle will shoot you to your
dreams and aspirations.
Apart for this title "Saving
Dreams" give the movie another title.
