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| Victor Olaotan |
Veteran thespian and Tinsel star, Victor Olaotan in this candid chat poured out his heart on so many personal issues, especially the pains and regrets of being an actor.
We would like to meet you sir?
My name is Victor Olaotun. I am an actor, I work for MNet and act in Tinsel.
How long have you been acting?
Well I got my script work in 1969. And I did the first ever Nigeria Television movies; Candle in the Wind, by Laolu Oguniyi in 1974.
Comparing movies of those years and now, what would you say are the differences?
Well, definitely I can tell you the quality of performance has dropped a little, but the technology is awesome. We are moving out to places globally. And I hope one day Nigeria will do a movie that will be distributed around the world, especially Hollywood because of its quality.
What do you think could be done to aid the up-coming ones aiming to reach the height of their careers?
Well, we need to have reputable professional acting schools. Like accredited schools in acting, performance and directing. Right now it is the universities that are doing the work for the professional companies. We don't really have reputable professional companies in Nigeria. And we need to have them, like the one they have in England; Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Those are reputable schools, and we don't have any in Nigeria. So we need people who are legendary in academics to try to have establishments in professional school before they all die young.
What inspired your going into the entertainment industry?
I am a very energetic and versatile individual. I have done a lot of films as a child. I was a swimmer, I used to play football. I was a professional football player. All that attributed to my being adventurous. The first time I got a script of professionalism was in 1969. I was a young man; I played a role in Ola Rotimi's ‘The gods are not blame’. And I saw professionalism at work, and from that time, I knew that is something I would like to do, but it didn't really happen as I did not get my break until 1974 when I did ‘Candle in the Wind’ by Olaolu Oguniyi. Then I went to University of Ibadan Theatre Arts drama school. I majored in acting speech and movement. I did a six month course. I left there and joined a professional group called the Uni-Ibadan mark; a performing company of university of Ibadan Theatre Arts department. Wole Soyinka went to Ife and some of us followed him. I finished my schooling in Ife and became producer cum director at NTA Ibadan.
As an experienced and passionate entertainer, are you kids taking after you?
I guess some of them will. Because they are showing signs already but because of the hectic schedule we have in Nigeria in terms of performance and low income, I have not really put them to work.
My name is Victor Olaotun. I am an actor, I work for MNet and act in Tinsel.
How long have you been acting?
Well I got my script work in 1969. And I did the first ever Nigeria Television movies; Candle in the Wind, by Laolu Oguniyi in 1974.
Comparing movies of those years and now, what would you say are the differences?
Well, definitely I can tell you the quality of performance has dropped a little, but the technology is awesome. We are moving out to places globally. And I hope one day Nigeria will do a movie that will be distributed around the world, especially Hollywood because of its quality.
What do you think could be done to aid the up-coming ones aiming to reach the height of their careers?
Well, we need to have reputable professional acting schools. Like accredited schools in acting, performance and directing. Right now it is the universities that are doing the work for the professional companies. We don't really have reputable professional companies in Nigeria. And we need to have them, like the one they have in England; Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Those are reputable schools, and we don't have any in Nigeria. So we need people who are legendary in academics to try to have establishments in professional school before they all die young.
What inspired your going into the entertainment industry?
I am a very energetic and versatile individual. I have done a lot of films as a child. I was a swimmer, I used to play football. I was a professional football player. All that attributed to my being adventurous. The first time I got a script of professionalism was in 1969. I was a young man; I played a role in Ola Rotimi's ‘The gods are not blame’. And I saw professionalism at work, and from that time, I knew that is something I would like to do, but it didn't really happen as I did not get my break until 1974 when I did ‘Candle in the Wind’ by Olaolu Oguniyi. Then I went to University of Ibadan Theatre Arts drama school. I majored in acting speech and movement. I did a six month course. I left there and joined a professional group called the Uni-Ibadan mark; a performing company of university of Ibadan Theatre Arts department. Wole Soyinka went to Ife and some of us followed him. I finished my schooling in Ife and became producer cum director at NTA Ibadan.
As an experienced and passionate entertainer, are you kids taking after you?
I guess some of them will. Because they are showing signs already but because of the hectic schedule we have in Nigeria in terms of performance and low income, I have not really put them to work.
In Nigerian
system, you spent hours working, taking your children to rehearsals and
interviews, yet nothing comes out of it. My wife cannot stand that. But
my children are very talented.
But are you encouraging them to at least try something?
Well, when we are coming up it wasn't like that. It was easy, if you are a talented young kid, you will have somebody to take you there and bring you back. These days they want you to make your way there and in the end they pay you peanut. And I am not ready for that I will prepare them for a better platform in the nearest future.
Are you saying you earn peanuts even at this stage?
I am talking about the industry generally. We earn peanuts; people like us are supposed to own helicopter and private jet by now but we are not. People who are doing same job with us in civililised worlds are living just fine, but we down here in Nigerian can hardly buy brand new cars because the industry is not there yet.
Tinsel seems to be the talk of town, what makes the soap special and darling of Nigerians?
Well, I will say I am very privileged to be on Tinsel. And I thank God that Tinsel happened, and I also thank MNet for spending their money and time in Nigeria to bring such a break through. Some people don't even consider Tinsel as a Nigerian programme, but I can be frank with you Tinsel is Nollywood. Because it is made up of all Nigerian cast and crew. We have just few foreigners’ among us and most of them have left.
Well, when we are coming up it wasn't like that. It was easy, if you are a talented young kid, you will have somebody to take you there and bring you back. These days they want you to make your way there and in the end they pay you peanut. And I am not ready for that I will prepare them for a better platform in the nearest future.
Are you saying you earn peanuts even at this stage?
I am talking about the industry generally. We earn peanuts; people like us are supposed to own helicopter and private jet by now but we are not. People who are doing same job with us in civililised worlds are living just fine, but we down here in Nigerian can hardly buy brand new cars because the industry is not there yet.
Tinsel seems to be the talk of town, what makes the soap special and darling of Nigerians?
Well, I will say I am very privileged to be on Tinsel. And I thank God that Tinsel happened, and I also thank MNet for spending their money and time in Nigeria to bring such a break through. Some people don't even consider Tinsel as a Nigerian programme, but I can be frank with you Tinsel is Nollywood. Because it is made up of all Nigerian cast and crew. We have just few foreigners’ among us and most of them have left.
So Tinsel is
hundred percent Nigeria, from the writer to the crew members. It is part of
Nollywood. But somehow people are scared to compare their production team with
Tinsel because, if they do, it would be an undue advantage. There will be
nothing to compete with so I guess that is why we are at the top and
unbeatable.
As a veteran, what is your advice for the up and coming actors?
I will tell all up and coming actors who see the glamour and all the excitement on TV not to lose focus but try and be well trained. The confident in being a trained actor is so incomparable. The sky is your limit.
Where are from?
I am a Lagosian. I was born and raised in Lafiaji here in Lagos.
Would you leave Tinsel, for any other project?
Well, I can’t die on Tinsel. At a time some of us will move on, maybe if Tinsel continues some people will be there. But for now we are still there, but if we eventually leave Tinsel believe me it is for better.
As a veteran, what is your advice for the up and coming actors?
I will tell all up and coming actors who see the glamour and all the excitement on TV not to lose focus but try and be well trained. The confident in being a trained actor is so incomparable. The sky is your limit.
Where are from?
I am a Lagosian. I was born and raised in Lafiaji here in Lagos.
Would you leave Tinsel, for any other project?
Well, I can’t die on Tinsel. At a time some of us will move on, maybe if Tinsel continues some people will be there. But for now we are still there, but if we eventually leave Tinsel believe me it is for better.
By RITA OKOYE and KATE USUANI
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