Popular comic-actor, Charles Inojie is still wondering how he was tricked into
featuring in that lewd film titled ‘Calabar Girl’ directed by JerryDon Nwachukwu. The film was produced by Divine Ezeibekwe and banned immediately after it was released sometime in May, this year by the National Film and Video Censors Board. Charles recounts the story of how he got involved in the production.
coup that catapulted him to the top while working
Lancelot Imasuen among other issues. Excerpts:
A comic-actor!
Do you know that I am not aware that I am a comedian? There are places I visit today and I tell people that I am not a regular comedian;someone you see and you start laughing or someone who is ever ready to act as a clown when the occasion does not call for it. I see myself as a very serious person. I see myself as a good actor.
If I do comedy roles well, it is only because that is where I have probably, been most tested and again not a function of any kind of training I had. Except that I probably just have it in me. I believe that my late grandmother had the strongest sense of humour that I ever found in anyone and I benefited generously from her talent. Maybe, I am one of those you would say are naturally gifted as humourist.
School of hard knocks
I hate it when I hear people say, I am self -made. There is no one on earth that is self made otherwise people like us are not supposed to be where we are today. When I picked my bag one morning
University of Port Harcourt , the man only
State then,and I hail from Edo State.
*Charles Inojie He said, ‘you did not try to gain admission into the now Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma
courtailed . But now that you are going to UNIPORT, would help comeyour way?’.
In school, it wasjust me and myclosest neighbour which is poverty. When I woke up in the morning, the first person that told me good morningwas poverty. But I think, God gave me a specialgrace. Beyond allthese travails, there was always apoint I wanted to get to, and that wasto graduatefrom the university at theend oftheday.
I graduated from the University in 1999, and in
Lancelot Imasuen as an Assistant Director. I was part of the productions he did in the early2000, such as Last Burial, Isakaba, August Meeting and many others. Therefore, I would say joining
colleagues. Thisis because I had someone who provided the platform for me to launch my actingcareer.
Beyond that, when I became a full-fledged director,
with, who were always driven by the passion to expand their profit margin. I am a gift from God because in spite of all that I passed through, one happened to be one of the veryfewpeople who haveenjoyed primepatronage and I thank God for His mercies.
Relationshipwith Lancelot Imasuen
That is another story altogether. I was telling some of my close friends recently that Lancelot is my friend
met Lancelot in 1992, at UNIPORT where we sat for the entrance examination for the Certificate Programme in Theatre Arts. He was in the company of another friend of oursknown as KennedyOvbiahon who’s now late.
After sitting for the qualifying examination, we returned to our different locations and later had to meet again
was, while on campus.
school. And since then, wehave been good friends.
Joining Nollywood
We have made some humble contributions to acting. As a matter of fact, my very first movie as a full- fledged director was titled
back to back for OJ Productions. I also played one ofthe lead roles then. Thereafter, I starred in Tortoise, another movie produced by OJ and directed by Adim Williams. I was an Assistant Director in that film. At the time, the three lead roles were given to John Okafor, OkeyBakassiand Victor Osuagwu.
Ogun State called Writers
enthusiasts,writers, poets, dramatists and literary critics to a retreat.
The guest reader for the month would read his poems or plays and respond to questions from the gathering.
friend, Malik Ibitoye, now a journalist, would make it to the literary gathering. This particular month,late environmentalist, Ken Saro Wiwa washosted by the resort.
Before then, Bassey and Company, a
television and Saro Wiwa was already making waves on the international scene with his Ogoni struggle. Saro Wiwa was large and because we have read some of his plays, the enthusiasm to meet him was very high. Usually, we went to the resort that fateful Saturday evening,
Bode Osanyin urged us to stage a short play for Wiwa. Initially, I refused to be part of theplay, preferringto do something different.
But somehow, I was encouraged to be part of the short play.
scene was over, I ran backstage to hide myself.
back on stage. But lo and behold! Saro Wiwa singled me out and asked if I had acted before, I replied in the contrary. He asked what I was doing, I said I was a Jambite and wanted to read Law.
He asked if I had secured admission, I said I was waiting for my JAMB result. He reasoned that it would take about eight to 12 months and he advised me to enroll for Certificate programme that would last for 10 months. When we left, Malik and some of my friends encouraged me to do so. That was how I secured an admission to do certificate programme in UNIPORT. While doing the programme, I discovered I had only come face to face with my destiny. So, I did not spare any time to seek admission for a fulltime degree programme.
Growingpot belly
In fact that is the more reason we have to thank God for Osofia’s life, if not, people would still believe that big tummy is part of the requirement for one to become a comedian. Osofiahas been able to proofthatyou don’t need to have a big tummyto be a successful comedian. It was common problem most of us had to contend with then but thankGosOsofiahasproven it has nothing to do with it.
I cannot stab myself in the stomach to reduce it but I discovered that it is easier to acquire it than to shed it.
Starringin “Calabar Girl”movie
This is what I cannot even explain. Some time ago, a senior colleague of mine invited me to be part of his new production. For over 15 years, he has not shot a single movie as things
support. I have known him for severalyears and as an undergraduate, storming Lagos those days to attend auditions, he was one of the foremost directors in
then.There was no wayI could have refused to support hisreturn to the industry.
That was how I ended up starringin that movie. To win my sympathy, henarrated how a marketer once rejected
the film. I appeared in few scenes in the movie which was shot in three days. I have no ideawhatsoever regarding what lewed scenes he had previously shot.
In fact, I’m yet to understand why he decided to shoot such movie. I think he took his desperation too far. I’m
because the very day I saw the movie jacket, I knew something was wrong with it. There was no way I could have been part of the movie if I knew from the out set that what he has shot was somethingcloseto an adultfilm.
Wife’sreaction
I thank God that I married my friend. I tryas much aspossible to betruthful to mywife. She saw the movie and
connected with those dirty scenesin the movie. In fact, she has nothing whatsoever to be angryabout.
What I learnt from theproject
What I have learnt is that next time, I should be wary about who comes to ask for my help in disguise. Next time, I would insist on
acceptingto bepartof any make-up scenes in amovie.
Meeting mywife
I metmy wife thewayother peoplemeet theirs.
Marriageexperience
Marriageiswonderful. I was talkingto one ofmy senior colleagues the other day and I told him, I now know why he wanted me to get married. I think I am a better person now than before. Things that you would ordinarily react to are things you now take a second look at. Marriage has calmed me down. I am a lot more mature now and I am happy.
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