| Acting made me and
I want to pay back – Tony One-Week
By OLAIYA TOLUFASHE
Saturday, March
12, 2005
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Tony One-Week
Photos: SHOLA CREATIVE
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A houseboy – that was the first role he ever played,
“in a drama titled Ikoro,” at Enugu after he finished
from Abakaliki High School, and that was his “first
major TV acting” Which year? “Way back in 1982.”
This south easterner with OND and HND in mass communication
from Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State “got involved
in proper movie” when he came to Lagos.
Having acted in such movies like Betrayal (Part 2) –
his first film, “where I acted the role of a minister;”
Without Love; “and then Thorns of Rose with Omotola.
“Then acting began in earnest” and the limelight
shown on him, then he went creative. Becoming a scriptwriter
he wrote Narrow Escape 1 and 2, he was part of “writing
Deadly Proposal, Holygans, Crazy Twins…” just
to mention relative few.
Then he began producing “my own stuff,” he became
a director and then “ventured into music.” Then
he became a trendy Tony One Week and he thinks, “to
a great extent,” more than anything, “acting helped
my music career. People had already started seeing me on TV;
watching my movies, so they were quick to connect when my
first album came out. So I’m always grateful to acting
for being where I am today.”
And now that he is known, more for being a musician than an
actor, the man, who calls himself ‘entertainer’
doesn’t see any crime in being versatile. Said he, “I
want to give back to the movie industry what it has given
to me.”
Today, one week to the AGN elections, Tony One Week tells
Saturday Sun why “I want to be the AGN president.”
Why I want to be president
Because I want to serve the AGN. I started out as an actor.
So I want to be able to utilize the industry, the acting section,
properly to benefit the members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
I want to begin the awareness campaign. I want people to be
conscious that now these people are more nationally united.
I keep referring to PMAN. PMAN is now a household name in
the country. I want AGN to be a household name. When you want
to refer to the actors, you just say AGN. I want to reposition
the whole thing – to build a good image of the guild.
The AGN Limited
And then I want to begin to initiate business moves. I want
to float The AGN Limited. It will be a public liability company
that is going to have a board of trustees. The same board
of trustees that has been running the AGN will still be members
of the board but it will have a managing director. We should
be able to branch out into things relating to entertainment,
which is events management.
The business will be that of communication, production of
movies, soaps and documentaries. We are going to be hiring
the services of actors and actresses. As an actor, I am going
to work it into the constitution that every actor that is
a member of the AGN has the obligation to act one movie or
one soap for a token. It will be a service to the guild. Every
member must participate. Actors will be paid, maybe 10-, 20-,
or 30% of what each artist average fee normally is.
Unity among state chapters
I want to unite all state chapters so that at the end of the
day we will shoot more movies outside Enugu and Lagos. Let’s
go to other places. Why are they AGN members when we cannot
bring jobs to their bases? Because I know one or two marketers
now who I can talk to and they can talk to, they will do it
when I become the President of the AGN. So if that is what
I achieve within the first three months of my administration
– that I took a production to Minna and another to Cross
River and another to Kogi at least it is something –
that presence will be felt.
The ‘humility’ strategy
I intend to involve notable actors and actresses in the industry
to be valuable and useful to the guild. It’s just that
people don’t have the humility to ask them. But they
are ready to serve they are ready to help out here and there.
Especially when it is in the interest of their guild. You
don’t expect the person to leave his busy schedule and
come knocking on your door. No. It is your duty as a matter
of fact to reach out to those people. It takes humility to
say even when I am the leader and I am the president I call
this guy, we meet and talk. The person is so happy that you
took time to see him or her and things can happen.
Social security
I want to improve on the social security of the members. When
you are a member, why are you a member? What do you benefit
from your membership? Basically that is one aspect everybody
should look at. If you don’t have a policy, a plan for
your members at the end of the day, there is no point being
a member. That is insurance. It’s not like doing it
like when people contribute money and give it to people I
want to do it through the proper channel. I was there when
Charly Boy was initiating the PMAN own, so I know what to
do. I have medical plans too.
My winning qualities
Outwardly I have the charisma, the personality – I am
nationally and internationally known, the flexibility, and
the approachability. When you look inwards, knowledge, intelligence,
and education. I take decisions faster than a lot of people.
I hold a masters degree in business administration. I majored
in management. I am going to manage by objective. And I believe
the first hundred days these things should and must have been
done.
Focus not survival
I am not going there to survive. No. I make bold to say without
being arrogant that some of the contestanst are contesting
because they want to survive. The AGN president should be
able to survive without acting. This is the area that has
really affected us in this business. The last administration
was destroyed because the president was really looking for
livelihood. I don’t blame him. But if I become the president
I’ll give enough time to the job because I survive on,
0ne, two three or four other things.
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