His parents hail from Ihiala village in Anambra State.He was the second boy in a family of Four Children.After his primary and secondary education,Okoye Augustine Onyebuchi had his tertiary education at University of Nigeria Nsukka ,Where he obtained B.Sc. in Computer Science in 1995 before joining Nollywood in 2000. He has featured in over 70 movies and was Nominated for Best Upcoming actor in Thema Award in the year 2000 for the movie ‘Blood of The Orphan’ and best supporting actor in Encomium Entertainment Award in 2009.
After starring in a gay movie and playing the role to perfection, Okoye became an object of controversy, with many insinuating that the actor may very well be gay. Okoye in this encounter with Vanguard shares his experience and journey in the world of acting.
Seriously, are you gay?
For the fact that’s I recently played a role in a gay movie does not make me one. I am straight, I took the role because I wanted to prove to directors and producers that I can take any role and give my best in it . Fans has been saying congrats for a job well done. Please gays should stop harassing me because I am not a gay. I am not gay and I will never be gay
How about your NAFCA nominations?
I am glad that I am one of the actors that will be presenting an Award at Nollywood And Africa Critics Awards ( Nafca ) California, USA. which is coming up in September and I am very happy that one of my movies the New Skull was Nominated and I was Nominated as Best Supporting Actor.
How is life?
Life is good, we thank God.
What are you working on currently in terms of movies?
I have done some new movies recently and they are yet to be released.
By the way, how did you get into the movie industry?
That was via my stage coach whom I have not seen in a long time. His name is Solo Amako.
I was buying fuel somewhere in my neighborhood when he saw me and convinced me to come join Nollywood and here I am today.
Was ‘Immortality’ your first movie?
No it wasn’t. Funny enough, my first professional acting experience was a series but it has not seen the light of day till date. It was supposed to be ‘Ultimate Hero’ from the stables of Zeb Ejiro and it was sponsored by Nigerian Breweries- Gulder, to be precise.. I don’t know what went wrong but I’ve not seen a single episode.
Which was the movie that brought you into limelight?
Izuka, Critical Decision and then Immortality.
How have you been finding the industry?
It has been good. The industry is one that is growing and if you are a visionary that knows where he is going and if you have set a target for yourself, you just have to grow with the industry.
It comes with its ups and downs but the good thing is that it comes with enough goodwill. Movies are the most positive exports from Nigeria. As we speak right now our clientele have gone beyond Nigeria, beyond Africa, into the Caribbeans and into black America. But there is still a lot to be done technically, with regards to some spheres and circles in the industry. This is the only place in the world where you’ll call up somebody and under one week, the person delivers yet the person hasn’t seen your scripts before. So when it comes to artistry, yes, we are good; but technically I think we need to really upgrade.
You seem to have a very good command of grammar, what did you study in school?
Computer Science. Every good path is not always smooth.
Can you share some of the rough paths you’ve travelled in life?
As a growing child, I always had it smooth but the roughest time I had in my life was when I lost my father in 2000. We had to face proper reality as some amenities were withdrawn from us. So it was really tough adjusting. In the industry too, the bottlenecks were too much because with my former job, I was used to sitting down and doing my job. Also, when I was an upcoming artiste, a lot of my older colleagues were not very comfortable with me. Sometimes during rehearsals, they would not rehearse properly with me and when it’s time for action, you see the real them coming out. I was always prepared for them so they never caught me unawares. But there are still some who I respect till tomorrow because they gave me that encouragement. I can remember RMD, Olu Jacobs and Justus Esiri.
Who is this special woman in your life right now?
She is special and I want her to stay that way. I do not want her name in the press but she is special
How soon are you going to the altar?
It could be soon, I don’t know but at our special time.
Who is your kind of girl?
I like real people. I don’t like somebody who will be all out to absolutely impress me. I don’t like fake people. I like true people that when I look at you, I can see your inside. I like a woman who, devoid of anything is also God fearing, though sometimes we sin but you have to always understand that we are nothing in the eyes of God who made us. So we have to put that as a basic principle. And of course I’m a sucker for a woman who dresses good and carries herself very well.
So this special girl has all these qualities?
I would say she has the ABCs of my description of good woman.
Is she in the industry?
No. Fate has its course and she is just not in the industry. I don’t discriminate against anyone having something to do with somebody in his industry but it just did not happen my way.
I am sure she watches your movies.
Yes, she watches some of them.
So how does she feel when she sees you smooching or kissing other girls on set?
When she watches and starts feeling funny, she just takes a deep breath. And I tell her ‘honey, it’s just a movie’. She understands it is just the job and she knows who I am. She knows the kisses I give her is different from what she sees in the movies.
How do you handle your female fans?
I take it that I am being appreciated for my work and what I do. I only see myself in this light. I am just like the regular guy you see on the streets, the only difference is that I am on television. I know when and where to draw the line and say ‘this is going overboard’. Definitely if a smile is thrown at me, of course I will reciprocate and a handshake is not bad at all because these are the people who keep you in demand, so, you owe them that. You have to give them that goodwill back and if someone is being too persistent, you’ll find a way around it and make her understand you are not out for what she wants.
Have you experienced any embarrassing moment before on account of a role you played?
There was this Igbo film titled ‘Moment of Truth’ where I played an illiterate marketer. I was so obsessed with some girl I was helping in school. Chioma Chukwuka was the girl and I was really nasty in that film. Now there was this day I was driving and an old lady overtook me and I came down from the car to know what was wrong. I was still asking ‘what is going on here’ and the next thing I knew, the lady came out from her car and slapped me hard on my face.
I was so shocked. I could not say anything. This was an old woman, even older than my mum. As if the slap was not enough, she started shouting at me ‘You are stupid. You are mad. You are crazy’ I looked left and right to be sure it wasn’t a setup. I moved back a little because I could not understand what was happening.Two million and one things were running through my mind at the same time. She just kept on ranting: ‘How can you treat Chioma Chukwuka like that? Who taught you that as element of marriage?’ I was speechless. Then I understood and I was like, ‘oh my God this is all because of a film’. By the time she was yelling again, some Okada riders parked and asked what happened.
On hearing the woman mentioning Chioma Chukwuka, they knew it was about a film and started laughing. Today, that woman is one of my biggest fan. She forced me to lunch that day and when I refused she just got into my car and threw her car keys to her grand daughter and said, ‘anywhere you are going, you will go but we must go for lunch together’.We went for lunch that day and today, we are very close. She calls and pray for me most of the time.
If you can change anything in the Nigerian entertainment industry, what will it be?
I will lay more emphasis on sound. We need to improve on that. If we put our movies on the big screen with this format, you will see a big lapse.We also have to put the proper structure in place where royalties are being paid for works of artistes.
What advice do you have for young upcoming ones?
Get your education first. Don’t come because you think there is money.
No comments:
Post a Comment