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By Agatha Emeadi
Mr Emeka Rollas Ejezie has brought vision, dynamism and clear position to the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) that he is leading as national president. Indeed, his tenure has injected peace into the Guild.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, Emeka Rollas as he is popularly called opened up on the benefits of being a registered AGN member.
He also addressed several issues that concern acting, such as actors’ use of the social media platforms, skit-makers and content creators, among others.
As AGN national president on 2nd term in office, are there laid down initiatives for the association?
Apart from other internal initiatives, for the first time, AGN has announced its upcoming international festival billed to hold in Miami, Florida, United States of America from November 9-11, 2023. The festival will afford the industry the opportunity to network, learn from each other and engage with their fans and Hollywood counterparts. This came up for us in the executive because we are looking for ways to promote what we are doing here in Nigeria, just like presidents of other countries exchange visits for bilateral talk. It is important for an average actor in Nigeria to ensure that we have steady growth system. In the last 25 years, the ratio of our growth has not been encouraging, rather rolling round the same system clamouring for better pay and people who are supposed to pay are the ones cheating on us. Even when foreigners come and we negotiate contracts with them, the same cheating continues to happen. I, therefore, thought it wise to make a move that will push us higher and stop losing. We, therefore, needed to initiate a programme that will allow us to have physical interaction and collaboration that will raise us as fellow guild and profile like-mind. Since AGN is affiliated with the Federation of International Actors and the Screen Actors Guild of America is also co-affiliated with the same federation. We need to move out and affiliate with others. We are not laid back. After all, we make blockbusters movies for cinemas.
AGN is a body that involves all Nigerian actors. When members are down with ailment, they solicit funds through the social media. Against the background of recent deaths of actors, does it mean that AGN does not cater for her own?
I would have loved to say that what you are saying today had happened in the last two or three years because recently, we have been able to institute health insurance scheme which exists all over the world, including members in the guild. Wherever this is applied, it is pay and get. If you do not pay, you do not get. As big as AGN is, it is not a charity organization. So, we have introduced health insurance schemes and also have on-the-spot accident insurance which is keyed into the identity of members. Now, if an actor injures on set, we have the medical insurance for them. Most of those people who come to the platform to solicit funds are non-conformist in the Guild, or actors who are acting without belonging to anywhere. Then when they fall sick, they go to the social media and start soliciting funds. But when the records are checked, one discovers that in their many years of acting, they do not belong to any group. Even with opposition, people still join the organization, but a conformist will not. We cater for members and not all actors. If you want us to cater for you when the chips are down, come and be part of what we are doing. Take Catholics, for example, if a member dies, before the burial, an update about his commitment and financial standing must be clarified before the church as a body gets involved. But at the end of the day, we have out of broad mindedness shown support for non-members just because we don’t want our name out there. In the last three years, we have raised over N8 million internally to help our sick colleagues. We have had occasions where we stepped in to rescue ailing members, but we cannot continue to do so because that act of charity is not encouraging. Actors should belong to the Guild. When something happens to these non-players, their families would write a long letter seeking for support. These are some of the internal issues we have as an association. We have created a by-law, set up Code of Ethics and Conduct Committee to cushion some of these issues. Our next target would be to address the incessant way some of us spread their dirty linen on social media platforms and in the public when they have issues with one another. They use the medium to say unprintable things. We have also set up committees to look into such attitude. Again, the ones who call themselves skit-makers and content creators are all over the place. They are neither here nor there, but when something happens to them tomorrow, they would claim membership. Even though producers use them, that does not make them our members except they meet the necessary requirement.
When life challenges get tough on some actors later in their lives, who might not understand the structure of the Guild, they call on their colleagues who dole out millions of naira to other ventures, while their colleague is dying. How do people get the awareness that there is a Guild which serves as an umbrella to shield all?
We do not have to go into much argument, there is a standing rule in the Guild. Like most organizations, we have IBTC Pension scheme which a member ought to join and it is pay as you go. If after 20 years, you fall sick and the support is not forthcoming, people will ask why you did not plan your life during your young age very well. For example, if I did not train my children to take care of me during my old age. When I turn 70 and dying without care, it means I have children, yet do not. We must do the necessary things at the right time. I also wish to state that acting is not an all-comers activity; just like the way some reality TV stars like Big Brother Naija (BBN) gets straight to acting without any affiliation, no understanding while some of the veterans grew from the theatre to the screen; but some of these people just come from their BBN and producers start using them for acting. I don’t understand it. For the fact that producers are using them does not make them AGN members.
Is there a template or education for acting?
Yes, the acting profession, especially the screen acting has to do with the talent. If one has the talent but located in the remote part of the village, the person could be showcased. It is when one comes onboard knowing that the producer is a businessman who can use any good actor he sees, then the actor sits up. When you start working, then we come to the set to ask questions, who are these? Are they members of the Guild, look out for this, watch out for this and that is it. Gradually, they will begin to perform. I am trying to lay down a foundation which wasn’t there before I assumed office.
Before you emerged as the president, there were AGN factions. How have you been able to resolve some of those issues? What do you plan to achieve at the end of your tenure?
Well, by the time I will leave office, I expect to have stabilised the organisational and operating structure that we have built. Some of these programmes will also outlive us, because once we are able to do the first edition, second edition will naturally fall into place. Then, when another president takes over the baton, he will continue the progress. If we have a supporter this year, by the next year, we will have more supporters. It is easier to use our commitment of the first year and beg for year two. It is a structure. I have created a disciplinary structure where we have the disciplinary committee to discipline an actor or suspend when they err. The members of this committee are not people they can talk to anyhow, they are far more senior colleagues in the industry that have been there and are greatly accomplished. When you have such people at the helm of affairs in charge of disciplinary committees, one knows that the structure must stand. When structures like national secretariat are left, it is difficult for another president to come and destroy it. Instead, the person would step it up and open a financial source whereby they must not depend on the AGN contribution. We have a transport company, which consists of 10 Toyota Sienna vehicles for the transport business. All of these things are the ways to lift the industry as a structure.
What was your first film in the industry?
As an actor, the very first film where I featured was ‘Hilda, The Mighty Woman’ in 1997/98. Then I was in Onitsha where I was casted from, but I came Lagos to shoot the film.
What got you interested in the entertainment industry?
Actually, I read Mass Communication at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Anambra State. While I was a student, I had an entertainment club called ‘Attraction Club’ which I set up in school; I had people running it. People were already doing shows, so by the time I left school, I was already savvy for the entertainment world. But I did not plan to start acting, it was someone else who drew my attention to that; and for me when I started, it was good. So, gradually, I saw the gap and needed to bridge it through acting as well. I joined the executive members first and became the Anambra State Vice Chairman of AGN, when it was called Nigeria Actors Guild and later came to Lagos and became the PRO of the state and from there, became the National Secretary and then the National President. For me, I want to use the idea and bring members together; it is a bit difficult to manage actors. I took time to clearly communicate the conviction that we must all be together. You must also give it to us that in the last two or three years, everybody now wants to be an actor, strong faces want to be with the Guild, committees are set up, people want to work because they have seen a leadership direction and they want to key into it.
How did you get to stardom?
I got to stardom through various acting. For me, as a Christian, I do not see stardom as a focal point. The focal point is the value I would add to the environment I belong to. I want to be remembered through the values I added not necessarily the stardom. Some of us were stars as students; some of the things we did while in school are still there; So, some of us who had starved as students, had opportunity to do different things as students, when we came into the industry, stardom was not our focal point at all.
In the past, parents didn’t like acting, they preferred professional courses like medicine, law, engineering, etc. How did your father feel when you chose acting?
My father was late before I took the decision; so, my case wasn’t like what your father said. But my mother, who of course, we grew averagely together did not see anything wrong so long as I would convince her that I was going to play the game. As a young person, I was a commander of opinion even as a child; my mother knew what I could do outside; so I was not that child that could be led astray by others. She will tell you: “My son, I know you will not do this one.” So, it helped me as a person. When I take a decision and come home, my mother knows I have taken the decisions for the right reason. So, it was not an issue.
What advice do you have for the upcoming actors in the industry?
I would advise the upcoming actors to first of all create a unique selling point for themselves. Most of them do not know the industry they are going into, and because of that they are missing the point. I will tell them that before they jump the gun, study what you want to do. How do I want to navigate it and get the best out of it is the question. Study to show yourself approved; read through the Internet, study it and be abreast with the information. Get yourself together and things will fall into pleasant places.
Share your experience in the industry, the high and low points?
The industry has been very helpful, if one decides to be with it and stick with it, it is one’s choice. If you pursue it vigorously, you must enjoy what you have done. The only thing that I regret is that the industry has no entry and exit point. So, even when you decide to have a mentor, that your mentor may not live up to expectation, so it makes you lose interest through the mentor. For me, it was a no-no where you cannot see people you can really believe in. Sometimes, someone you are looking up to can just disappoint you suddenly; maybe show some attitude that will make you regret it. In the industry, you have to live by yourself, grow by yourself and put yourself together.
Are other members of your family interested in acting and the entertainment industry?
I have told my children that they will not be involved in entertainment until they grow and take it as a decision. My first daughter is over 18 years, studying Law because she wants to be a lawyer. Then if she wants to go into entertainment, she will grow into it and make a decision. I will not lure them into it because I am here already. No, my other siblings are in other fields.
