Nollywood Actor, Nonso Bassey, takes the leading male role opposite superstar, Rita Dominic in the Mildred Okwo’s upcoming movie, La Femme Anjola. In this interview, the multi-talented artiste, says he is so proud of the much- anticipated picture and would want the entire world to see it.
How did you get involved in La Femme Anjola?
I think it was sometime in late 2018 when the director, Mildred Okwo reached out to me on Twitter with ‘how far? Work dey. Are you interested?’ To put this in perspective, I had known her since The Meeting and I followed her on social media and introduced myself to her after I found out she was a fan of a TV show I was on. She was also top of the list of directors I had hoped to work with. So when she called and sent a script, that was it.
When you read the script what was your immediate reaction?
When I first read the script, Mildred had not given me a character name to focus on. But as I kept on reading, the Dejare character was speaking to me, you know, calling my name. But I’m was no position to make any assumptions so I kept on reading. As the pages kept turning, the enormity of this script kept dawning on me.
What was it like working with Rita Dominic as a performer and as a producer?
Rita Dominic is a grade A++ material. Working with her is a dream. I remember when the director setup our first meeting which happened in a hotel lobby, I got there early. I was so nervous I started rearranging the table and chairs. And then Rita walked in. Boy did she walk in! She owns a room as she enters. She was gliding on air towards me and everyone was staring at her. My mouth was so dry.
Anyway, she is such a professional. Her talent is phenomenal. I learned so much working with her. And as a producer, she went over and beyond to make sure everyone on set was comfortable enough to put in the work. It was such an amazing experience.
How did you approach the character of Dejare? What was it like bringing him to life?
I really wanted to be as honest and authentic as possible. So in addition to studying the script a thousand times over and taking copious notes, I did some research on stock trading to get into the mind of a power broker. Also on growing up in a middle class family in Yaba in the 80s and 90s to understand the context of Dejare’s social background.
I took a few saxophone lessons because Dejare not only played the sax but it was a special part of his relationship with his father. So that bit wasn’t just a technical addition, it was emotional and also psychological. The director, Mildred and I had many long late night calls discussing and building the character. We both were full of ideas, questions and opinions. I was nervous, excited and scared to death. But I was ready to do the work.
Do you share any similarities with the character and how much of a physical/mental toll if any did it take on you?
The two most striking similarities for me between the character Dejare and myself are; his love for his family. He comes from a close knit family who fight and reconcile with each other. The love is strong. And secondly, his hunger for something more. I believe he was looking for something he couldn’t quite explain.
I mean, he had the perfect job, a great apartment, and a beautiful woman but he wasn’t satisfied with his status quo. Somehow he made “questionable” choices that I, and anyone really, can learn from and not get into deep trouble. But I totally recognised that yearning. And yes, getting into all this took a toll on me. I remember once we shot a very intense scene and after I got home that night my legs were so weak and I started hearing voices. That was a scary night.
How did you approach working with Mildred. What was the collaborative process like?
Aunty Mil, as I like to call her, is probably the most collaborative visionary that I have met so far. Her approach to work is something beautiful. She communicates and teaches and directs but gives you room to do your thing. The process was very smooth with the right amount of shared thinking and discussions, individual homework, coaching, and applying pressure when necessary. She invites everyone to be and do their absolute best. At the beginning she said to me ‘are you ready? Cause you go work o’.
What are your personal expectations from the film? How do you think it will be received?
I believe everything happens for a reason. How events played out to end up with me on this project and how I observed everyone involved; cast, crew and even the financiers giving it their all just makes me believe we did something special. And I believe something great will come out of this. We cannot always control the outcome but we did our best and we will continue to do our best to promote the film and hopefully it is well received. I want everybody on earth to see our film. I am very proud of it.
The film was delayed on account of COVID-19. How did you navigate the lockdown and where is your mind at presently?
2020 just came and flushed all our collective plans down the toilet. For me personally, I had to put things in perspective. It was not about me, this happened to the whole world and we just got caught up in it. But like I said, everything happens for a reason and it will all work out for good. It wasn’t easy navigating the pandemic season but it gave me a chance to do a lot of internal work, personal growth and spiritual alignment and now I am in a great space mentally. I’m excited for the future.
READ ALSO: 7 Things you Should Know about Mildred Okwo’s ‘La Femme Anjola’
In terms of research what were you watching or reading or listening to to be able to get into your character’s head space?
I love doing research and I can be such a nerd sometimes. I watched films in the noir and neo-noir genre; Double Indemnity, Devil in the blue dress (Denzel Washington), Chinatown and Basic Instinct. Asked lots of questions and had loads of conversations with people who grew up middle class in the late 80s and early 90s in Lagos…cause reading about it is one thing but listening to people who lived the life is something else entirely. You know, what movies were people crazy over? What songs were popular then?
And of course, speaking of songs, I listened to a lot of Fela and Dr Victor Olaiya as well as a lot of Fuji music and music from other African countries with artistes like Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Hugh Masakela. All these to put me in the head space of this guy. It got weird when I started thinking his thoughts.
You come from a music background, did it help you better understand your character and how so?
I always prefer to approach music with honest and authenticity. What is it I am trying to communicate with the music? What is the physicality required for me to tell my story? Is my chest expanded? Am I sitting, standing still or am I dancing? Are my eyes closed or am I maintaining eye contact? I believe there are certain cardinal rules that apply to performers across the board whether on stage or in front of a camera, on a runway, rustling bulls in Latin America or playing for a stadium of people.
The same rules apply. What is the story and how do I use my body and my voice to tell it? Dejare and his saxophone have a symbolic relationship which was not so hard for me to get into because music is emotional. It makes you feel things. Also I grew up singing in the choir for many years and I have been around saxophonists and musicians for so long. So I didn’t really have to think too hard about how to be a musician for him.
