Rotimi Salami is a Nollywood actor and movie producer, he is one of the actors in fast demand in the Nigerian movie industry today. The award-winning actor in this interview by FEMI OGUNTAYO talks about the controversies surrounding his outfit at the last African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) as well as other trending issues in the industry. Excerpts:
What is new with the brand, ‘Rotimi Salami’ since the last time we spoke?
Not so much, the only thing is currently I am now more involved in the English-speaking movies again and I could remember I talked about balancing my participation in both sectors of our industry and right now I have been able to do that. Some of the projects that I have participated in are showing in the cinemas already and more are still coming. Personally, I also have a TV series, which I also remember I talked about then, currently airing on African Magic and I also have some cinema projects I am working on with the working title ‘Ajirebi’. And of course, some awards nominations here and there.
I must say it has been an eventful year for you, and just like you said, you have really been able to balance your participation in both the Yoruba and English-speaking sectors. In one of the movies you featured in recently, ‘The Perfect Arrangement’, how challenging would you describe the character you played in it?
My role is Tanko, a Special Assistant to the President. Yes, it was quite different. To be honest, when I read through the script I didn’t know I was going to use a Hausa accent. I had thought someone as educated as Special Assistant to the President wouldn’t have to have a Hausa Accent but when I got to the set of the movie the first day, after we introduced ourselves, I could remember Bovi asking if I could speak in a Hausa accent and that it would have been lovely if I could play that role using a Hausa accent. So, right there I was like hmm, then I asked Bovi if he could also speak in a Hausa accent, I wanted to hear him do it and see if I could imitate or mimic him, but he said he couldn’t.  So, I just tried it and infused it in my delivery, we had a rehearsal and I tried it there and I asked the director if it was okay and he said yes. That was it, and when the job came out and I watched and listened to myself, I realised that with just four scenes acting in that accent made it look like I was a major character in the movie, it was unique. I was scared, I was thinking would if it come out well, but after watching the movie, I was really proud of myself.
Describe your 2022 so far?
It has been awesome. God has proven Himself as he has always done in my life. For instance, look at my AMVCA outfit saga, when I was dragged online because of my outfit. I have always heard that there is nothing like a bad publicity, that saga made me agree that there is really nothing like bad publicity. Some people were saying the outfit didn’t fit the occasion, forgetting the fact that this is Africa and it’s called showbiz. So, the designer told me he wanted people to talk about his design after the event and I told him to bring it on. Obviously, the guy achieved that with the reaction it got after the event. One thing with me is that whatever I put on as long I am proud of it, I am good. Maybe because of some of my fans who just don’t want anything about me to go wrong at all, so those of them that are really crazy fans, others were calling them saying see your crush o, see your brother o, they were the ones that felt the heat the most. So, I want to use this opportunity to tell them sorry ehn, because this is showbiz. Some people who didn’t even know who Rotimi Salami is now know who I am because of that issue. So, it’s publicity for me in a way. S, this year has been beautiful and great for me.
Since your win at the AMVCA, how would you describe your acting career?
Before AMVCA, I was just an actor, when I won I became a recognised actor and after AMVCA, I became a popular actor and as time went on, I have become a celebrated actor.
Since the year has been an eventful year for you, how have you been managing these activities and spending quality time with your family?
Previously, I used to be very busy and I didn’t have enough time for my family, it is not that I really now have the time, but now because I am bigger, I can control my time and the time I spend on a movie set, so as to have enough time for my family. So, things are getting better.
You are a ladies’ man, at least from some of your movies we have seen, maybe not in real life, how has your wife taken this?
The thing is, if you don’t do your job well, people won’t take you seriously. People should actually understand that this is my career, my job and if I don’t do it well, others won’t call me to play certain roles for them. So, some people would just judge and think what I act in movies is what I am in real life, but I just ask, how possible is that? I am a different Rotimi Salami on set and off set. When I am not acting, I am my wife’s husband and my children’s father. I have not taken the fact that the ladies love my style for granted and instead, I have been more careful. If as a female fan, you want more than being friends, I know I have to give you space but if I see that it is genuine, I expect that if you really care about me, you should also care about my family, There is this saying that, if you know where I am coming from, you will never pray for me to fail.
Since you became prominent, we have not heard of any scandal whatsoever about you, not even a marriage or relationship scandal. How have you been able to manage this and make your career scandal-free?
In all fairness, I would just say it is God’s grace. You know, no one is perfect. But before God’s grace can be evident in your life too, you need to be conscious of certain things. Right before I became popular or even started acting, I knew the kind of family I wanted for myself and I made sure I worked towards it. For every good relationship or marriage, you really need to work to make it happen. I had to sacrifice to make mine work and God has been helping me with that. There is no perfect relationship or marriage but if you are determined to make it work, as far as it doesn’t involve abuse, whether psychological, emotional or physical, definitely, it can always work. Just make sure when you are choosing your partner, he or she possesses at least 80 per cent of the qualities you want in him or her, every other thing can be worked on. For example, jocularly, some people say Rotimi like yansh, yes I like yansh and my wife get yansh. You know, I am just saying, talking about physical qualities and I have always loved women who are smart and intelligent and my wife has all these qualities. So, eventually knowing the kind of home you want for you matters a lot.
The recent discussion that trended on social media about some people or celebrities ‘carelessly’ exposing their families online and all that. What is your say on this?
To be honest, looking at the word ‘carelessly exposing one’s family on social media, I would say that what works for Mr A might not work for Mr B. For example, I have a wife who also is a thespian, and my kids too are the type who love cameras and I have seen that in them. So, sometimes when I do my videos with their mum, they also show interest in featuring and all that.  My daughter got featured in a movie recently and this was as a result of some of the stuff I had uploaded about her online. But, I would say when it comes to exposing families, we should know the kind of stuff we post about them online. As I said, my daughter is a kid model and definitely, she needs to be online once in a while. So, we should just monitor the kind of stuffs we post about our families but we can’t say people who love to post about their families should stop because we don’t know the kind of happiness that brings to their families. May God continue to protect and watch over all of us but we just needed to be conscious of how we expose our families and the kind of things we get them involved in, whether you are a celebrity or not. I would also like to say that my family has a show coming up soon on our YouTube channel called, ‘The Salamis’ and my wife also is coming up with a show called, ‘The Jumoke Salami Show’. On this shows, we will be talking about family and lifestyle in general.
Would you say social media has made or marred the entertainment industry?
It is a very powerful tool which I would say has made and marred the industry. But I would say it has made the industry more than it has marred it. Before now, a lot of actors have always had to scout for roles, go for auditions at Surulere international theatre, go to Benin, etc. But now people can get auditioned online. On your own page, you can advertise yourself either by putting up one monologue or the other and movie directors and producers who are scouting for actors can just stumble on your page. So, if you are using social media for the right thing, it would create a lot of opportunities for you. The likes of Broda Shaggi, Mr Macaroni, MC Lively, KieKie etc, have made good use of the social media. In the area of marring the industry, it has made it easier for any little scandal to be blown to the proportion where everyone gets to know about any bad thing anyone writes about you. Some people also use that as an advantage to bring you down.
Lastly, do you have some words for your fans and followers on the social media?
First thing first, don’t stop loving and praying for me, don’t stop loving and praying for yourself. And again, when you are about to type that thing, either you are about to give a piece of advice to the public or to your celebrity, make sure after typing you read what you have written two to five times and put yourself in that celebrity’s position and see if it will go down well with you as a person, either as a joke or a serious talk, then you can click on post. Just be mindful of whatever you write about anyone, whether a celebrity or not, don’t be the reason why someone is depressed or commits suicide.
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