–Paul Adams, Nollywood Actor
By Christy Anyanwu
Paul Adams is an ace actor in Nollywood having featured in several award-winning movies and soaps including the hit TV series, Checkmate and Ripples, in the late ‘90s. Before Nollywood, he was a stage actor; an experience he relishes and confesses was his first love. He spoke with Sunday Sun after he marked his 30th anniversary on stage early this year.
First day on stage
I have been on stage right from primary school but professionally, I think it was for Jesus The Light of the World in 1997. That was why I celebrated 30 years on stage this year. The same year I went for the audition was the year Ripples started. I experienced no phobia acting all along. When I was in secondary school and at Yaba College of Technology we had a major drama group and we were always on stage.
First time acting on TV
It was in Ripples and with just a couple of faces I had seen before and some were from Village Headmaster as I always parleyed with them even though I was never a member of their cast. When they rehearsed at National Theatre, I went there and watched them. It was quite warm and welcoming. The only experience I had which I will never forget was that at one point during the recordings, Patrick Doyle ran into the audience, grabbed my hand and said I should pray, someone was manifesting. I said to myself, I didn’t come there to do deliverance but somehow God used us. The lead actress suddenly went into paroxysms and Patrick and I join hands to rebuke the spirit and it ceased. That was my first experience publicly to pray for somebody. I said men, the power of God is everywhere and even on a recording set. It was a great experience I can’t forget.
First day on the pulpit
I have always been involved in evangelism, door-to-door evangelism and as a matter of fact, I headed the visitation committee for many years. At some point, the pastor felt I needed to preach on the pulpit. That time, I was ordained a deacon and by the grace of God I ministered that day.
First car
It was a Mazda 323 I inherited from my wife. She had a phobia for driving and before we met, she bought a car she wasn’t driving and her colleagues at the office were cruising the car. So, I got to know at one point and she collected the car and handed the keys over to me. After a while, I went to church one day with that car and I came back home with two cars. God sent an angel to buy me a car. I came to church that Sunday morning and I sat down. I just looked beside me and there was a stool there on top of which was an envelope with my name on it. I opened it and saw a note and car keys. The note read, “God has instructed me to buy you this car, keep being faithful in the house of God.” I called one of the PAs in the church to go downstairs and see if there was a car of a certain make and plate number. The guy came back and said yes. I was perplexed. At the end of the service, I was going home and wondered how do we drive? I called my wife to drive the old car and I drove the new one.
First record album
It was a Jackson Five album. I had quite a collection in my secondary school days and after that, I was collecting everything Michael Jackson and Jackson Five.
First girlfriend
I met her at Lagos City College during inter-house sports and we became friends. The norm was that you went to inter- house sports and on your way back, boy or girl, everybody was toasting each other and if it worked out, you became friends. It was one of the side attractions of sports.
First kiss
Do I know? I was a child then (laughs). Even before my secondary school girlfriend, I had girlfriends. Remember that childhood, neighborhood girlfriend in primary school; when you played daddy and mummy? But the real dating was in secondary school.