how i started my acting career in 1995

• LONDON Movie Producer, DOYIN AMODU

Doyin Amodu is in town. She is the beautiful London based movie producer who is the President of TAMPAN, (London). She recently stormed Lagos to hold the grand premiere of her new movie, Ojo Ale (Twilight).

During her visit, she was our guest at City People roundtable, during which she spoke about her movie career and how she started in 1995. How did acting start for her, we asked?

How did you start acting?

“May be because I was a drama queen when I was growing up, because I talk too much. After my secondary school education at Ansar-u-deen Islamic High School in Kwara State. In a town called IPE. I was in boarding school. I am not from Kwara State but Kwara State is still like home to me, but I am from Lagos State. I was a border throughout my school education and my Primary School was in Lagos at Lagos Anglican Girls Seminary. Then I went to Aunty Ayo Girls High School before Al-sarudeen Islamic High School, Ipe, Kwara State”.

“I started taking JAMB when I graduated from High School. I got admitted to Bida Federal Polythechnic for Civil Engineering and my dad was against it. He wanted me to be a Doctor. My instinct then was that being a doctor means I will be seeing dead bodies and I am scared of corpses. If I am a doctor I will definitly see dead bodies. So my dad insisted I should not accept the admission.

So, I decided to join Habascus Film Production owned by Prince Babajide Kosoko. It was in Jibowu, after Fadeyi Bus Stop. So, I went to meet the Secretary that I wanted to do Theatre, and she gave me a form to register and that costs N500. I did not have the N500 at the time.

At that time I was the one who handle cooking for the house and most of my friends did not believe that. So, I began to take from the money I was given to make stew. I just had to raise the money.  At the point, I went there again I was having N250 with me. Immediately, I got there and I asked if I can pay twice and they said Yes, I paid the N250 and I got the Form and I filled it. They said I can come and join when I balance up the registration fee. I was thinking within me how to get the remaining N250, and removing N250 from the money given for stew would be too much then. When I got to the market I saw this very plenty fish so I bought and saved N250”.

When I got home, do the cooking. I never knew the Fresh fish I bought had much bone in it. So my dad was eating this food but was surprised the stew was much and said what kind of fish did you buy? So, I paid my balance of N250. My dad may your gentle soul rest in perfect peace. I told him in his life time that I used to take from the money he gave me. So, I balanced the registration fee and I joined the film production in the year 1995. My parents were saying I wanted to waste my life doing theatre. I said if the life wants to waste, it should waste in the theatre industry. Then my dad was an Accountant and my mum was working with UTC at that point. I can relate with a lot of our elders when they are not getting paid. I can relate with them because it is our happy place. Those time we used to sleep in someone’s house if we go and film at location.

Before I went to UK, they have started knowing me in some films. I did one film called BABA Council series with Galaxy TV. Kukute was the Producer of the film. People from Ibadan would see me and shout Baba Council, and they will sing. And it was not the day of social media or youtube then and when people started to recognise me, my mum said I want you to travel to UK. One producer said you’re doing well now, why did you need to travel abroad? So, I featured in few films at that point. At that point I think I did the UK things for my mom and I moved to the UK.

I did my first film in the UK in 2009 with the likes of Yemi Awomodu. It has been long we saw him on screen. Ojiji Ola which I film part of it in Nigeria. When I came back to Nigeria I said I wanted to start featuring the old cast. Someone said your film will not sell. I thought of it and I said do I really need to make money from it because I can feed myself and my family. I was so sad when I heard about Pa Kasumu’s death. I called him one day. He could not see at that time. I called and he said Doyin I was surprised because I haven’t spoken with him for years. So, I told him that I am coming to Nigeria and I will see him. But before I got to Nigeria he died. I thought why did I want to delay the project until I get rich, until I have money. So, I stopped procastinating and we have started with no money but we are going to get a lot of money in it, Me and this Arugbos we are going to have fun, we are going to have the UK Premiere of Ojo Ale very soon. We will all be travelling.

Assuming Dubai embassy did not seize our visa, we should have been in Dubai, you should have see me and this old people in Dubai”.

How many films has she produced since she has been in the UK?

I have produced few films for friends. I have five films pending with me. I am not satisfied with it yet. Because I went to London South Bank University to study Film practices and I major in producing and directing. As a Director who studied in the UK, you will always see a production as not good enough. So that is how I will put aside but I will still see what I can do about it. That is how I have films still waiting with the Editor. My editor always reminds me about it, and I will say its not good enough but this Ojo Ale is good enough.

How are the movie people in the UK coping with the challenges of producing and directing movies there?

“Acting in the UK is not rewarding yet. Some people do take part in Netflix Film, British Film, Hollywood Film and still get good pay out of that. My daughter is an actress, that is where she gets her money from. But for Nollywood in the UK, we are still trying to build that ground. Not that  we will come to Nigeria before we produce film, we can make film in the UK. we can bring our actor over to the UK to make films. We are working on that. Nollywood in the UK is in progress”.

How challenging has it been working in the UK and as TAMPAN UK President?

This industry is what I love doing, because I have been in it since 1995, with the likes of Femi Adebayo, Sola Kosoko and the rest. I have good team and good executive to tackle the challenges for me and make the work easier for me in the UK. I also work as care giver with the children with challenges behaviour in the UK. I use to work at the elder unit at a point but every shift I cried, because they always tell pathetic stories. I have passion for the elders, that makes me cry everytime. But I stick to the Teenagers to help them become a better people in life. So, I have that job and been the TAMPAN UK President. I also love Travelling.

How many members are there in UK TAMPAN?

We are under 100. We are 70 plus in number.

How do you manage such huge number?

We have a Whatsapp platform and we all understand our busy schedule. We do have face to face meeting in a month and have virtual meeting the next month. Because our members are all over the UK, and I am based in London. So, we meet virtually and pass any information on our Whatsapp platform that we can celebrate and relate with one another. And if there is any production we will tell ourselves.