Actor, model and winner of Gulder Ultimate Search season 8, Chris Okagbue, shares his experience in the movie industry with KORE OGIDAN
- How has the movie industry treated you so far?
- How different has the experience in the beginning been from your experience now?
- What challenges did you face in the beginning and which ones are you battling with now?
- When did you realise you wanted to be a professional actor?
- How would you describe your experience in Gulder Ultimate Search?
- What can you recall of your childhood?
- Considering that you’re from a royal family, what was your parents’ reaction when you told them you were going into showbiz?
How has the movie industry treated you so far?
How different has the experience in the beginning been from your experience now?
There are many differences but what stands out is the level of commitment I had starting out and that which I have now. I started acting in 2007 and it was something that had happened coincidentally. I didn’t plan to be an actor. Because of this, I didn’t take the craft very seriously. When I eventually started taking the profession more seriously, I became very committed to it. I believe that whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. If I won’t give something my all, I won’t bother doing it at all. I am now always willing to put in the work, time and effort to ensure that whatever project I’m working on comes out amazing.
What challenges did you face in the beginning and which ones are you battling with now?
Before I started acting, I was already in showbiz. I had become a model in 2004 when I was 17 years old. I was acclimatised to the camera and lights. The difference between being on a production set and being on a film set is the timing. Modelling took a tiny percentage of time compared to acting. It took me a while to get used to the timing difference of movie productions. Now, I’m comfortable with the amount of hours and days I have to work as an actor and I do it without complaining.
When did you realise you wanted to be a professional actor?
Between 2007 (when I started) and 2011, I didn’t do much because I didn’t care too much for the profession. By the beginning of 2012, just as the Gulder Ultimate Search competition I had partook in ended, I got a role in Africa Magic’s Tinsel. Winning Gulder Ultimate Search and featuring in Tinsel put me on a higher pedestal for the world to see me and recognise my potential as a great actor. I then started doing more as an actor and started committing more to the craft. By this time, I had become passionate about acting and was keen to explore the art.
How would you describe your experience in Gulder Ultimate Search?
Before partaking in the competition, I had seen about two seasons of the show and was not a big fan of it. However, my best friend had an interest and he registered the two of us for it in 2010 but we didn’t get past the screening process. I am athletic and adventurous and I became fascinated by the activities I had seen the contestants engage in; so, I tried my luck again in 2011 and made it into the jungle. I didn’t think I would win but I was curious to see how far I could go. I still can’t explain how it feels to be the winner of the competition. I went into the show out of curiosity and I had an amazing time. Sometimes, I miss it.
What can you recall of your childhood?
I am from a royal family in Onitsha, Anambra State. My father, of blessed memory, was the Obi of Onitsha before the current one took over. I have an elder sister, a twin brother and three younger sisters. I grew up in a large home and I am very family oriented. I used to visit Lagos with my family during the holidays but we moved to the aquatic city in 2004 and I got into showbiz that same year. Although my dad was a king, I didn’t grow up as a spoilt kid. Even as a child, I had the ambition of being in the entertainment industry; not particularly as an actor though. I shuffled a lot between the eastern part of the country and Lagos for my elementary and secondary education. I graduated from the University of Lagos with a degree in Sociology.
Considering that you’re from a royal family, what was your parents’ reaction when you told them you were going into showbiz?
My father had passed on before I got into the industry but if he were alive, he might not have encouraged that as a career path for me. My mum has always been supportive and she always knew that I would venture into a field that would take me to the limelight. She never had a problem with my decision. It may also be because my sister was a model before me and she introduced me to the job. My mother watches every project I am on and she’s always the first to congratulate me whenever I win an award. She is my biggest fan.
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