In the Nigerian movie industry, Dakore Egbuson- Akande, sits among the best and smooth role interpreters. Though, she actually began her journey into entertainment as an undergraduate student of the University of Lagos in a TV drama called ‘Inheritance’, the Bayelsa State-born slides into the core of her characters’ minds with ease.
The multiple-award winner, who recently made a comeback after a brief hiatus in the movie industry, in this interview by Newton-Ray Ukwuoma speaks about her inspirations, break, and family among other things. Excerpts:
In Castle and Castle, your character typifies the modern woman with multiple roles. How true to life is Remi in your opinion?
Remi is a woman who is dealing with a lot of things; she is joggling a lot as most women do. She has a successful law firm, which runs with her husband. So, you can imagine the dynamics of that relationship.
Then she is being pitched against her dad, who she loves dearly, but because the dad doesn’t like her husband, she is torn thus between the two men.The work force too, comes in and all that.
She had to try to maintain her sanity while running all of these. I must admit that Remi’s character stressed me, yet, it was fun.
How much of your life do you see in Remi?
For this new series, I have drawn the most inspiration to play Remi from my life. As a woman that has to joggle lots of things, my children, my husband and my career, It hasn’t been easy, I must confess.
Taking the kids to school, trying so hard to get to location on time, sometimes I don’t even see my kids. I get home late and they would have slept off. By the time I get up early in the morning to leave, I don’t see them, it’s really tough.
That’s why I tend to take time off whenever I finish a production, so I can spend quality time with my family. I need to be at home, be a mother and also a wife to my husband.
This is the joggling we are talking about. This is what most women do, especially if it’s a career you love, like I do. But we make it work, in every way we can. So, Remi is me, Remi is every woman.
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This is the first time you are playing the role of a lawyer?
Actually, it is. I have never really played the role of a lawyer. I mean not as extensively as what I did in Castle and Castle. Going to court and all that, it really opened my eyes to more about the legal profession. I give it to them.
I now appreciate lawyers the more. The lots of cases they have in their heads, the court sessions. It’s not easy at all. Much respect to the lawyers.
There is a rumour that Dakore only accepts Ebony Life movie jobs. Would you like to clarify that?
Well, what is true is that I am a little finicky about the jobs I take. Some people had said I do only Ebony Life Movies, but that’s not totally true. I was part of New Money, which is already in the cinema. That wasn’t Ebonyi Life.
I did Isoken too. Obviously, it looks like I work more with Ebonyi Life, but I have always been very selective with the kind of scripts I accept and who I work with. That’s because it’s also part of having the spirit of excellence.
I don’t want to see a film that I have been in and cringe. Maybe because I was hungry at a time and I just took a script to survive.
I’m not knocking anybody off, but I know films are forever, once it’s on celluloid, it’s there to stay. So, if I’d be in the movie, I have to make sure it’s something that intrigues me as well.
I want to have fun doing it and mostly, something I’d be very proud of when it comes out. Ebony Life has the spirit of excellence in bringing that quality and projecting Africa positively.
You were off the movie radar for years. There were fears that you wouldn’t return. What do you have to say now that you’re back?
I did not give anybody the impression that I was stopping my career but people just assumed that was what I was going to do. Maybe I had a little bit to do with it in the sense that I didn’t address it, but I am in a movie now so people can see that for real, I’m back.
You were off the scene for almost five years. Why?
It just happened that way, I didn’t plan it. Life just sometimes takes over. Up until that time, I was all about my career but then I met someone who I fell in love with and that changed my whole life.
I had to give more time to my relationship to make sure I nurtured it away from the public eye as much as I could. I took an inadvertent break to focus on my relationship. Being a career woman is great and I was lucky to have some success at it.
But at the end of the day, family and having a stable, happy home is more important to me and I knew that something would have to give way. At that time, it was my career that had to give.
You came back without your signature dreadlocks?
I didn’t actually set out to make it my signature hairstyle. I don’t call it dreads because there is nothing dreadful about it. I call it locs without a ‘K’. I had it for 12 years and from the 11th year, I started getting bored. In the mirror, I’d see the same old look so I started telling myself that I would soon take it off.
I cut them off last year after I had my baby. There was no pressure from anybody or from any corner, it was all me. I wanted to be more versatile with my looks.
Do you sometimes miss your former hair?
I’m really enjoying doing different things with my hair now. I didn’t throw them away; I kept them in a nice little chest in my house just for sentimental reasons.
The locs were my natural hair that grew that long. So, African hair does grow long, believe it or not.
How has this year treated you and your career?
Very well, I must say. I’m so blessed, I thank God for the gift of life, every single day, especially when you think about what has been happening in Nigeria lately. I’m wearing black today, because I’m mourning for Nigeria and also mourning a dear friend that I lost.
Entertainment seems to be the only thing that elevates and makes people happy. Our music, our films, our sports, it unites us and brings happiness. So, I keep thanking God for everyday as it comes.
In the recent TV series, you kissed RMD so passionately. How did your husband react?
Well, it comes with the job. I have really tried to stay away from those kinds of scripts, but I can’t keep avoiding them and find myself out of business. My husband and I have an understanding.
He is amazing. He understands and knows that at the end of the day, he is the one I love, he is the one I’d come home to. He is the one I have children with, so of course, he must count for something.
Did you give the part of kissing RMD deeply a second thought, when you saw it on the script?
I did. I won’t lie, I thought about it. Then I said to myself, well do you want to do this? Do you love the script? And my response was yes. I went ahead. When I spoke with RMD, he said he is fine with it too, and then we came on board. We have a connection.
RMD and I have been close friends. Our first film together, Caught In The Middle, it was a very successful one. So, we are always cool together.
Do you have a new project at hand?
Yes, I’m working on my own project at the moment. It is going to be something big. I obviously took a long time to get to that point. You know I like doing my things perfectly.
For now, you have only two kids, any plans for an addition?
No! We are done. We are alright. We are not planning for another.
Just two girls?
Yes! They are children? Aren’t they? They are human beings, so please we love them like that.
What are plans for the rest part of the year?
Well, I’m looking forward to the movie that I’m working on and staying open for more opportunities. I’m excited and hopeful.
and then