Fast-rising actress and producer, ADEBOYE VICTORIA REMILEKUN, gives insight into her journey into the Nigerian movie industry in this interview by ADERONKE ADESANYA. Excerpts:
How would you describe your upbringing?
Growing up for me wasn’t a bed of roses. It wasn’t easy, it was rough and tough. I won’t like to go into the details but I give all glory to God Almighty for everything.
Tell us about your background and your education?
I was born and brought up in Abeokuta, Ogun State. I’m the first daughter in a family of six. I studied Mass Communication at Ibadan Polytechnic.
What inspired you to take up a career in acting?
My passion, talent and strength and my love for arts made me choose acting as a career
How was your first experience in the industry?
I saw myself in a different world entirely.
How and when did you discover your passion for acting?
I discovered my talent when I was 10 years old through the applauds I got whenever I tried my hands on acting.
Can you tell us more about your production?
Yes, I had the dream of becoming a producer some day. And I feel blessed to have produced movies like an Iriri mi and Idera. They were quite challenging but then they came out successfully.
So far, how has the industry been for you in terms of challenges?
To be sincere, it has been a journey with different challenges. Financial challenges at times especially, when it comes to rolling out productions and at first, when I started as a young individual trying to find her way into the industry.
Asides acting, is there any other thing you engage in?
I write and that has actually given me an edge in the industry.
What has been your most memorable experience on set?
The very first time I was paired to act with my role model on set.
How profitable has the acting career been for you?
We bless God. Acting and script writing made me who I am today.
Who do you regard as your role model and why do you want to emulate his career?
I will say Broda Shaggi, I’ve always appreciated his ability to own a part and depict the characters in the plays he’s in with accuracy. I conducted a lot of research on him and found out that he spends a lot of time on character development, rehearsals, acting practice and improvements in the quality of the projects he works on. I appreciate his professionalism and hard ethic as an actor, both of which I aim to follow.
How would you describe this year for yourself in the industry so far?
2022 has been the best year for me so far
Moving forward, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
Shoot a production and also have an evaluation of the year 2022
Do you have a dream role?
Yes, I do.
Do you have professional training in any acting techniques?
Not really. I work personally on myself
What productions have you acted in before?
Several ones with Idera, Iriri mi and several others
Is there any role you can never accept?
No. I love to challenge myself
I am thrilled with the progress of my acting career. I am proud of my accomplishments and the path my career has taken so far. I’m grateful to God.
What’s your experience with video editing/production software?
I love learning about every aspect of the film-making process, from storyboarding to shooting to release, and everything in between. I’m especially interested in graphic design and 2D animation, and I’ve used online videos to teach myself After Effects. I’m learning Adobe Audition, too, so that I can do sound editing. Because of my history of teaching myself new technologies, I’m confident that I can learn any software used by any team.
When performing with others on set, do you prefer to work individually or as a group?
I prefer working as a group because I feel like we can come up with more creative ideas when collaborating than if we were working individually. However, I also know that sometimes it’s necessary to work alone in order to prepare for a performance or rehearsal. In those situations, I make sure to communicate clearly with my fellow actors about what I’m doing.
The entertainment industry is said to be full of stress and pressure; what do you do to tackle the pressure that comes with your work?
I try not to over work myself and yes truly stress and pressure comes with my work
Have you ever had to choose between the quality of a project or meeting the deadline? If so, how did you do it?
I’ve come across several situations where I had to choose between the quality of a production and the intended deadline. I aim to find a balance between the two. In my most recent project, I accelerated the production so that quality won’t be affected. I also found ways to maintain the production’s quality despite having to work faster to meet the original deadline. Thankfully, my experience as a producer helped me mitigate these situations.
What are some of your most valuable skills as an actress?
I think the two particularly valuable skills for me are memorisation and the ability to observe, enact behaviours, expressions, and tones. It is also useful to have good interpersonal skills and be able to speak and sing in various vocal styles and dialects. I have an excellent memory which is helpful for memorising lines and my expressive abilities help me to enact characters easily.
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Tell us about your communication style?
In film, and especially on set, I work with people, day in and day out. And while many jobs allow for a quick text check-in, film often has you face-to-face with editors, producers, actors, investors, screenwriters and more. You need to be an effective communicator to work with this diverse group as you seek their buy-in and opinions
How would you react if you received a negative review of a performance?
If the criticism is valid, I’ll use the feedback to understand my performance and think of how to improve it in the future. If the criticism is baseless, then I try to ignore it. People are not always going to like what you do and they have the right to express their opinions. I am grateful for all kinds of reviews, both good and bad, because it would be worse to not receive any feedback at all. It’s actually a normal thing for anyone who is willing to improve on her craft. Criticisms make me to want to do greater things
What value do you think Nollywood movies offer to the people?
We help to correct the abnormalities in the society, promote our culture.
What has been your favourite role so far in your career?
Acting as a mother
What is your greatest strength as an actress?
My greatest strength as an actress is my ability to connect with others on stage or in front of the camera. I am able to make those around me feel comfortable and confident while performing, which allows us to create more realistic performances. In my last production, I was able to bring out the best in everyone on stage by making them feel valued and appreciated.
What makes you stand out from other actresses?
I think what makes me stand out from other actors is my ability to improvise on set. I’ve been doing theater for years, so I’m used to thinking quickly and making up dialogue as needed. This skill has helped me save scenes when we’re behind schedule or if there are technical issues with the equipment.
Tell us something about yourself that is not of general knowledge?
I will like to call myself a deep thinker.
What advice do you have for young people who are just starting their careers, specifically in relation to Nollywood?
Believe in yourself, never give up and don’t be carried away by peer pressures
Do you have any news for your fans? Something they should expect or anticipate in the coming days.
They should be expecting something big from me soon…
and then