Job of an actor not as easy as people assume —Efa Iwara

You recently starred in Nvivo’s wave-making film ‘Seven’. Tell us about that?

Tosin Igho and I had been talking about the movie for a while, so even before I got the script, the idea of it had been intriguing. The whole seven days in Ajegunle idea was something I was looking forward to. I was excited about working on the project.

Have you ever spent time in Ajegunle or was this your first experience?

I went once to see a cousin of mine at Boundary, though I am not sure if that’s really Ajegunle. We slept on the floor then and it was very tough.

Playing the lead role, Kolade. What part of that was the most challenging for you to pull off?

The physicality of it. All of the things you saw me do in the film were real. For example, the part where I had to sleep on a couch that had been abandoned on the side of the street, was real. Lying there, I didn’t know whether cockroaches, mice or any other creatures were in there with me. Also, getting slapped by the food-seller,  being in a prison cell — all those quite challenging.

As an actor, what kind of roles do you prefer to play?

To be honest, I am comfortable playing almost any role. I am only uncomfortable when it is something I cannot possibly do; like if you ask me to speak Hindu or behave like an Indian. I don’t speak it, so it would be hard to grasp that. Though given a considerable amount of time, I’m sure I could get it. But if you tell me to play the role of a killer, I can probably go watch a film that has a killer in it, study it and observe it. These are characters you can find somewhere deep inside you.

How did you feel working with entertainment industry veterans like Daddy Showkey and RMD?

These are legends. Working with a legend like RMD was very interesting for me. I grew up watching him, and being able to act alongside him was very fulfilling; I learnt a lot from him. He is actually a fun guy, and we are both Arsenal fans. We were able to cry and smile together during the course of shooting. Daddy Showkey is another fun person. People feel like he is serious, and because he is ‘street’ he would be very violent, but he cracks jokes all the time and he is just a great person to be around. I had so much fun working with him.

For most young actors, once they are able to star alongside industry legends, they feel like they have made it. You have starred alongside RMD in a lead role, do you feel that way?

No. The moment you feel like you have made it is the moment your career ends. I try to treat every film like it is my first and work as hard as possible on it.

A lot of entertainers eventually diversify. Any plans to do that soon? What will be your next conquest after acting?

I have not done nearly enough in the acting department of the movie industry. But I think the next level for me would be directing or producing or even both. Just working behind the camera, who knows?

Most people only see the glitz and glamour of showbiz. In your opinion, what is the life of a hardworking actor like?

It’s actually very hectic. You have early call times on different projects. Sometimes, it can be a very emotional project, and it drains you. But at the same time, you have to be responsible for your family and friends. Imagine when you have a bad day at work, you cannot go home and act out, it is the same for us. When you are at work, you are acting. At home, you are still acting. I am only not acting when I am sleeping, so it can be tedious. But I am grateful to be working constantly and I thank God for the work.

What’s an average day in your life like?

Most days, I wake up early to meet up with call times. I, most times, shoot all day, check sports channels, hope that Arsenal is not losing, get home, grab something to eat, call a few friends, maybe have a drink…

Like you do on Red TV’s ‘The Men’s Club’ (TMC)?

Yes, pretty much like ‘The Men’s Club’. I hang out with my friends if it’s not too late.

How do you handle attention from your admirers, both male and female?

If there are male admirers, then here is my shout out to them. But for female admirers, I am really very accessible. I feel like it is never that serious.

So are you saying there are no crazy messages in your social media accounts?

There would always be crazy stuff in my DMs, but I feel like everyone gets them, even bankers, engineers, and other professionals. Maybe a few more, but nothing extraordinary.

What are your thoughts on the proposed social media bill?

The fact that it is even coming up is shameful. The fact that we are having the conversation is very annoying. This is 2019, you cannot tell me that you have the right to monitor social media. We are not a communist state. If we were in China, I get that but we are in Nigeria, and this is a democratic era. We can do a lot better.

You sound passionate about governance. Do you plan to go into politics in the future?

It takes a lot of guts to go into politics and I respect everyone in politics, but I would rather do my own thing and give back to society. Who knows the future though. But if you ask me, I would rather be the richest guy in the world and help people in general without alliance with any party.

Was entertainment always the goal for you?

No, it just happened. I was bored. I wanted to be a doctor and find a cure for HIV and help people and also save lives. That was always my dream until I realised medicine wasn’t for me. I failed JAMB the first time so I switched to Geology to make some money and give back to the community. Along the line, I fell in love with music, moved to Lagos from Ibadan, then started out as a rapper. Growing up, when these was outage for like 10 minutes, we had to entertain ourselves, so I would always act something out. I always liked that game, so someone told me to go for an audition and I did. I got the role and that was it.

Of all the movies and TV shows you have starred in, which would you say is your finest work?

There are a couple I would put in that bracket, though I am proud of everything I have done. But I am attached to different projects for different reasons. ‘Ajoche’ for example; ‘TMC’ because girls like it; ‘Seven’, because of the Ajegunle connection, then ‘Unbroken’.

Looking back, would you change anything about your journey so far?

I lost a sister of mine, so I would change that if I could. Other than that, I maybe would have been a footballer because every time I watch Ronaldo score and I see him being celebrated I think it could be me.