Linda Obasi, Why Is She Here? By Lotanna Adebisi

Linda Obasi, Why Is She Here?

By Lotanna Adebisi

 

Who In the Nigerian Film Industry Has Inspired You?

Mama G. I worked with Patience Ozokwor on a film called Overseas about the fading osu castse system. Her encouragement and wisdom were priceless to me as a producer starting out.

As an actor, her focus blew me away. She often took little seated cat naps whenever she wasn’t on camera. When needed, whether it had been a three-minute nap or one of fifteen minutes, she would snap into the moment like a light switch. Rest, then focus. Rest. Focus. Rest. Repeat. I learned that from Mama G.

Genevieve Nnaji has got “it”, that effortless unteachable presence that people often describe as the camera loving someone. The camera loves her and she comes across as believable on screen.

Sola Sobowale straight-up goosebumps. Her electricity comes through the screen and raises the hairs on the back of your neck. Some of her performances left me wondering if she would survive, if she had anything left to act again, but she does. Talk about giving it your all, emptying oneself for the audience.

There are so many brilliant actors in Nicinema but these actors really inspire me.

 

What Projects Are You Currently Working On?

Guyman is in pre-production. It’s a feature comedy about a returnee who gets scammed by a yahoo boy. That’s not really a funny topic, but Guyman presents it from a unique angle.

The Fufu-Diet is in post-production. It’s a docuseries about nutrition and wellness in Nigeria. I hosted the interviews with doctors, nutritionists, trainers, farmers, herbalists, massage therapists, chefs, spa owners, and more.

A few other projects are on the backburner. I am fortunate to have work. This makes sacrificing reliable income for this unpredictable field more rewarding.

 

What Advice Would You Give to Beginning Actors?

Know why you want to act.

It’s okay to do free work when starting out and on occasion, but don’t make a habit of it. Even if pay is a small token of thanks, acting is a profession and you should be compensated for your time and work.

Study. Train. Learn your craft. Relying on raw talent alone limits the types of roles you can play.

Be careful with the amounts of makeup and photoshop because when you walk into an audition, you need to look like your photos.

 

What do you do to maintain and care for your instrument?

Well, I slip sometimes, but I generally stay active. I’ve always had gym memberships, even if some months, the fees paid have been wasted, I always come back. I’m currently training with a personal fitness instructor at Elite Hybrid in Abuja.

I’m not much of an outdoor jogger, especially not in this desert heat, so I make do with indoor equipment. It’s important to do the moves correctly to avoid injury. Stretching is vital, after warmup and at the end of the workout. As actors, we can’t afford to have any pulled or strained muscles while working.

Yoga has become a lifelong part of caring for my instrument. I was introduced to it at the conservatory and it has stayed with me. I swim. I love the water, in a pool. The ocean terrifies me when there is no land in sight.

Muscle boredom will set in so I try new activities whenever possible; Flamenco, Capoeira, Wing Chun, Pilates, ballet, and so on. I even took a pole dancing class, just once. That was, interesting. We always need to be moving; flexible yet strong. We are actually athletes, in a way.

Besides movement, there’s food. I’ve got a sweet tooth, so I have to be conscious of that. I try as much as possible to get leafy greens and whole grains into this body. If a couple of chocolate martinis happen, I pay for it the next day, detox, and keep it moving.

What we eat affects not just our bodies, but also our minds, our moods, and our spirits. I don’t always exercise all the knowledge I’ve amassed producing The Fufu-Diet, but every day is a brand new beginning, a chance to start again.

 

Why did you come to Nigeria to act?

A better question would be, why did my family leave Nigeria. I yearned for stories about home. Though the word home has become so subjective, I wanted to be a part of stories set in the place I came from.

There is a misconception that my American accent is an asset here. Maybe whenever anyone is casting a news anchor or a clueless returnee, I get recommended, and I’m grateful for any work; but it’s been challenging getting roles as a regular woman facing everyday struggles here in Nigeria, in spite of training in IPA and dialects. Give me a script for a week and I’ll transcribe and memorize it in any accent or language that exists. But Nollywood moves at lightning speed and it’s a rare project that allows much time for character development.

Based on my voice, people assume that I just arrived yesterday with a bag of dollars, no matter how long I’ve been here. For this reason,, I am charged quadruple the regular price for any product or service from shampoo to carpentry. The only time I pay the price everyone else pays is when it is clearly labeled. Haggling is futile.

While I do hear occasional compliments on my intonation or phonetics, mostly from men, the general reaction to my voice has been suspicion, competition, envy, and thinly veiled hatred, mostly from women. Yeah, I said it. Daring to share any of my years of experience as an actor is often perceived as condescending, regardless of how politely the information is passed. “Who is she to come and be teaching us? Why is she even here?”

Nigeria’s entertainment industry is a force to be reckoned with, especially the music sector. There is an explosion of innovative masterpieces from the very place where I was born. There is room for the work of new independent artists to be seen and the demand for foreign content on Netflix and other international platforms seems to be endless.

This is why I’m here.

 

Website: https://lindaobasi.nyc/

IG: @lindaobasi

FB: Linda Obasi

TW: @LindaObasi3

 

Keywords: Linda Obasi, Nicinema, Nollywood, actor, Nigeria, African film, drama, Mama G, Genevieve Nnaji, Sola Sobowale, The Fufu Diet, Guyman, Elite Hybrid, yahoo boys

 

Guyman | Enyi Media

Fufu-Diet-Linda-Obasi

Linda Obasi