Nollywood actress and producer, Kemi Lala-Akindoju needs no further introduction in the entertainment industry. Ever since she got crowned at the 2010 Future Awards as Actor of the year, she has left no stone unturned, churning out wonderful performances in Tinsel, Alanpoza and most recent, Tunde Kelani’s Dazzling Mirage. She has without a doubt, placed herself among the most sought after actresses in the industry. In this chat, she talks about her career and other sundry issues.
How did acting really begin for you?
I began acting in 2005 while still an undergraduate at the University of Lagos but even at that, I wasn’t quite sure what direction my life was going to take, but I loved to perform on stage by singing and dancing. At one point, a friend from church was looking for casts for a two-man play, I did the play in 2005 and it was beautiful. I loved the way that I felt on stage, also relieving people’s expectations is something word’s can’t describe. I did another play in 2007 ,but in 2008, I got into acting professionally.
How do you prepare for a role when you first get a script?
When I get a script, the first thing I to do is to read the script and develop a back story more of a research. The back story includes the character’s age, place of birth, background, educational level, likes, dislikes, special traits, skills, ailments and every other information that helps. Once this is done, I develop a step for the character, then the next thing is to understand the relationship between my character and others.
What has been your most challenging role so far?
Sincerely every role I play is challenging and as such I don’t take any role I play, with levity. One fact people don’t know is that the more you classify a role as less challenging, the more technical it is to interpret.
What was the experience like, being on the set of M-Net series Tinsel?
Well working on the set of Tinsel was good and it also paved the way for me in my acting career in terms of exposure and connection. Tinsel is my first professional job as an actress, I already had my lines, and since I already had some years of experience on stage, I realized how dead the camera could be. Performing in front of a live audience is different from performing in front of a camera and all that I was able to learn on Tinsel.
Who are those you look up to in the industry?
For me that is big question as I have quite a number of people I look up to but my first role model will definitely be Joke Silva because she has this passion about raising young people that will take over the movie industry. She has been working for over 30 years in this industry and has stayed relevant and she is still a professional to the core. I employed her in my play, The Wives in 2014 and she played the lead role. She didn’t mind that I was her boss; she was ready to obey and she was always punctual and ready to adjust to the rules. Others that I also admire and look up to are Tunde Kelani, Kate Henshaw, and Kunle Afolayan.
What is your take about the movie industry?
Let me say here that I am excited about the development and changes in the entertainment industry, most especially in the movie sector. It is important to note that our production has taken good shape, our picture quality, dialogue are better-off than what it used to be before now. You can also attest to the fact that we now have more young filmmakers who are doing well and projecting the industry globally.
How do you cope in a male dominated industry?
I don’t see myself as a woman, I see myself as a person. If I want to do something, I just do it. I don’t know about coping but I thrive on multi-tasking and as for me, the essence of who I am is doing all these things at the same time, for me I don’t think anything is impossible. I never say never, and I don’t take no for an answer.
You were featured as the lead character in ‘Dazzling Mirage’, what was the experience like working with Tunde Kelani?
First let me say, working with Tunde Kelani is a blessing and it has opened more doors for me. It was a very interesting exercise, it was also a learning process. On our days on set, we would have conversations and deliberations, it was intense for me as an actor because playing the role of someone with sickle cell was amazing, and I had been cast for the role and rehearsing it since 2011. So we had gone through some processing.
Kemi Akindoju’s fact file
- Born March 8, 1987
- Studied Insurance at University of Lagos
- Holds a master degree in Media &Communication
- First major appearance was in the play All I want for Chirstmas
- She has appeared in over 70 stage productions such as Amopein Wole Soyinka’s Trials of Brother Jero, Ojuola in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame, Sizwe in Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is Dead, and Iyaloja in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman.
- She is from Ondo State
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