| ‘I ONCE CHASED A PRODUCER ON OKADA, SO SHE WOULD AUDITION ME!’ – Ime Bishop Umoh. |
| Written by Bola Aduwo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 13 April 2011 08:53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BISHOP: I get that all the time! Some even say my lines back to me [from Uyai].
BISHOP: Yes but in a few, locally produced productions in my state, Akwa Ibom and in a soap by Ebele Okaro but ‘Uyai’ was my first major home video. BA: Uyai was acted in Ibibio language, right? BISHOP: Yes but its subtitled. BA: What is it about, briefly? BISHOP: Its about a man that goes on a journey and is believed to have had an accident and everyone including his family believes he is dead. Only for him to appear and everyone starts running away. BA: And what was your role there? BISHOP: I was the gateman that opened the gate and saw him initially. BA: I can imagine your reaction! (laughter). Were you supposed to be so funny? BISHOP: Nigerian filmmakers are fond of stereotyping gateman, stewards, househelps and making them comic. In this production, I wasn't given a script. The person initially penciled down had the script and didn’t show up at the last moment. I was the second choice so I had to prove to the producers that they didn’t make a mistake when choosing me. On the first take, the crew including the camera man laughed so hard they forgot to record! BA: (Laughter) Are you usually that funny? BISHOP: My dear, I had to prove myself because I had been through so much to get to that set that day? BA: Really? What did you go through? BISHOP: Are you sure you want to know? BA: Everyone has a story to their glory… let’s hear yours. BISHOP: Well, I was in the barber’s shop cutting my hair when I heard Emem Isong was in Uyo conducting an audition for a film to be shot in our language, Ibibio. That was one of the greatest pieces of news I had ever heard. The feeling of excitement and anticipation that welled up in me was something else. I knew I was on the threshold of something great so I ran out of the barber’s shop with my hair half cut! (General laughter). BA: Seriously? BISHOP: Yes! I am very serious. BA: Then what? BISHOP: I got to the venue of the audition and waited like everyone else but when it got to my turn to be called in, the person calling people in took one look at me and said, 'You! You are too short and small for the role. Stand back! Next!' BA: Youre kidding?
BISHOP: I assure you, I am not! BA: Then what? BISHOP: Well, I felt very bad! Crushed infact, but I refused to give up. I refused to leave the vicinity because I had that conviction that if Emem could just see and listen to me act, I would get the role. I waited till the whole audition was over and they had packed all their things. I waited across the road on an okada (motorbike taxi) until I saw Emem enter her car and drive to her hotel. I followed her behind to see where she was entering then I dashed home, got the video cd of my last job and rushed back to the hotel and asked for her at the reception. BA: You’re kidding right? BISHOP: I assure you, I am not. I was very determined to see her. I just wanted to show her what I can do. BA: Go on! I want to see where your ‘act of faith’ led you to? BISHOP: I gave her the cd but alas there was no dvd player in her room to watch it so off I dashed to my house on the okada, to unplug my player for her to watch. By then it was raining. BA: (Laughing) I hope your dvd didn’t get spoilt. So did she watch it? BISHOP: In my excitement and hurry, I forgot the cable that connects the dvd to the TV so she still didn’t watch it! BA: oh, come on! Then what? BISHOP: Well, I just committed everything to God and went back to finish cutting my hair. The next day, I got a call! It was from the same guy that told me the day before that I was too small and short for the role. He said Emem was looking for me to play the role of the gateman because the original actor did not show up. I knew God had answered my prayers and made a way for me. BA: So how was the role? BISHOP: I had just four scenes; the first scene was when the ghost came home to see his family for the first time, After I acted the entire crew laughed so hard they didn’t record it! So it was just three scenes of my scenes that ended up in the movie. By the time I finished the remaining scenes, Emem took my number and said she would be keeping me in mind for future productions. Since then I have acted in “Edikan”, “Nollywood Hustlers”, “Bursting Out” “Catwalq (a soap) ‘Uduakobong’, and a new one coming out, ‘Okon Lagos’ as well as several other productions. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. But when people see me, they remember me more for ‘Uyai’ in which I had just three scenes. It shows there is nothing like small roles but small actors. BA: So what’s the next production we should expect you in? BISHOP: Expect me in a film called ‘Okon Lagos’. Its about a local hunter who comes from Akwa Ibom State to make it by all means in Lagos. He faces a lot of travails that one faces just coming to the big city. It really is quite entertaining.
BISHOP: Im not bothered at all! Why should I be? And Im a graduate of Philosophy. BA; Why do people call you, ‘Bishop?’ BISHOP: My real name is Ime Umoh but Bishop was a name I acquired as a child. I was told to pray at the school assembly. I ended up praying for almost one hour; thank God for the teachers, our parents, the pencils, desks etc (General laughter) the microphone had to be collected from me. Since then all the teachers and students started calling me ‘Bishop’ till today. BA: How old were you? BISHOP; I think about 4 years old. BA: You really are very funny. BISHOP: Believe me it wasn’t intentional. BA: Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with me. BISHOP: Thank you for having me. N/B: ‘Look out for Ime Bishop Umoh’s latest film ‘Okon Lagos’ coming to a store near you. The film also stars Monalisa Chinda and Moses Armstrong. It was directed by Desmond Elliot, written & produced by Uduak I. Oguamanam. Check out the website www.okonlagos.com for more info and pics. See trailer ">
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 April 2011 19:16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The name may seem unfamiliar to you but when you mention ‘Cafenol’ in the Ibibio language film, ‘Uyai’ then you remember him immediately, but to the uninitiated, welcome to the world of Ime ‘Bishop’ Umoh, the funniest man to come out of Akwa Ibom since ‘Giringori’ of ‘New Masquerade’ but even he (James Iroha) wasn’t from there! Bola Aduwo of Nollywooduncut was fortunate to catch up with the comedian/actor on the set of his new project, ‘Okon Lagos’ and he had quite an side to reveal. Enjoy!
BA: Had you acted before then?
BA: Do you get bothered when you have to play roles like house-boy, gateman, hunter etc? You are graduate aren’t you?
