Linda Osifo, Meg Otanwa and Morris Kay Sesay; these three phenomenally gifted artistes – all well read and all entrenched with a passion for the arts retreated from their comfort zones to pursue a career in acting and film making. With hope in their hearts and a longing spirit to succeed, these three are finally getting the acclaim hard work and determination brings. In this interview, they talk about the challenges of transition and their visions.
MEG OTANWA – From Banking to Acting
Idoma born actress, Meg Otanwa left a career in the banking industry for acting. She considers herself the proverbial “Girl next door” despite having a BA in English from the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, and a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management from TIME Universite in Tunisia and a Business degree from Universite Jean Moulin, Lyon France.
She is fluent in six languages including English, French, Spanish, Yoruba, Hausa and her native language Idoma. She has featured in various blockbusters including October One, Being Single and Before 30.
In this interview, she sheds light on her transition from banking to acting and her plans for the future.
According to her, growing up was fun as she from a large family, where there is never a dull moment.
The blockbuster movie star clarified on the issue of swapping from banking to entertainment, she said, “I was never in commercial banking. I used to work at the African Development Bank in Tunis, Tunisia; it is a multilateral development finance institution. I moved back home because at that point in my life, I was ready to give acting a shot. I was content and grateful with the level of exposure and experience I got over time and felt like it was time to move on to another phase of my life. Acting has always been a passion and I knew that passion was not going to get anywhere if I didn’t leave the banking sector”.
The Idoma born actress confirmed that her transition has been interesting, however, the journey to her limelight has just begun.
Linda Osifo – Fulfilling Her Dreams
Linda Osifo, like Meg is also well read, with passion for the art. She retreated from her comfort zone to pursue a career in acting and film making. Linda also speaks on the challenges of transition and her vision for the art.
Linda who has been in Canada for 15 years came back home to pursue her career in acting, she says. According to her, what inspired her return home was that she wanted focus and build an outstanding career in the Nigeria Movie Industry. She also acknowledged the fact that Nollywood ranks 3rd in the world behind Hollywood and Bollywood. “I felt that starting off in the movie industry here in my home country, would offer me the opportunity to achieve most of my goals”.
Linda who has contested in several pageants in Canada said that her experience in the pageants has helped boost her self-confidence and self-awareness. It has also given her a platform to start her career.
On the challenges of being an upcoming act, she said, “The challenges I have faced mostly was trying to convince producers and directors to give me a chance in their projects. Also, it’s generally never easy when you are a new kid on the block; there is a lot of competition out there”. She also stated that her transitioning was not easy, trying to cope with things such as unsteady electricity, different work ethics, heavy traffic, etc. the list goes on. But so far, it’s been a great journey because the grace of God has truly been keeping me strong and steady through it all.
She added that, the Nollywood industry needs more is a concrete support system from the government, to push producers to produce more films which will enable more jobs for directors, actors and crew members. What other projects are you working on at the moment? I’ve been doing more of movies lately; I have completed five movies that are likely to be out this year. I’ve also been working on another major TV sitcom, Uncomplicated that should be hitting the TV screen very soon. Apart from entertainment, my team and I are working on creating a platform for young children with speech disorder, something that is very passionate to me apart from acting.
Morris K. Sesay – The Producer’s Burden
Sierra Leonean born Nollywood producer, Morris K. Sesay, left his home country with big dreams and, after many years in Nigeria, the vibrant actor and producer is finally getting much acclaim.
With over 15 movies to his credit, Sesay is just getting warmed up. He has starred in most of his productions including “Birthday Bash”, “Paradox” and “Kamara’s Tree”. He plans to do more.
In this interview, he talks about the challenges and vision for his film career.
How long have you been a movie producer? I have been producing movies for about seven years now. It has been an eye opening experience but its success with a few hiccups along the line.
What challenges have you encountered so far? So many challenges. I mean, one invests so much time and energy into a project only to be swindled and have your spirit broken. I have lost money and made some bad decisions but, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world.
How do you cope with actors or crew members who act unprofessionally during production? That happens quite often but, in this trade, one must learn to exercise patience as much as possible. Most times, if an actor or crew member is messing up, I just try to go on with the production and if it doesn’t work, I let everyone go and move on.
Tell us about your most recent movie? My most recent movie is “16th Anniversary” and it’s directed by Frank Raja. The film is a love story that tells about the value of family and bringing a family together.
What was growing up like for you? Growing up was fun. I grew up in Sierra Leone. I was the second child out of four kids and my parents got divorced when I was still very young. It didn’t really affect me much because my mom never made us feel like we were missing out on anything.
Did you always want to produce films and act? Oh yes, very much so. I always had a flair for acting since I was young. I always wanted to produce and act. And I’m glad I accomplished my dreams. I hope to appeal to a wide audience. Was it difficult breaking into Nollywood as a foreigner? Not at all. I count myself as one of the lucky few. I always knew the right people in the industry and had the right connections to break into it which made it easy for me and I am thankful every day for it.
What do you think the industry needs to improve on? There are a lot of things the industry needs to improve on and we are gradually getting there. In terms of production, we’re not a 100% yet, especially since we are lacking basic necessities; like electricity not being always available and the cost of production is on the high side.
Would you say you are getting a good amount of appeal from your target audience? Yes, definitely. My movies have been doing quite well, thankfully, and I try to improve on each project I work on.
Hopefully, in time to come, they will get even more appeal.
What project are you working on at the moment? I am currently working on my “16th Anniversary” project. I can’t say so much about it but expect something exceptional.
Are you single? (Laughs) Yes, I am single.
You have a son. How do you handle your job and juggle it with him? Well, currently, I’m co-parenting. It’s hard being away from my son but I need to work in order to provide for him and, fortunately, his mother is around to help out most of the time.
Do you have a particular movie genre you shoot or do you work on all genres? I work on all genres; I try not to restrict myself. I am a creative person and I research a lot so I try to go beyond the norm and push boundaries.
