I hate being stereotyped into a particular character – Charles Awurum

Charles Awurum is one of the highly rated comic-actors in the Nigerian movie industry who has been able to carve a niche for himself in the industry where comic roles seems to be the other of the day.

MUTIAT ALLI caught up with Nollywood actor and he speaks no-holds-barred about his fame, how he handles his female fans, marriage and other things. Enjoy…

 Have you always wanted to be an actor?

Yes, I wanted to read Law or Theatre Art. There was a time I wrote to Village Headmaster that I wanted to be part of them. I was very small then. My happiest time in life was when they sent me a letter with NTA letter headed paper, inviting me to come. I didn’t go because I was small; there was nobody to take me there. So I kept on doing church drama. Drama and debating society in school, I was part of everything. Until I watched Langbodo in FESTAC 77, and one person that moved me then was Sam Loco Efe. From then, I made up my mind to be an actor.

How often do you get embarrassed due to the comic roles you play? 

Many times. There was a time I was coming back from Onitsha, a girl saw me and she said, and ‘Chicken thief’. See am, e go steal fowl. They call you all sorts of names. That’s why most of the time I don’t blame our celebrities who try to shy away from people because it is when somebody greets you and you return the greeting that he or she has the time to tell you what he or she wants to tell you. People can just see you, the next thing they call you, hey! Come, come, see my girlfriend, come do am make she laugh. And it’s not funny because most times, these are people you are much, much older. Some people are very disrespectful, without thinking twice, they tell you words that will not go down well with you but you just look at the person and go your way.

Would you say you are stereotyped in movies?

I have acted in so many films that were not comedy. My first film was “Obiora” which was not comedy, and I interpreted my role very well. But it’s the viewers that sometimes influence the producers to consider an actor for a particular role. If Patience Ozokwor (a.k.a Mama G) is not playing a wicked woman in a movie, the viewers would say, ‘this is not Mama G’. The same goes for Mr. Ibu and me. I must not play a stupid man before you realise I’m an actor.

At some point, you went from playing serious roles into playing comedy roles fully. Why the transition?

I came out of the university a versatile actor. I hate being stereotyped into a particular character. So at a point when the comedians were really doing some great work, I told them that I can do it. When I came into this industry, I was acting serious movies, acting action movies. I call them Rambo but I told them I could act comedy. But they said with your hard face, you act detective, how can you act comedy but I told them I am an actor. A comedian must not be deformed. You mustn’t be somehow to make people laugh. As an actor you can play any role. It was by force that I got into comedy. Then I had to get this my friend, Sunny Nnaji. I told him please, if you are shooting your comedy, let me come into it. Then he said how much I’m I going to pay you now? I said anything. I want to show people that I can do this. The title of the movie was ‘Long John’. He gave me a two scene character which I played. I told him how I was going to play it. He agreed but then Executive Producer said no, no, no but he said go ahead and play it that way. And I did it. After that, they now started giving me comedy roles. I did ‘A Million Madness’, ‘Under Fire’, and ‘Walls Apart’. Since then, it’s been comedy movies.

Before you joined others who were already playing comic roles, did you at any point doubted or afraid?

In acting, I don’t have any fears. When I used to do stage production, the crowd was my motivation. When I came to do ‘Obiora’, I was taking out from nowhere to somewhere to play the lead as Obiora. I came from Imo, when I got to Lagos, people were gathered, stars were gathered but I was not afraid. That was why I was able to carry the character. Even at National Theater then, people were waiting to see who the person is. What is he going to do? People were waiting for my downfall at the rehearsal but when they saw what I did, I made friends with everybody. They liked me. That was when some Executive producers called me and said to me that ‘Charles, don’t you want to come to Lagos and stay? Meanwhile, I lived in Lagos before I went to Imo State. I was born in Lagos. I grew up in Lagos. I stayed in Festac for a long time. I schooled in Ansarudeen High School before I went to Calabar. So coming back to Lagos, we had a house in Lagos, where to stay was not my problem. I went to the east for something else. I had no fears. And till now, I do not have any fears. Even if I were to act with Alnold Schwarzenegger tomorrow, I would not have any fears because acting is my career.

How do you handle your female fans?

I am a man, whether television or not, we interact with woman and you know women show more love and in showing you love, they can do certain things that would…but you look at them and make sure you don’t make them feel bad. I try not to make anybody feel bad, no matter how you look because I didn’t create myself and you didn’t create yourself. I embrace everybody that comes my way whether man or woman but I know where to draw the lines and when it gets to that point, I take myself away from that environment.