INTERVIEW: How veteran actors can remain relevant, competitive

For Nigerian movie lovers, especially those fond of the 90s, there’s a yearning to see seasoned actors grace television screens once more, captivating audiences with years of experience and undeniable presence.

Kunle Afod is making this dream a reality by paying homage to Nigerian movie industry veterans and bringing them back into the spotlight and onto television screens.

Mr Afod’s bold initiative challenges the conventional belief that ageing actors must make way for younger talent.

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Afod emphasised that older actors should confront challenges head-on, showcasing resilience and adaptability in the constantly evolving industry.

Excerpts:

PT: We have been following your YouTube channel and have seen what you are doing with veteran actors. What inspired this project?

Afod: Well, I’ve been doing it for a long time. It’s just that I don’t post on social media. So when I started the ‘proverb challenge’ late last year, that was what took me to their houses.

I decided to grant them some interviews so that at least their fans, people all over, would still know that these people are still alive. So, that’s how I decided to make it public.

PT: You have presented many of these actors with money, gifts, etc. Are these all done from your pocket, or are you being sponsored?

Afod: I have not given any gifts to those outside the country, including to old actors or artists who have relocated or are staying abroad; I have not given them anything yet.

When I visit those in Nigeria, I give them my hard-earned money. As I mentioned, I have been doing this long before I started sharing it publicly, and now that I have begun making it known or posting it, people are contributing to support.

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Sometimes, if they give me money and it is not enough – for example, if I am visiting two elders and maybe they contribute more money for one than the other – I will add my own money to ensure the other person also feels appreciated.

PT: You said you’ve been doing this for a long time. What is the exact year you started?

Afod: You cannot get a precise year. What precise year will you get for a father, for a son taking care of his father, or for a student taking care of the boss, or for people who work together every time? That’s not possible. You can never get a precise answer for that.

PT: Can you share some memorable moments or experiences from visiting these veteran actors and actresses?

Afod: Last year, I visited Pa Charles Olumo, known as Baba Agbako. He turned 100 years old last year, and I wanted to celebrate my 50th birthday. So I went to him. I was so happy, seeing half of what this man had passed through.

Like, you understand what I’m saying. This man is 100, and I want to be 50. You know, I feel delighted. As I said, when I went to see Baba, it had been a very long time since I saw him, and I called him two years ago to come on my set, and he told me he was in church, that he could not miss the church service for the day. I wanted to shoot the particular thing he wanted to do with me. So I had to see him.

When I saw him, I saw that he had recovered from all these older adults’s sickness, so he was glad to see me. The way he looked and called my name. You know, you will know that there’s a link between us way back.

PT: How do you believe these visits and gifts have impacted the lives of the actors?

Afod: Well, to God be the glory. I saw Pa Kayode Olasehinde, popularly known as Ajirebi, yesterday. He told me he had completed his second house because he wanted to move from his previous home. After all, the drainage system and water always give them problems when it rains.

So, the new one he completed, he told me yesterday that it was God and me who made him complete the house. So he wants me to come and commission the borehole he did for people around there. He said he tagged it ‘Afod made this possible.’

Some of these actors are renovating their houses. They are sending me videos. Some of them who are not feeling well have gone to the hospital. So many things have shaped me in the space of three months—so many things.

PT: Have you noticed any changes or improvements in the lives or careers of these veteran actors and actresses after your visits?

Afod: As I’m talking to you, Amina Eleha, one of the first females I visited, has been calling her back on set, like back to back. She has been working ever since the video I posted, and some of them, like Iya Niwe, have also been on set several times. For some of them, their health is now bouncing back.

So, positive response, positive impact. I saw some of the actors, like Dende Lawori, whom I visited before travelling, yesterday, and he told me that all the Awori indigenes, home and abroad, are now calling him for events, calling him to come anchor. When I shot his video, I made it compulsory because he is the ambassador for the Awori people.

He speaks their language, acts, and lives in Awori land. He’s an Awori indigene. Now, he is so happy that his people have embraced him fully—so many. As I speak, Iya Ologi is currently playing a lead role on a set in Ikorodu.

PT: We watched a video where a veteran actor said that producers no longer invite them for movie roles. What are your plans or steps regarding this?

Afod: I will cite two different proverbs for you right now. “We’re all visitors on this earth, and no one will stay forever, and The dog of this time knows the rabbit of this time.” Those who were playing football then were not the ones playing it now, and what can we do to bring them back? There’s nothing. The younger ones are now coming into the door.

Now, it is a different ball game for us actors. There is no age limit for acting. A newborn baby can act, while a significantly older adult can act. Now, this is it. First and foremost, I will use this opportunity to express what I feel is wrong.

First and foremost, the younger generation that is up and coming now doesn’t even know most of these people. Some had not been born yet, and these people had stopped acting.

So, somebody you don’t know, how would you call the person for work? If you ask a boy 10-15 years old who Daddy Fresh is, they might not know him. Now imagine these people who have been acting even before Daddy Fresh, who was a musician.

What I am taking as a challenge is that my generation, conversant with these elderly ones and knows the younger ones, should let us merge them. That is why I’m making it public when I post them now. Please start calling them back for jobs.

That is one; secondly, most older adults fear risk, and you cannot do business if you are so scared of risk. If you know you are in filmmaking in Nigeria, the Nigeria system, or the Yoruba movie system, you will have issues if you are not yet a producer or you are not close to a producer.

There’s no time that you will not be left alone or left out. When they see money too, or when their children can gather money to produce, they should. They can also be active producers. Iya Ereko is an active producer. She makes two to three movies yearly, so she has not been forgotten.

They should also try to face the risk. We are constantly facing the risk. That is why they can return to us and thank us for helping them. If we, too, cannot take the risk, there will be no intermediary between the younger and the older ones. As for the association, I will not talk about it because it’s a different ballgame.

PT: How do you hope to bring them back into the limelight?

Afod: They should face the risk because, in business, everything involves risk. That is very good; they have to face the risk. It’s a must.

PT: How important is it to recognise and honour the contributions of veteran actors and actresses in the industry?

Afod: We must take this out to the corporate bodies. We must take this out to well-wishers, fans, and people who appreciate us. Whenever we come up with any concept so that we can recognise and enjoy it, they should please support us.

Then, the government should try its little way to honour them like the federal government always does. They give them the Order of the Niger (OON) and so forth. So, some of them can also be recognised as such. If the federal government is doing it from the federal level, let the states also do it from the state level.

Let the local government also do it from the local level. Presently, I am engaging with the Osun State government, and I will also move to the Oyo State government to please do something to support these elderly ones.

PT: Can you tell us about any specific individuals you’ve visited and their reactions to your gesture?

Afod: My brother, there are over 50, so I can’t start mentioning names. There are over 50 because I raised over 1 million for 47, even when I travelled abroad.

So, I am still doing it. I returned yesterday morning and still visited about 5-6 people. Let’s stop counting, and let’s thank God.

PT: What challenges have you encountered in your efforts to support and uplift older actors and actresses?

Afod: One of the challenges I encountered was this: I heard that one of these elderly individuals was very sick, and at that moment, I was also very broke. So, I was raising money for my tickets because I wanted to travel to get some things done.

I told them that when I got back, I would visit him. Unfortunately, while I was abroad, somebody sent me a message that he went to visit a friend in the hospital and met that same elderly person, Baba Ogunjimi, who was very sick.

I told him that whoever was with Baba Ogunjimi should give the person my phone number, and I sent my phone number to him. He gave his son my phone number, and he called me. I did a video call with him and saw Baba’s condition. Immediately, I started running around and sent money to him the following day, but he died on the third day.

It was so painful. I now feel so uncomfortable, so bad, as if I should have given him the money for my tickets; maybe he might still be alive now, but God knows best. Sometimes, you know, our normal movement, area boys, and so forth, when you go to their houses, people will disturb you, even to the extent of some of their families. We want some money for them too. But that is part of our life.

PT: Are there any plans or initiatives to continue supporting veteran actors and actresses in the future?

Afod: When I started the Proverb Challenge, some people contacted me saying they liked the concept. Some of them gave me something and specifically told me to give it to the elderly ones. So, others can emulate me, but for me, this is something I have been doing for a very long time. It’s not just me; a couple of us are doing it. Some of them might prefer to keep it private.

I didn’t publicise it until some backlash last year when I celebrated my birthday. I read a lot of comments, and some people were saying, ‘You won’t take care of your elders’, but we have been doing this without making any noise.

So, I decided to show the world that this is not something we don’t do. We have been doing it for a very long time. So, nothing is stopping me. So far, I still breathe. So far, I still live. I will do the best I can.

PT: With your focus on these actors and actresses now, would it affect your acting career?

Afod: Let me tell you something about acting: You can never be there forever, and that’s one. Proverb Challenge: is it not part of acting, and don’t you see me on your screen daily? Was it affecting me?

When I want to shoot, I shoot. I invited some of the actors I visited on set as well, and I’ll still ask some of them soon because many people are telling me to bring them back.

Initially, I didn’t want to do a movie involving all of them because some people would still say that was why I would see them or because I wanted to use them.

PT: How do you see your role evolving in advocating for the welfare and recognition of older industry members?

Afod: I thank God for it. There’s nothing to see about it; it’s natural. This is something we should be doing every day. So, do I need a placard for it? No.

PT: It’ll not be complete without mentioning ‘the proverbs challenges’; tell us about it.

Afod: Recently, I opened my studio, Kunle Aford TV Studio, where I will be hosting the Proverb Challenge on a more extensive and enhanced scale. It is now called Ile-imo (home of wisdom).

Ile-imo has four segments. Segment one is the Proverb Challenge, segment two is “Momo” (I know it), segment three is “Eja-jeun” (Let’s eat), and the fourth segment is “Emugegi” (pick). “Momo” means, I know it. So, it’s a question-and-answer segment where we ask some Yoruba questions, and they answer intelligently.

People will learn; it’s educational and entertaining, like the Proverb Challenge. “Eja-jeun” is like, we all know, after a lot of Proverb Challenge stress, after a lot of “Momo” stress, less relaxed. It will be a more entertaining, educative, and informative program that will now be subtitled. It will be a seasonal program because I’ll select an overall winner for every season.

It will be like a Champions League draw where the winners will continue to compete, eventually leading to an overall winner.

PT: It is very rare to see a Yoruba actor come out and seek financial help for their health. What do you think is the change or difference in this aspect?

Afod: They seek financial assistance; let’s not lie.

PT: How do you think young actors can prevent this for themselves in the future?

Afod: That’s just the simple answer: insurance.

PT: Most of your colleagues are crossover actors. I mean, they act in Nollywood and other places. Are you considering crossing over, or have you already?

Afod: I’ve been doing a series of English movies for a very long time, so don’t worry, you’ll get to see me more.

PT: Would you prefer to be called a filmmaker or an actor?

Afod: I’m a movie maker.

PT: What is your most cherished movie?

Afod: I have so many. I don’t have the most cherished because someone uncomfortable with his job will say, ‘I have this as a particular.

PT: What are your final words?

Afod: I have specific advice I give to everybody now that they should stay out of drugs, they should stay out of gambling.