By Christian Agadibe
Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, always stands out in movies with his comic relief.
In this rare interview, the Enugu-born thespian opened up on his humble beginning, his staying power and why movie producers can’t do without him. Please enjoy it.
What would you say is your input to the movie industry?
I can say Nollywood started through Living in Bondage produced by Kenneth Nnebue, and it was all about greed for money, not being contended with what you have and going extra mile and then getting into trouble. I found out that, at that early time, writers were not able to add comic relief, so I made sure I included comic relief. That is what makes me different.
Have you ever thought we will have skits as we have today?
Nobody thought so, but due to the pressure in the society, everyone wants to produce movies. The terrain used to be that the marketers shot blockbusters, but the children of today want to express themselves through short films, even as short as five minutes. Today, skits have taken over the movie scene, and I am happy for it, because they all make the society to bubble.
What is your staying power?
This comic talent I have got has kept producers always looking for me. I don’t do movies without giving a buy line. You can recall many of them, including Mmiri Ama efi na Anya, Emergency Anwola Emma Jeyuo Nsi, Ukwu Nwaanyi Asaba, etc. This makes all the movies I do funny and interesting. I don’t drop lines written by the writers, I was always having these buy lines to make people laugh, so I go extra mile. I don’t confine myself to the lines written by the writer.
What impact are rituals and stuff like that making on our children?
You can’t run away from rituals whether it’s done live or for entertainment, they all mirror the society. If I alight now from a powerful vehicle, they (children) will desire to have their own. The problem is that they won’t care how I got it. Seeing lots of nice vehicles in the street will make children to be misled that the society is that easy. They won’t take out time to ask what good way to acquire the beautiful vehicles. They don’t want to know that you have to acquire it through hard work and decent living.
Are you satisfied with the current state of Nigerian movies?
The flow is not bad. But what bothers me about our movies is the quality; it shouldn’t be a bandwagon thing like that. If you don’t care about quality, there will be trouble for those who are practicing. I will like a situation where quality is controlled so that what comes out goes through screening process, to make sure we have quality. Whether we like it or not, the impact movies are making on our children is more than what obtains in schools.
Do you think the Censors Board is actually doing their work in terms of vetting movies?
The Censors Board is doing nothing. Porn movies are everywhere now, even on social media. There is a platform called Sugar Family, which is all about sex. It will be good if we can have a Censors Board that is alive to its responsibility.
Some fans want to know if you are still with your wife?
I have a loving wife, Nkechi Juliana, who I married from Umunama Mbaise. She is a wonderful woman and very hardworking. She is a businesswoman and she gave me three girls and two boys.
Would you like any of your children to go into movies?
Emeka, my son is studying Engineering; he will build my studio. Izuchukwu, my son is studying Mass Communication; he will always publish news about the blockbuster movies I make.
There is a boy that resembles you and who is always acting like you in movies, is he related to you?
His name is Elvis Chibuike. I am from Enugu State and he is from Imo State. Only God knows how that boy resembles me in everything. From his age, you will know I am not his biological father; it’s just one of the mysteries of nature.
Do the new comedians littering the industry threaten you?
My prayer is that their population continues to grow, because I can’t do it all alone, and nobody can take over my brand. I know I am good in proverbs. I don’t see anyone that can do it better than me. Let them do their own, let me do mine.
What’s the greatest thing that has ever happened to you in the course of your career?
My advantage is the comic relief I add to movies, and that is why producers always come to me.
What project are you currently working on?
Those of us who are there (Nollywood) jump from one movie production to another, because the society always requires our input, believing that Nigeria would soon be a movie world with the way we watch Africa Magic. Africa Magic is always keeping the world busy, and I have been one of the people who have been regular in making movies for the society.
