Oyekunle Opeyemi Oluwaremi better known as Kunle Remi, Nollywood’s heartthrob, has cemented his status as a versatile actor, effortlessly shifting between diverse roles.
In his interview with The Sun Kunle Remi opens up about his journey, the challenges he’s faced, and his dreams for the Nigerian film industry. He also spoke about his wife, Tiwi being his biggest fan and honest critic. He noted that he takes however, it made him more selective.
How has Kunle’s life evolved from being single to married?
I am still the same Kunle Remi. Those who are close to me know; I am still the ever interesting and fun guy to be with. I am currently enjoying everything that comes with the union, I am lucky I did the forever thing with a woman I love, adore and cherish so much. She is the absolute love of my life and my complete vibe checker at all times. Being married has made me a whole lot more responsible because I am a family-oriented person.
Would you say being married changed the type of roles you can play in movies now?
My wife is the number one supporter of my craft and my biggest fan and critic, so to speak. Then being married has not hindered the kind of roles I play, but it has also made me a responsible man. I now know when to reject roles that do not speak of the morals I value. But marriage cannot always deny me the love for my craft.
What are your thoughts on Nollywood and what are you not happy about?
Nollywood is getting better; there are quality good materials that are now coming out. Nollywood needs to take more risks; we need people to believe more in Nollywood if we want the industry to grow. I’m very concerned when I see crew members not being paid regularly. The gap is so much, and they put in so much work; I am talking of the people behind the camera. I want to see a time when people will be proud to say they are working in Nollywood. There’s no amount of money you can put on talents, but there should be a balance. My work is more mental, but these people do more physical work, so even if I’m doing 24 hours on stage and going through pain, they are there. They wake up early and set up while I can still plead to rest for an hour if I’m tired. They don’t have the luxury of resting while shooting films. I don’t like a situation where they are not well paid; it is heartbreaking.
As an actor, you have evolved over the years; what was the turning point for you as you transitioned from being the winner of a reality show to an actor?
It wasn’t easy. Before I started acting, I had to prove to myself that I could do it, not just to the world but to myself. I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker. The reality show I went for had nothing to do with acting. It was a platform that just put me out there and after that, I felt that what next. It was not just after I finished the show that I started acting; I went through the training process, though I did a few things before I went to school. Each job I got, I made sure I did it well and I gave it everything I had so that I could get a referral for it. It’s been referral after referral, and people can stick out their necks for you if they know that you will deliver. I’m still going through the process.
Will it be right to say that your look is the reason you are getting more lover-boy roles?
Yes. My looks and appearance helped me at the end of the day. One of my colleagues once said that he wished he was fine like me, but I said, ‘No, that’s not the point.’ So many handsome people are not actors, while there are people that you will not consider as handsome but are super talented. It is way beyond good looks. I was fighting with the fact that I was not just getting roles because of my looks and not the fact that I could portray them well. Let the looks just be an added advantage. I’m ready to go hideous; one of the happiest moments of my life was when Kunle Afolayan said he was going to scrape my beard and I would have tribal marks, but I was still fine. It’s a gift and I embrace it, but I still want to do more without people getting distracted by my looks. People don’t want to take risks. In American films, they can use make-up to make you look hideous or have a certain look.
What is that one mistake that newbies make?
Arriving before they arrive. Even before I started negotiating higher and asking for more money, I was true to myself and I checked where I was. I didn’t think less of myself but I didn’t arrive before I arrived. You want to be a superstar and you haven’t gone through the process. I can’t say I want to be Ramsey Noah because I never wanted to be him. I wanted to grow to a stage where I could have a conversation with him and I’ve gotten there. I’m not RMD but I’m still learning from them. Most newbies want the finer things on the other side quickly, but it’s a process. The most important thing is to focus on growing and understanding yourself and learning. It will get to a point where you will get there by yourself. You will see the shift and embrace it.
As an actor, what will make you reject a role, and what other script qualities do you look out for?
I look out for morals in a script; I look out for lessons, the end products, and the reason for the script. I ask myself, am I just entertaining? Am I portraying pain? Am I telling a story? Do I even learn from this script I just read? There are so many distractions, and so much is going on; I want to preach or teach or show more of family. Kids don’t have a lot of movies to watch, so I tend to do something more educational and inspiring than regular things.
Interview: The Sun
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