I can do better than playing just loverboy roles —Kunle Remi

Since his breakthrough  as the winner of the seventh edition of Gulder Ultimate Search in 2010, Kunle Remi has proved in many ways that he is a well-rounded entertainer. Remi has enlarged his coast beyond reasonable doubt; by showing that he is a model and TV host. In this interview by SEYI SOKOYA, the graduate of New York Film Academy speaks about his career.

You have become the toast of many in the industry, what was the turning point for you knowing that you transitioned from being a reality show winner to an actor?

It wasn’t easy. Before I started acting, I had to prove myself, not just to the world, but to myself. I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker. The reality show I went for had nothing to do with acting.  It was a platform that just put me out there and after there what is next? It is not just that after I finished the show then I started acting; I went through the process even though I did a few things before I went to school but I went through the training process. Each job I got, I made sure I did it well and gave it everything I had so that I got a referral for it. It’s been referrals after referral and people can stick out their neck for you if they know that you will deliver. I’m still going through the process.

Will you say your physique was the reason behind your consistent romance and lover boy roles?

Yes. My physique has helped in many ways. One of my colleagues once said he wished he was fine like me, but I said no that is not the point. There are so many fine people that are not actors while there are people that you will not consider as handsome, but they are super talented. It is way beyond good looks. I was fighting with the fact that I was not just getting roles because of my looks and not the fact that I can portray them well. Let the looks just be an added advantage. I’m ready to go hideous, one of the happiest moments of my life was when Kunle Afolayan said he was going to scrap my beards and I would have tribal marks, I was still fine. It is a gift and I embrace it but I still want to do more without people being distracted by my looks. People don’t want to take those risks. In American films they can use make up to make you look hideous or a certain way.

What is your assessment of the industry?

Nollywood is getting better; there are quality materials coming out. Nollywood needs to take more risks, need people to believe more in Nollywood and Nollywood needs to want to grow. I’m very concerned when I see crew members not being paid regularly. The gap is so much and they put in so much work, the people behind the camera. I want to see a time when people will be proud to say they are working in Nollywood. There is no amount of money you can put on talent, but there should be a balance. My work is more mental, but these people are more physical so even if I’m doing 24 hours on stage and going through the pain, they are there. They wake up early and set up while I can still plead to rest for an hour because I’m tired. They don’t have that luxury. I don’t like the issue of them being underpaid, it is heartbreaking.

Do you think having a fixed payment structure or bench for filmmakers in general can help in curbing poor remuneration?

It is like the basic salary in Nigeria, there are levels. I feel like its okay to negotiate because ours is different.  I could be on a project for three months. If you say you want to do a series that will last for six months, I will go to my account and calculate how much I earn per month and then bill you six times of that and then we can start negotiating based on that. I feel each level should have a structure. People should be paid based on their years of experience and how much they want to earn. There is negotiation but there should be a starting point.

Why did you accept to take up the role of a judge at the coming Zee World Dance Naija Dance reality contest?

I took up the role of the judge because I have always had a passion for dance. Like I would say, dance is an expression of the soul through the body. My job, my career is that of expression so I’m always ready to be part of anything that is creative. I being here as a judge is a dream come true because I’ve always wanted to do something with dance.

As one of the judges, what are you bringing to the table?

I am looking out for the amazing talent, I’ve seen some of them and I’m looking forward to seeing the growth that happens. Some talents are raw, some need to be polished and I am sure that everyone that goes through the process of the show will eventually become a better dancer and creative, with what I’m hoping to do with this show. They will be two times better.

As a dancer, why did you not take up as a profession other than acting?

My first love is film making, being an actor. Dancing is something I did as an entertainer, I call myself an entertainer. The only thing I can’t really do is to sing.

How will you describe the experience of working with Bimbo Ademoye on set of a yet to be released project ‘Anikulapo’?

Bimbo is my friend for a long time now. That project is so far the most challenging role I have had to play. I was blessed to see two minutes of the ongoing editing of the film and I’m blown away, I have goose bumps. I can’t wait for the world to see it, I can’t describe it. With that project, it’s an expression of my soul.

As always, every job you do should be better than your last. No one has ever seen me this way, I have never even seen myself this way. I don’t have the words to describe how I feel being on the project. It is a project after my heart. It is not just about the film; it is about everything I bled, I cried, I sweated and a lot went into it.

You were one of the entertainers that engaged people during the pandemic through social media content. Why did you switch to TikTok?

My TikTok, I have been quiet for a while. TikTok was a mega thing for me when I took it upon myself to entertain the world during lockdown. Now that the world is busy and everyone is doing their thing, there are a lot of young tiktokers that I feel like I was part of the people that encouraged them to share their stories and entertain people. Now I just enjoy seeing the work and growth of people on TikTok. I’m still part of it, I still do one or two things when I’m in the mood and feel like it. There’s so much to do, there’s TikTok, reels, other contents to create  but we grow over things and we never discard them. Tiktok is still my family. Now I go for what I deliberately want to do on TikTok.

Will it be right to say TikTok was an avenue for you to sell yourself?

Yes it was because I started to get comedy roles because of the way people saw different sides of me and that is one of the things I wanted to portray.  It’s not every time I will be a lover boy. I’m good with comedy, I have depth of matter so if I could show all of this, TikTok just allowed people to meet me again and know what I could do. Above all I was focused on entertaining people and I’m happy doing it.

Would you take the risk of looking hideous?

Absolutely, I would do my life stunts or whatever it takes. I would take off my eyebrows for a character. I would lose weight for a character because all these things will grow back. I see myself as a canvas, I’m good looking but what do you really want me to be. Do I fit into the character? It’s my fans that were concerned about me shaving my beards; in fact I’m not even growing it back. I don’t mind.

As an actor what will make you reject a role and what other script qualities do you look out for?

I look out for morals in a script; I look out for lessons, the end products, and the reason for the script. Am I just entertaining, am I portraying pain, am I telling a story, do I even learn from this script I just read. There’s so much distraction, there’s so much going on, I want to preach or teach or show more of family. Kids don’t really have a lot of movies to watch, I tilt more to something that is educative and inspiring than just regular.

Do you still have dream role?

I would like to play a biopic of someone. I posted a picture of myself recently and people said I look like someone else. If I play the role, it will be a challenge because I will have to change a lot about myself and connect with someone else’s life.

Any plan of having your own production outfit?

I have a production company. It’s called 18-10 Empire. In 2014 I did a film with Kiekie. It was called sting. It was a festival film to address rape and violence. That was the first production we did and we are still working on so many other things. It’s my personal one.

So what was your first pay like in acting?

I think my first pay was thirty thousand naira, but I didn’t even take it. I had just come out of the reality show then and I felt that if I took N30,000, it would affect my way of thinking. I could afford that amount because I had a job and I really just wanted to be on screen and perform. When you are giving me the script and then we are talking about N30,000, I just laugh. I think I took it and shared it on set among the crew. I felt like it was commiserate for the passion I was bringing.  Now I can tell you that I need to be happy on any set and it’s not about pride. I know my worth. If you are passionate about your work, you will make your cast and crew comfortable then you will get 100 percent value in terms of delivery.

What is that one mistake that newbies make?

Arriving before they arrive. Even before I started negotiating higher and asking for more, I’m true to myself and check where I am. I don’t think less of myself but I didn’t arrive before I arrived. You want a superstar and you haven’t gone through the process. I can’t say I want to be Ramsey Noah because I never wanted to be him. I wanted to grow to a stage where I could have a conversation with him and I’ve gotten there. I’m not RMD but I’m still learning from them. Most newbies want the finer things on the other side real quick and it’s a process. The most important thing is to focus on growing and understanding yourself and learning. It will get to a point where you will get there by yourself. You will see the shift and embrace it.

How have you been handling your female fans?

I respect them and love them and I don’t take advantage of anybody because some of my female fans are in love with the idea of who they think I am. They don’t know if I’m actually a good person, I’m a good person by the way but I don’t cross that boundary with them.

Are you in a relationship?

I look forward to having a family and kids and spending time with them. At the right time I will.

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