Acting not enough to pay my bills — Eleso

Adewale Eleso is one of the veteran actors who have entertained homes for many years. Although he has been scarcely seen in movies in recent time, the light-skinned comic actor believes his passion for the job has not waned. He speaks with SEGUN ADEBAYO about his career, among other issues.

You have been absent in movies and people have been saying that you have retired from acting, what exactly have you been up to?

Who are the people saying that I have retired from acting? It cracks me up when I hear that, because it is funny. Actors don’t retire until they die. I have not heard of any actor that announced publicly that he or she had retired. I have lived all my life acting. Acting is my life. It is what I have worked for all my life and nothing is going to change that. Those who say they have not been seeing me are probably worried because they love me and they have missed me on the screen. I appreciate their love, and my message to them is that Eleso has not retired from acting. I am still very much around.

What is responsible for the lull your career is experiencing?

Piracy is the major problem. I wish I could produce my movie but the fear of piracy is the beginning of wisdom for some of us. I don’t want to speak for anybody but I am telling you that piracy has forced many of us to stop producing movies. If you borrowed a huge amount of money from bank to produce a movie and at the end of the production, you could not realise a quarter of your investment on the project, what do you think would happen to you? So, in order not to plunge into a debt that you can’t pay back, it is better to concentrate on something you can afford and shelve movie production.

Some people say you have been sidelined because producers cannot afford your charges, is that true?

That is not true. Nigba ti mi ni kon mu owo baloo wa (I have not asked anyone to pay me outrageous fee). There was never a time that I was sidelined. What happened was that I decided to be more professional; I would not take just any script that comes my way because I want to remain relevant in the industry. I have come a long way on this job and I am grateful to God for the grace to have come this far. If at this stage of my career, I can’t be bold enough to demand for the right things, I don’t know when I will be able to do that. The first thing I always tell anybody that wants me to be part of their production is that the script must reflect professionalism and it must not lower my standard. I can’t be part of any movie where young boys and girls will be romancing indiscriminately. I won’t honour any script that does not add value to my life and the society which is already badly damaged because of the bad messages that movie producers churn out every week. This is why I have not been frequent in movies, and that’s not going change anytime soon. As one of the elders in the industry, I can’t be pushed into producing a movie that will not bring the appropriate proceeds into my pocket. I am always careful about a movie role and the production of that movie. I am even more concerned about the reactions that will trail the movie when it is finally released.

Are you saying you’re past the stage where actors struggle for movie roles?

I have never struggled for anything in life let alone movie roles. I don’t have to struggle to be anything because that has never been part of my game. I always try to do my thing and concentrate on my strength while I work on my weaknesses to get better. Those who know me will tell you that I don’t encourage people to run after things that do not come to them, because when you run after something, you tend to put yourself in a vulnerable position where they throw anything at you and you can’t complain.

You have the reputation of being one of the funniest actors in Yoruba movies. Do you see yourself as such?

I don’t even see myself as funny. I am an actor, a professional one at that. I pay attention to my lines and I deliver them accordingly. There are many better actors and funnier actors than me. I respect everybody and the work they do. I know people love my deliveries in movies and they always commend my job but that does not make me the best comedian in the industry.

Who do you respect most among the comic actors around?

I respect all of them. They are very good in their own rights. You know that being a comedian comes in different forms. There is what we call costume and make-up comedians, jesters and dialogue comedians, where you have my bosses like Baba Wande, Ojoge, Otolo, Jinadu and many others that can make you laugh by merely looking at them. All these people are very funny characters and they assume different roles, depending on what the director wants from them.

Since you have not been frequent in movies like some of your colleagues, what have you been living on?

Owo olowo, ese elese lo ma n gbe oku was sare. What that means is that acting alone does not pay the bills for me. I have other engagements that help me to get going if movie roles are not forthcoming. I am a master of ceremony and I do the job very well. There is hardly a week that my services are not needed either as a master of ceremony or something else that is related to entertainment.

Does that mean you are done with acting?

No. I am still an actor. That is never going to change. How can I turn my back on acting? Acting is my life. Nothing can separate me from it. Acting has led me to the point where I am today and I will never forget that fact. But then being a master of ceremony has also helped me a great deal. Many people love to see me hold the microphone because they know that I always have something new to talk about.

You practised nursing before you ventured into acting, what was that like?

How did you know that I once practised nursing? I know where that question came from. But don’t worry, let us progress. Yes, nursing used to be my profession. I practised it for some time before acting came my way. I can’t go back to nursing, because I know that that would be your next question. I have moved past that phase. Acting is my passion now and that is what it is always going to be, by the grace of God.

What project are you working on presently?

I am working on an oral poetry on the performance of Governor [Akinwunmi] Ambode is in Lagos State. I titled the poetry ‘Magic Finger’. The governor has done very well in Lagos since he came on board and we are proud of his achievements, especially in the health and security sectors. There is another one on former Governor Bola Tinubu which I call ‘Basorun Igbala’. The two productions will be launched in Lagos after the Lagos’s 50th anniversary celebrations. You will agree with me that Governor Ambode has given Lagos a facelift. Even people who live outside the state know that the man has done well. If I met Ambode, I would urge him to empower the movie industry in Lagos State. I would plead with him to help us fight piracy, which has rendered many people jobless and wretched.