Nollywood actor,
Mike Ezurounye is a private person. At his insistence, this interview
is conducted in his car. As we make our way from Anthony to Surulere,
he is spotted by fans that recognise him instantly, causing him to
light up in a shy grin. “That’s the price we have to pay for being in
the limelight. I have lost my privacy,” he says. Over the next 90
minutes, no question is out of bounds, save for his age. “I am old
enough to do what adults do,” he says laughing. He is fresh off the set
of a movie in Abuja where he played a pastor torn between the lust for
the flesh and his spiritual duties.
As he speaks, the
suave actor occasionally stares out the window to wave to yet another
set of fans. Other times he tries to avoid them. Celebrity obviously
has its pain. In his navy blue corduroy blazers atop pair of black
pants Ezurounye is quite dapper. I ask how he handles female fans.
“Maturely,” he quips. The actor also talks about onset romance. “It’s a
job. A lot of people think that when we kiss on set it is real, what
you see is the movie. Trust me, there are so many people behind that
camera… So, nothing can happen”.
Born and raised in
Lagos to disciplinarian parents, the boyish looking actor was exposed
to the klieg lights from a tender age. “I was really an NTA kid. I had
a headmistress, Mrs Njideaka, who was involved with NTA, so I was
always going to the NTA to do variety show, debates such as Kiddies
Junction’, ‘Kiddies Debate’ and lots of other stuff.”
Nollywood Calling
Although he wanted
to become a lawyer, he ended up studying accountancy. Upon graduation,
he worked in a bank and later a shipping firm. The company relocated to
Tanzania when the MD’s best friend became president of that country.
Ezurounye’s first acting opportunity appeared around this time, while
he was torn between moving to Tanzania and quitting the firm. By chance
he met Ruke Amata, who would become his mentor. “I got my first movie
role from Ruke Amata’s recommendation but it never saw the light of
day-it was a series by Zeb Ejiro titled Ultimate Heroes.”
While at school, he
was nicknamed ‘Fair Mike the Recorder’ because of his ability to
imitate colleagues and seniors. “That nickname is one thing I have
going for me which in turn has helped me switch characters. I was
always joking with it but I took my education serious, so it was not
considered a weakness by my parents.” This trait was all he needed to
land his first big role.
“I was on my way to
drop a friend of mine, Songito when I stopped over at a filling station
at Maryland. While mimicking my uncle to my cousin over the phone I was
speaking phonetics, I didn’t know that there was a director -Dickson
Ireogbu – behind me who liked the way I spoke and had a character such
as mine in mind. He asked me if I ever considered acting and that was
where it started.” Ireogbu featured him as a lead actor in ‘Broken
Marriage’. He acted alongside established acts like Pete Edochie (who
reminded him of his late father_ and Chioma Chukwuka-Apkotha.
However, not until
he starred in Critical Decision, where he played a
physically-challenged character alongside A-listers like Richard
Mofe-Damijo, Genevieve Nnaji and Ngozi Ezeonu, did he achieve
mainstream acclaim. Things changed dramatically for him afterwards, and
he found himself on the path of six digit artist fee. He was soon being
touted as a replacement for Ramsey Noah; and quickly consolidated his
big break with appearances in movies like Emotional Blackmail, Bless Me
and Kill the bride.
No easy walk to fame
The road to the top
didn’t come without challenges, which he however says failed to deter
him. “There was this one time I was on set and one of the known stars
came and said ‘hey come here, go call me that guy’. I knew I was older
than that person and she was talking to me because she said it to my
hearing and was pointing at me. All I did was tell the guy seated
beside me to go tell her to come to me if she wanted to talk to me
because I thought that was rude. I do not do that to upcoming actors…
Whenever I have upcomers on set I talk with them and make them
comfortable. I am one person who has a lot of self esteem.”
Worst movie role
In a little over
five years in Nollywood, Ezurounye has featured in no less than 100
movies – but has endured his fair share of bad press. He believes it
comes with the job. “I tell myself that if you are not important, no
one will talk about you. When it is good I am happy; when it is bad, I
say I wish they could understand me. Professionally, we always say that
every form of publicity, either good or bad, is publicity since in some
way it does extend your clientele.”
He says that the
worst thing ever written about him was: “that I had an affair with
someone who I knew for sure I had only seen three times in my life. It
was so sad that someone could just cook up something like that. It just
shows that some people want to get you up inside. They will be like,
how come this guy is just having neat run? So, they just want to taint
you your image a little bit.”
And his most
embarrassing moment? “When a couple of Aruba students on tour in a UK
mall rushed at me and tore my shirt. I was surprised because obviously
they were not Nigerians but I still took it in good stride.” Driven by
the urge to excel, he confesses to watching all his movies by himself
because “I watch to criticise… I take up a lot of challenging scripts
because I feel I am a lot more challenged when I take up roles which
are different from the everyday Mike.” His dream role is “to play an
old man from start to finish.” Unlike many of his colleagues, music is
not on the cards.
Life is good
Despite the
meltdown of the past year, Ezurounye insists business has been good. In
2009, he was made a Globacom ambassador and the face of Malt Guinness.
“I feel great. It shows that the corporate world is watching and
appreciate my craft which is why I try to make it as natural as
possible. I have to do a whole lot more because it comes with a new
sense of responsibility.”
Already he’s
looking at the future. “I want to be a proper brand for Nollywood, a
very big vehicle which has in some way rebranded Nigeria – definitely
Nigeria’s best export to the outside world. [I also want] to be a
positive spokesperson for young [people].”
The ride comes to an end, and it is time to say goodbye. As I step
out of the car, his last words come as advice. “Be a good girl,” he
says, smiling mischievously. As he drives off, some people recognise
him. His words come back to mind; this is merely the price to be paid
for stardom.
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