Tell us something we do not know about your roots.
My roots lie in Ghana. I just love Ghana for the rich history it has and the passion the people have for each other. Back in the 70’s/80’s, Ghana had its dark period which scarred Ghana till date. Due to political downfalls there were three coups attempts to rule Ghana the last one organized by Rawlings.
A lot of people were killed because of the sake of ‘Making a better Ghana’ . It was a horrible time in Ghana, a lot of Ghanaians fled to other countries including my parents. But the thing with Ghana is that after those years the Nation still forgave Rawlings after his horrible mistake. They still see him as on of their own. They never banned him for life. And that’s the thing with Ghanaians, I find them very forgiving people, with passion for one another. Even though we have a rough history, it is always from passion for our brothers and sisters. Sometimes it clashes.
“It is said that the tribe where my dad comes from were seen as very strong people”
Ghana has many royalties , one of them are the Ashanti’s, do you belong to one of these royal kingdoms as well?
Unfortunately, I do not belong to the royalties of the Ashanti. My dad is from Akim Oda and my mom from Ekuapim. It is said that the tribe where my dad comes from were seen as very strong people. They fought the Ashanti’s back in the day. The Akims are very proud people and will do anything to protect each other. I am glad that thought has now spread out throughout Ghana. Protecting each other has become the norm now.
“I saw a representation of me and it did me good”
Did you always wanted to be an actor?
First I thought I was going to be a drummer because I like to play the drums a lot, and I still do in church. But there was something about movies. I liked movies a lot. I went to the theater and saw young black people on the stage. Seeing them on stage made me feel as if I could be there up too! I saw a representation of me and it gave me a good feeling.
So from there on, I signed up for a youth theater group called JongRAST. I had to do some auditions which was a lot of fun but nerve-wracking at the same time. I made it in and from there on my passion for acting became bigger and bigger, and now I don’t want to do anything else.
“They didn’t see any possibilities for me”
Do you get the support you need from your surroundings?
I surely get the support of friends, family and my agent. At first my family was not pleased by the idea that I wanted to become an actor. They did not see any possibilities for me in it. It can be hard for any African parent who gave everything up in their home country for their child to hear that he wants to become an actor. They even tried to stop me from acting and to get a normal job.
But I could not do it. I had to work hard for their approval but now they understand that acting is my great passion and there is no way of stopping me.
You have performed in the confronting realistic series called “Achter gesloten deuren” in the Netherlands. What was this episode about and how was shooting this series?
This was one of my first acting jobs in 2012. Back then it felt very weird and nice at the same time. It was a big deal for me to be shown on television, net5 for that matter! The shoot was not like your regular movie-shoot. It was like shooting a documentary. Everything had to look as realistic as possible. I remember I went to the barber to look as fresh as possible for the shoot *laughs*. It was very nice to have an encounter with the camera and a small crew, for the feeling of it.
Achter gesloten deuren – The story was about 2 young lovebirds who wanted to go a step further in their relationship. The problem was that the girl’s father didn’t trust black people, because of the black people that were always hanging around his lunchroom. He felt intimidated by the boys while they were just hanging there and doing nothing. I was one of those guys, but the father didn’t know I was dating his daughter. Later the father’s lunchroom had been robbed and of course he thought the black people were the ones who did it. All of these problems made it hard for the girl to tell her parents that she was dating a black boy and that I’m the guy who loves to hang out near her father’s lunchroom. So the episode was about how to deal with prejudices and love And also about what the stereotypes has done to the minds of people and who the real victims of that particular stereotype.
“It felt like a door opening into the film world”
There was a movie you did about being a refugee Exit and even had a real chipped tooth to play this role. What did you think of changing your physique for this role?
That thing about my tooth was a very funny but painful moment. We were shooting a fighting scene and I was pushed against the cell door with my face hitting the door hard, whereby I broke my teeth.
The director thought my new look for the role looked fantastic *laughs*. He thought it gave me a raw edge. We shot the movie in 18-20 days, but my shooting days were 14.
Exit even had a grand premiere in the Netherlands, how was this and what do we not know about being on the red carpet.
The premier of Exit was very intimate, the director wanted it that way. He wanted it to be special for the people who came. That made the experience of the movie way more intense. The attention you get on the premiere is crazy. Everybody wants to talk to you and they are giving many compliments, I felt very shy. It can be very overwhelming.
When we heard that the EXIT was nominated for an award for the ‘The best Television Drama‘, that was when things started to get crazy. We went to the Gouden Kalveren (Dutch Oscars) and the red carpet was huge. The press were there, flashing lights everywhere. It was literally what you see in the movies. Lots of interviewers, everybody has their best smoking’s and dresses. And there I was among those people together with my mom *laughs*. It was a major experience we’ll never forget. The movie won the price in the end.
What is the main difference between theater acting and acting on screen for you?
The main difference between theater and film for me is that with theater, you have an audience to connect with. Your energy can’t just stay on the stage with your fellow actor(s). You must fill the whole theater with (stage)presence. Your energy and surroundings must touch everyone to join you with the journey you are going on. Therefor, technique is essential for theater. How you speak, the volume and the volume of your body language should be able to fill a Hall.
With film you do not need to fill a space. But you do have to know where the camera is. You do have to know what kind of shot you are taking. Is it a closeup , A medium or full body shot? That determines how much movement you can permit yourself. You have to know clearly what stage of the script you are in, because unlike with theater, you don’t get to act the story from A to Z.
Different chronology
Most of the time you won’t shoot a movie in a chronologicalway. You might shoot your death scene on your first day or your break-up scene. It is up to you as an actor to get your whole emotional being to that state in a very short time. Therefore, a great research and homework skill is needed.
I love acting as a whole, the thrill of a live audience and to play non-stop. I love to be on a set with a whole crew to make one item to afterward watch it on the big screen. Not only that it is also documented for life!
Check out the trailer of EXIT
