Journalism in the service of society

RMD@60: From Okpara Waterside to the World Stage

rmd
“I was named Richard by my elder sister. My dad called me Wedson. Our landlady called me Eyimofe. My grandmother who speaks Itshekiri (I am Urhobo) named me Enagholo. Evans is my baptismal name. And I think somebody else named me Edamayo. My real surname is Williams. Damijo came in through my great grand father. He was a dancer called Edamajo. He used to supply cocoa to the whitemen who could not pronounce his name so they called him Damijo. But what I have done is just to leave it at Richard Eyimofe-Damijo. But a lot people prefer to just leave it simply as RMD”.

TO write on Richard Wedson Eyimofe Enagholo Evans Williams Edamoya Damijo is to unravel the story of a genial personality whose entire life has been a resounding success. It is not mere eulogy but a statement of fact that RMD as the creative fire-brand is widely known and fondly referred to, is an astute businessman-distinguished in Public Relations, outstanding Journalist and Publisher, a Lawyer, Business Consultant, Life Coach, Executive Producer, a loving husband, father, grand father, a worthy ambassador of his state of Delta and an accomplished stage and screen actor who is acknowledged nationally as an actor of presence, authority and total commitment.

Indeed his story is a story of hard work, farsighted-ness and determination to succeed. Welcome to the world of quintessential, magnetic and immensely talented actor of vast credits, who has continued to enjoy super roles on stage and screen and who is regarded as a thespian of outstanding ability.

Born in 1961, July 6 to be precise, in Warri, Delta State to a mother who had a tremendous influence on his life and a father who until his demise in 1990 worked for the Nigerian Ports Authority Warri, the actor’s actor schooled briefly at the Roman Catholic Mission School, Warri and the famous Midwest College. At the wake of the indigenization policy, little Richard was sent to the Anglican Secondary School, Okpara waterside and then to St. Patrick’s College Asaba.

As a young boy growing up in Warri, RMD was the acclaimed ‘king of boys’. His family’s little home in Warri, was usually a beehive of performances and laughter. It was the melting point for those in RMD’s age bracket whom he had some form of control over. He recalled that he even though he was the ‘king of boys’, he was particularly a “terribly” shy person, so his best escape was to always be in front of the people – his mates, acting or telling jokes that kept them delighted. “I was very shy then”, recalled the multi- talented artiste and publisher of the defunct Mr. Magazine. “I just found out that it was only when I was telling the jokes or acting that I could get rid of my shyness. And a lot people liked what I was doing. So I knew that at some point I would become an actor. So acting for me came naturally’.

Upon completion of his secondary school education, RMD proceeded to the University of Benin (UNIBEN). He graduated four years later having bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts majoring in Dramatic Theories and Criticisms. He recalled that as an only child his mum wanted him to study law. But when he mentioned that he picked Theatre Arts as course of study in the university, she had no objection. ‘No. No objections at all even though my mum would have loved me to be a lawyer but I am doing that now, so she should be happy wherever she is. But really my parents didn’t object to my studying Theatre Arts,’’ he says.

Intelligent, dedicated and disarmingly modest, RMD’s first major shot at acting came in his final year at UNIBEN. He played the lead in the television drama by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Benin titled ‘Echoes of Wrath’. The script was written by musician, writer and actor Bobby Ejike and directed by the veteran television producer and director Festus Ighalo who found RMD dependable to play the role of Emeka in the teleplay that was later syndicated to all NTA stations nationwide after it won first place at the 1982 edition of the NTA annual drama competition. That first big shot at acting on television did it for RMD. He became notable for his impeccable portrayal of the character of Emeka, the prince that invoked the wrath of the gods by marrying an outcast. Even RMD admitted that he became notable because of his role in the teleplay. He said ‘’I played the role of Emeka and became an instant success. I think until my mum died a lot of people referred to her as Mama Emeka. She was happy for that because it gave her instant popularity. I am sure she was proud of me because at that time it wasn’t easy to get on television. I miss my mum and my dad. I miss my mama’s sense of humour. She was my best friend. As her only child she made sure she provided for me. What I didn’t have she always tell me that I don’t need. And I have lived with that ever since. I really miss her’.

So from Benin where RMD had the opportunity of featuring in countless stage productions, the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme beckoned. Richard journeyed to Bauchi and resisted the temptation of having to change his area of posting. He returned to Lagos in 1984 after youth service, travelled to England three years after he returned from Bauchi and returned to Lagos a year later to concentrate on his first love–acting. It was while at that, that RMD dabbled into journalism writing for several prestigious national newspapers including The Guardian and National Concord. He later ventured into public relations and much later into publishing.  RMD recalled that he was in his early 30s when he published Nigeria’s first all-gloss magazine for men-MISTER, which he later sold for several millions. RMD hardly describes himself as a journalist because as he quipped ‘I was not trained as a journalist and so I don’t feel comfortable addressing myself as one’’. But he still feels an overpowering nostalgia for his stint as journalist. Reflecting he said ‘’ It was Segun Adeleke who started it all for me. I went to watch a play at the National Theatre and there was a viva afterwards and I was asked to comment and Segun, then writing for the Punch asked whether I could put down all the things I said at the viva in writing. I said yes. I did and the next thing I heard was that it was published. I was encouraged and that was how I started contributing here and there until I got my first job as a writer of Metro magazine. It was the second all-colour general interest magazine. Metro became a big revelation for me. It showed a total new side that I had, that I never knew. And that was the busiest period of my life. That was when we had the Ajo theatre festival. I mean then, I was practically sleeping in the car. I used to drive an old Mercedes then. There were days when I will leave the office at 6p.m straight to rehearsals, do overnight, leave there at 6am, go to a friend’s place, have my bath, sleep for two hours and leave for office at 8a.m to write’’.

An iconoclastic actor whose classical artistic contributions has retained an irreplaceable place for him in the artistic scheme of things, Nollywood was not ready by the time RMD returned from England. So it was stage productions, which was the main stay then apart from a few television drama programmes that he hugged to announce his arrival unto the scene. He joined the performing artiste collective at PEC Repertory Theatre working with great thespians such as the late Jab Adu and Professor J.P Clark and later he had a stint at the Bassey Effiong led Anansa Playhouse. But it was when he joined the very challenging Ajo Production Company, producers of the defunct Ajo Theatre Festival that he got his break as a stage actor. RMD’s appearance as Demeyin, the misunderstood philosopher in the stage production, of the ‘Last Omen’ as directed by Jide Ogungbade in 1985, provided the big break. RMD’s delightful interpretation of that role is recorded in Nigeria’s theatre folklore as one of his most remarkable absorption of a role on stage. Reflecting on his Ajofest days RMD said “Yes the Last Omen was my final acceptance on the Lagos stage. Uncle Fred Agbeyegbe’s Ajo Festival was the biggest thing in the country at that time for the stage. By the time I was able to break into the Ajo fold and got a lead role, it was a wonderful thing. The next thing was that I was seeing my names in the newspapers. The critics felt that an actor had been born. It was wonderful. I have always paid a lot of homage to the late Jide Ogungbade. I think he is one of the most gifted theatre directors that we have in this country. Jide was the first director after University that I worked with. He actually broke me down. Then it was okay to intellectualize a character. These days, nobody has the time to make you sit down to intellectualize. Jide, Ben Tomoloju and I will spend time – hours, sitting down and just discussing the play. It was an exercise a lot of people thought was useless, but as far as I was concerned, it was the most intense period of my acting life and it helped because, it was like – oh, all the things I learnt in school are not wasted after all. So working with the likes of Jab Adu at the PEC and with Jide Ogungbade and Ben T (Ben Tomoloju) then was like putting one back in an acting class in the university It was a wonderful experience’’.

From there, the stage plays kept coming for the intense and busy actor who revealed that he was heavily inspired by accomplished thespians such as Olu Jacobs, Matt Emerion, Jimmy Solanke, Jide Ogungbade, Ben Tomoloju and Segun Bankole. ‘’The former Bendel Playhouse and the Bendel television too were a very strong weapon’’ he adds.  ‘The Zoo Story’ with the late Funso Alabi, ‘Chattering and the Sun’, ‘Things Fall Apart’, ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’, ‘From Zia With Love’ ‘Queen for Domingo’, ‘Egun LaPampa’, and ‘The King Must Dance Naked’ are some of the titles in his large stage credit pouch. ‘’It was just a very productive period for me. I had a busy spell’’ RMD comments. 

From the stage, the star of countless other critically acclaimed stage plays such as  ‘Obaseki’, ‘Azagidi’, ‘Idia’ and ‘A Queen for Domingo’ ventured into acting on television.  He got involved first in two network TV series – Spacs and Legacy and later became a major part of two of Nigeria’s longest running but long rested television soaps—Ripples and Checkmate. RMD portrayed a detective in Spacs, Larry Soares in Legacy, Inspector Fashanu in Ripples and Segun Kadiri in Checkmate. But it was Checkmate produced by Amaka Igwe and directed by Bolaji Dawodu that endeared RMD to viewers nationwide. Aired every Thursday back then in the 90’s at 8pm, the star studded soap was an absolutely glorious television soap that gripped the whole nation for as long as it ran on national television. Interestingly, RMD wanted to dodge the role. The programme had gone over ten episodes when Amaka Igwe approached him to participate. He read the script, agreed on a fee but he recalled he was not keen on being part of it because as he quipped ‘there is always that period of doubt for me whether to be part of a project or not. It is not just about how much I will be paid. There are so many things I consider before accepting to be part of a project’’. Anyway, when Amaka reached out again, RMD demanded for a higher fee to put her off. Trust the late Amaka to always want to have only the best on her set: she accepted the new fee and in the next episode it was RMD as Segun Kadiri squaring up Ann Haastrope, the role played by the charming Ego Boyo. And the response to his deft interpretation of the role was overwhelming. Every week, the over ‘30 million viewers’ of the NTA and by extension the soap, looked forward to scenes involving Segun Kadiri and Ann Haastrope. Several years after, a lot of people still find it difficult to separate RMD from the role of Segun Kadiri. ‘’Till date lot of people think I am that mean. I get all sorts of comments from people week in week-out. Well its good. Its good too that you have become a permanent feature in their lives. And one gets a feeling of fulfillment for having made the character- Segun Kadiri a noticeable personality’’

An immensely gifted actor who projects an aura of stardom and success and who enjoys mass appeal both within and outside Nigeria, RMD had no difficulty transiting from television to movies when production peaked there. He moved from roles to roles and in each, he drew attention to his honest and concise handling of roles.  The films that have had the benefit of his expert interpretation reel out, ‘Flesh and Blood’, ‘Violated’, ‘Mean Girls’, ‘Scores to Settle’, ‘Amadas’, ‘Shame’,‘Haunted’, ‘The Price’, Zeb Ejiro’s ‘Intimate strangers’, ‘Romantic Attraction’, ‘Indecent Act’, and a few others. Interestingly, RMD has only starred in well over 60 movies and TV Series locally and internationally including an appearance in the internationally acclaimed film ‘Critical Assignment’ with South African superstar Michael Power. Just 60 movies and television series for a career that has spanned nearly three decades? The number sounds ridiculous considering the volume of works released in the motion picture sector.

“I don’t think 60 is ridiculous in my case’’ he cuts in. ‘’It’s just that I choose well. I don’t want to be like every other actor. I don’t think one should do so many films. It shouldn’t be about the number but the quality of effort you put into one’’ he says. And of a truth, RMD rejects irrelevant characters in movies. His body of works is a testament of the fact that he is mostly attracted to challenging roles and plausible stories presented with skillfully written screenplays that grips the audience.

An actor who plays his role to the hilt, another quality that stands RMD out is the fact that he feels a sense of responsibility towards the viewer as evidenced in his almost fanatical attention to details. Just two examples: when he was cast for the lead role in his first executive produced movie ‘Out of Bounds’. RMD embarked on a weight loss programme. He trained day and night in a gym to build up his physique as the role required. The result was an award-winning performance in the film that gave Bimbo Akintola and Ayo Adesanya their acting breaks. The other example is in Seyi Siwoku’s CrossRoads. He reportedly placed himself on a diet to look trim and sharp for the role of a top cop that he portrayed.

A magnetic star that has exhibited total commitment to excellence, RMD is perhaps one of the few actors of the Nigerian motion picture scape who grabs attention with credulity and who can be aptly described as an actor with a strong screen presence. Always the lead actor, a top rated movie producer and director was recently quoted as saying that a movie is considered a best seller if RMD stars in it. Even his colleagues in the industry speak very highly of him. For them RMD not only acts with precision and clarity but whatever RMD does, he does it very well and leaves a memory behind.

A multi-award-winning actor, recognition by way of honours and awards from different quarters has come for RMD as a matter of course. He has received numerous prestigious awards and recognitions all over the world. He has won the Lifetime Achievement Award at AMAA 2016, the highest honour any Actor can receive and most recently won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at AMAA 2018. He had earlier won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the maiden edition of the AMAA held in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State in 2005, making him the first actor in the continent to receive the leading actor crest twice. 

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The toast and desire of not just fans but journalists, photographers, stylists, brands, writers and film makers, RMD has not only emerged as the undisputable king of the Nigerian acting space, but he has consistently made headlines as an actor and he has mastered the art of not just staying at the top but staying relevant, his greatest strength being his the ability to reinvent himself and his rich sense of enterprise and adventure. Indeed today, RMD has emerged as Africa’s most enterprising and engaging actor and one of the most recognizable faces in the Nigerian motion picture space.

Clearly one of Nigeria’s best-loved screen figures, everything about RMD is modest. The flamboyance associated with entertainers of his class is not for him neither is the arrogance of people like him that are considered powerful and influential. Also, his fervour for spirituality and for being at peace with God is remarkable. A former Sunday School Teacher, he has strong faith in God declaring at will that his journey here ‘ has all been God’.

Except for a brief ‘interlude’ as Special Adviser to the Governor of Delta State and later Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, an experience which he continues to say constitutes a chapter in his life for which he is grateful to God and former Delta Governor Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, RMD’s life has flowed many parts – a life romance with the performing arts (stage and screen), writer, creative content creator, producer, lawyer, life-coach, public speaker, Master of ceremony amongst other talents.

One time President of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), RMD took a break during the period of the ‘interlude’ and was not active on the turf because of pressure of work. But he has since his return to the turf starred in numerous Box Office hits including “The Wedding Party 1&2” “30 Days in Atlanta”, ‘Love and War’, ‘3 Wise men’, ‘Cross Roads’ as well as hit television series “HUSH”. RMD has also worn the hat of an Executive Producer and has gone on to produce his own hit TV series, The MR X Family Show.

Currently, brand ambassador for Africa’s largest and fastest growing telecommunications network Glo, RMD still finds time, outside his busy showbiz schedule to run one of Nigeria’s foremost PR outfits White Water Limited and his production company RMD Production Limited.  He has also continued to represent Nigeria in the global scene where he stands as an advocate for societal change, joining various campaigns like The Stop Tuberculosis Campaign as well as carrying out his passionate stand against gender based violence and remains a strong advocate for women and children rights.

Married to the charming Jumobi Damijo whom he described simply as a ‘stabilizing influence’, RMD’s marriage to the broadcaster, now a Corporate Executive is blessed with children. Hardly one who talks about his family life in the media, RMD volunteered this one-liner on his jewel of inestimable beauty ‘’Oh she is great. I wonder what life would have been without her. She has this stabilizing influence over me’.

RMD’s story will not be complete without an explanation of how he came about the tongue twisting names. He explains with a boyish smile ‘’I was named Richard by my elder sister. My dad called me Wedson. Our landlady called me Eyimofe. My grandmother who speaks Itshekiri (I am Urhobo) named me Enagholo. Evans is my baptismal name. And I think somebody else named me Edamayo. My real surname is Williams. Damijo came in through my great grand father. He was a dancer called Edamajo. He used to supply cocoa to the white men who could not pronounce his name so they called him Damijo. But what I have done is just to leave it at Richard Eyimofe-Damijo. But a lot people prefer to just leave it simply as RMD”.

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Meet ‘the king of boys’ – Richard Mofe-Damijo

By Shaibu Husseini

THE belly of the popular Ojez nite club in Yaba gasped for breath that Sunday evening. It was a day that the space that has hosted several events including 33 editions of the great highlife party wished it could expand to accommodate the crowd that has turned up to felicitate with approachable, quintessential, magnetic and immensely talented actor Richard Mofe Damijo. RMD as the warri born actor is simply called was being celebrated by the Committee of Relevant Arts (CORA) in conjunction with the management of Ojez Entertainment Limited for having clocked 20 years on stage. By 5.30pm, expected take off time of the great highlife party, Iwaya, the area in Yaba where Ojez sits felt an invasion of some sort. Nearly everyone who knew Richard or wanted to rejoice with the actor of innumerable credit turned up. I feel humbled… fulfilled’ was the few words the character actor who grabs attention with credulity and easy mien offered when asked to describe how he felt. In a previous interview with the Guardian the actor, journalist and Public Relations practitioner told his story. It’s as engaging as the genial personality of the top rated and adorable actor is.

RICHARD Wedson Eyimofe Enagholo Evans Williams Edamoya Damijo is no doubt, one of Nigeria’ top celebrities. A top rated actor with vast credits, the Warri, Delta State native has had a remarkable career as an actor and has indeed enjoyed super roles on stage and the movie turf. Acting for the actor’s actor who has proved to be a world class material, came naturally.

As a young boy growing up in Warri, Eyimofe was the acclaimed king of boys. His family’s little home in Warri, was usually a beehive of performances and laughter. It was the meeting point of those in RMD’s (as he is popularly called) age bracket whom he had some form of control over. As a tot, RMD was particularly a “terribly” shy person, so his best escape was to always be in front of the people – his mates, acting or telling jokes that kept them delighted.

“I was very shy then”, recalled the multi- talented artiste and publisher of the defunct Mr Magazine. “I just found out that it was only when I was telling the jokes or acting that I could get rid of my shyness. And a lot people liked what I was doing. So, I knew that at some point I will act. So acting for me came naturally’.

Born in 1961, July 6 to be precise, in Warri, Delta State to a mother (who had a tremendous influence on his life) and who until her death was a trader and a father who until his demise in 1990 worked for the Nigerian Ports Authority Warri, the actors actor schooled briefly at the Roman Catholic Mission School,Warri and the famous Midwest College. At the wake of the indigenisation policy, little Richard was sent to the Anglican Secondary School, Okpara waterside and then to St. Patrick’s College Asaba.

Upon completion of his secondary school education, RMD proceeded to the University of Benin. He graduated four years later having bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts majoring in Dramatic Theatre and Criticism. He recalled that his parents had no objection to his studying theatre arts in the university.

‘No. no objections at all even though my mum would have loved me to be a lawyer but I am doing that now, so she should be happy wherever she is. But really my parents didn’t object to my studying theatre arts. My mum wasn’t educated and so the only was I could convince her about my intention to study theatre arts was to assure her that I was going to be shown on television and I was glad I got a place on television in my first year in the university. It was in a play written by Bobby Ejike (the musician and actor) then for Bendel Playhouse. I think the title was ‘The Wrath of the Gods’. I played the role of Emeka and became an instant success. I think until mama died a lot of people referred to her as mama Emeka. She was happy for that because it gave her instant popularity. I am sure she was proud of me because at that time it wasn’t easy to get on television. I miss my mum and my dad. I miss my mama’s sense of humour. She was my best friend. As her only child she made sure she provided for me. What I didn’t have she always tell me that I don’t need. And I have lived with that ever since. I really miss her’.

So, from Benin, the National Youth Service (NYSC) programme beckoned. Young Richard journeyed to Bauchi and resisted the temptation of having to change his area of posting.

“1 served in Bauchi and after my youth service, I returned to Lagos in 1984. It was after my youth service that it actually started for me. That’s the period I started counting. So, the 20 years is not from day one as many people think. It’s after my youth service. That’s when I started my performance life really. That was when I started living from what I earned’.

Three years after he returned from Bauchi, RMD traveled abroad and returned a year later and got neck deep not just into acting but into Public Relations, journalism, which he had tried his hands on shortly after NYSC and into publishing.

Indeed, it was on his return from England that he got involved in a number of stage performances, which was the vogue then. But it was the Ajo Production series that formally launched the former ‘King of boys’ to Lagos and the acting scape.

To RMD who is happily married to the broadcaster turned banker Jumobi Mofe Damijo nee Adegbesan, his appearance as Demeyin, the misunderstood philosopher in the stage production, of the ‘Last Omen’ as directed by Jide Ogungbade in 1985, provided the big break.

“Yes, the Last Omen was my final acceptance on the Lagos stage. Before then I had been doing stuffs at the PEC Repertory Theatre working with people like Jab Adu and the Oga of PEC himself J.P Clark and later the Anansa Playhouse, Kupolt and the others. But Frehd Agbeyegbe’s Ajo Festival was the biggest thing in the country at that time for the stage. By the time I was able to break into the Ajo fold and got a lead role, it was a wonderful thing. The next thing was that I was seeing my names in the newspapers. The critics felt that an actor had been born. It was wonderful. I have always paid a lot of homage to Jide Ogungbade. I think he is one of the most gifted theatre directors that we have in this country. Jide was the first director after University that I worked with. He actually broke me down. Then it was okay to intellectualize a character. These days, nobody has the time to make you sit down to intellectualize. Jide, Ben Tomoloju and I will spend time – hours, sitting down and just discussing the play. It was an exercise a lot of people thought was useless, but as far as I was concerned, it was the most intense period of my acting life and it helped because, it was like – oh, all the things I learnt in school are not wasted after all. So working with the likes of Jab Adu at the PEC and with Jide Ogungbade and Ben T (Ben Tomoloju) then was like putting one back in an acting class in the university It was a wonderful experience. We all enjoyed ourselves – Tunji Sotimirin, Yomi Layinka, Jahman Anikulapo, Antar Laniyan and many others who were part of the Ajo family.’

Can we ever have the Ajo days again?

‘Yes, we can. But it’s the funds. I think that apart from Uncle B (Bayo Oduneye) and the likes of Don Pedro Obaseki, this chap who is a lawyer and writer who stages plays periodically at the MUSON and lately Olu and Joke Jacobs who still manages to put all of us together once in a long while, there hasn’t been any big budget person. I mean Fred Agbeyegbe gave his entire life to Ajo to fulfil a dream that he had. Then I will look at the Television and say: ‘T.V wait because I have a stage production. I was hoping that I would be able to do a big production. In fact, I was talking to a bank.  No, I think it was the bank that first reached out to me. We were all exited in this office (White Waters Limited). Last minute, the officials of the bank just called me up and said that the board had decided against the production.

It’s sad; I cannot practice theatre on any other level. Acting on stage even when its one off; was such a wonderful experience. And, it’s not as if we are not concerned. Believe me, I have all kinds of proposal sitting in every other bank! Because I have always thought that theatre should he funded from the private sector. Society should be able to give back and when you give back culturally, you are giving into the fundamentals of people lives! A chance to relive the people’s ways of life on stage is a wonderful experience any day. It’s much more than what 10 home videos can ever give to you”.

And after last Omen?

The stage plays kept coming. We had The Zoo Story with Funso Alabi which was highly successful. I have also done the same play with Norbert Young. We had ‘Chattering and the Song’, ‘Things Fall Apart’, ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’, ‘From Zia With Love’ ‘Queen for Domingo’, ‘Egun La-Pampa’, ‘The King Must Dance Naked’ and many others. It was just a very productive period for me. I had a busy spell. Of course much later – that’s talking about the Don Pedro Obaseki years – I did ‘Obaseki , Azagidi’, ‘Idia’. Pedro is another new generation writer that I think has a lot of potentials. He is the kind of person that if I find the money, I would be more than glad to invest upon. I think he is so gifted that this place stifles him. I did ‘A Queen for Domigo’ too. You see I love the stage. It’s just that there is not enough shows to keep one going and I feel pained that I have not been able to do more on stage because that’s my forte. But like you know it takes a while to be able to bring all the elements together for stage in this country where we are constantly competing with all the elements of politics and the economy. One needs to be able to find a balance. That is why I told myself that I must do at least one stage play a year and I am happy that I have kept that promise ever since. So hopefully we may have the return of the Ajo days”.

First day on stage

‘My first day on stage wasn’t any different. I dare say that my NYSC period was spent doing a lot of stage productions. In Bauchi where I served, I was in charge of entertainment. So I was constantly working and so that sort of prepared me for Lagos. By the time I stepped into Lagos, I was ready. Which is the whole process of what marks you from someone that is not trained or disciplined. So, I was ready. I have always been ready for big time. So, when I came to Lagos and it came, it was easy to adapt because those I met as actors were those I already know. We had done the Nigerian Universities theatre arts festival together and that meant operating with people you had come in contact with, one way or the other’

From the stage, you went to the screen?

“Yes. And that was when I got involved in two network TV drama – Sparks and Legacies. Again, it was part of my dream, after youth service in 1984. I was like, I wasn’t ready to do local television. I had a lot of offers from Channel 10 at that time and I said no! If it was not network, I won’t do it. And Sparks was the biggest thing at that time with Danladi Bako (one-time Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission) in charge. He gave me a permanent role and front then on, there was no looking back as it were. From Sparks, I went on to do Legacy. Legacy was good too. After that I travelled abroad for a while; returned and joined the cast of Ripples.

From Ripples, I got a place in Amaka Igwe’s ‘Checkmate.’ By this time, television was becoming a big thing. Lola Fani-Kayode had set the mood for soaps; the Jos people had added their own to it with productions like ‘Behind The Clouds’; Zeb Ejiro had taken centre stage with ‘Ripples’; and everything was ready for Amaka Igwe, the brain behind ‘Checkmate.’ So, she just came and took it all. And I don’t think that since after the days of Checkmate, TV has got to that level again. Where on Thursday night, 8pm, you find people rushing home to watch Checkmate. It’s only a soap like Super story that is presently filling that void. But for me, Checkmate was absolutely glorious. Till date, a lot of people still find it difficult to separate me from the role I interpreted in Checkmate – I mean Segun Kadiri. Till date lot of people think

I am that mean. I get all sorts of comments from people week in week-out. Well, it’s good. Its good too that you have become a permanent feature in their lives. And one gets a feeling of fulfillment for having made the character- Segun Kadiri a noticeable personality. And it was just a run-away success! Knowing that I joined in episode eleven. It was something that could kill or make an actor. I was lucky that it made me. You can come into a soap like that and fade in or you just take over. I came in and I think I boosted it. But credits must go to the writer who wrote a very lovely character; I just gave it flesh; which I was happy to do”.

Movie credits

‘I have only done 34 movies put together. That’s including ‘Critical Assignment’. The number sounds ridiculous I mean considering the volume of works released in that sector. But I don’t think 34 is ridiculous in my case. It’s just that I choose well. I don’t think that if they count 10 Nigerian home videos, they won’t count some of the good ones I am in. I don’t want to be like every other actor. I don’t think one should do so many films. That’s one of the things that is wrong with our set up here. It is not structured well enough so that the films will last. Some of them just have three to four days life span on the shelve. I don’t think it’s right. A film that you spent time and money to do should not just come and spend two days and go.

That’s what is happening. That’s why people can claim to have appeared in 200 movies. Some of them cannot even count the number of movies they have done. I do not think that money should be the motivating factor because if it is money, I would have done 200 films too; because the money is good. They come here with good money – even up to a million naira. And men,it’s a lot of money. But I have to be able to say no to some. Believe me, if I have done even 100 movies, we wouldn’t be having this interview. I don’t think I would have earned that reputation if I had allowed myself to do movies for doing sake. But what I have really done is to space even the 34 that I have done out. Between 1996 and 2002, I had only done 15 movies. Like I said I was careful about just getting involved in movies. But if I say I am a trained theatre artiste then I cannot be bigger than the industry that I am supposed to play in. it took my agent and a few people to tell me that. They said to me to go back, dig in, inside all the chaff, you will still find something that will still make sense. Which is what I have done. So I have only done 34 and it include ‘Violated’,‘Mean girls’, ‘Scores to settle’, ‘Amadas’, ‘Shame’,‘Haunted’, ‘The Price’, ‘Intimate strangers’, ‘Romantic Attraction’, ‘Indecent Act’ and a few others. That’s all I have to my entire career. I am sure that for some of my colleagues that’s just one year (laughter)

Attraction to movie scripts

“It’s the nature of the story itself especially, if it is well written. Unfortunately, most of the scripts are so badly written. A few directors I have worked with have allowed me to most times, rewrite or correct some aspects of the script. Most of these scriptwriters will write and bind the scripts.

They always think that is final. There are no scripts conferences and all that! Most of our actors don’t even take time to read scripts before they accept to shoot. Earlier you asked whether I ever got to read the synopsis of the movie, ‘The Price’ before I accepted to feature in it? Yes, I read the script and the first thing I told the director was that this was ‘Out of Bounds’ part two – just the reverse. And he said yes, that that was the story they wanted to tell. I did it because it was a direct opposite of what ‘Out of Bounds’ was. This time, the man of God did not fall. And also as a Christian, it appealed to me, which is why I did it.

Guess what? It was the highest selling movie in the market at the time it was released. It was just a simple love story that people could identify with.

Don’t forget that it came at a time when people are tired of rituals, killings and the traditional stories they call epic. It was indeed a breath of fresh air.” So, there are a number of factors I consider. I consider the crew too. So far Tade Ogidan is one director that make me want to act. Charles Novia and Amaka Igwe too. Both of them write wonderful scripts.

Your most outstanding work

‘Every actor constantly craves that the role that is infront of him becomes the best. But the minute you put it together and do it, you outgrow it. That is why you keep looking forward to the next production. So for me the challenges that I have as an actor is not so much as in playing roles that come to me but in deciding what roles to play and whether or not the roles can affect society in the manner that I conceptualize it. Sometimes it succeeds and some other times it doesn’t. but when you think it doesn’t, that’s when someone walks up to you that it did affect him.i mean people walk up to tell me that affected them some ten years back with the role I played in a movie. So for me it is not about the role, its about whether or not it will achieve what it is expected to achieve. So the truth of the matter is that after every performance I outgrow the role I played previously. Violated, the film by Ego Boyo is a Nigerian classic today. Whether we agree or not, Violated spurred interest in love stories. But I can look at the role I played in Violated today and say that I could have done it ten times better. That’s the reality of the actor. He outgrows the product, immediately it is fixed. Same thing for the role I played in ‘Out Of Bounds’. I can look at it again and and have a hundred and one way to do it. Unfortunately I cannot say this is what the quintessential role for me is.. every one comes with its own peculiarities. Over time you grow to love some but I am very attached to Violated because people still look at me today and remember the role I played in Violated. People still look at me and say ‘Out Of Bounds’ was great. People still look at me and say that that Hellen Ukpabio’s movie ‘The Price’ was great. Everyone comes with one thing or the other’.

 Standards and the movie sector

“We must ensure that we don’t just do movies for the sake of doing them. Right now, what you find is a situation where a producer gets money and calls a guy and say, ‘here is one million naira, go and do me a movie’. And because there are so many hungry actors and actresses, they just jump around and do it; and that becomes another movie.

What I think should be done is that movies should be well budgeted for. Everything that needs to be provided should be on ground before such a movie is made as opposed to just earning credits because you have a million naira. You don’t even have to do everything alone. Some want to write, cast, direct, produce and market. We must also begin to use the international language of film to produce our movies. That way, we will be able to take our films outside. So that the can be judged critically using world standards. Right now, we are dominating Africa but we need to go to the world stage – which is France, America. Until the day we take a film to Cannes or any of the African film circuit and win; that’s when I think we may say we have arrived.”

If RMD was not acting

“Exactly what I am doing now. I run a total marketing communication company- White Waters. Here, we do public relations and media work incorporating corporate promotional and reward gifts. The irony of it is that most people think I only do acting! Acting is like a way of life for me. What I have done to contain my restless nature is to run Whitewaters Limited. Someone once asked me and I said I cannot stop because an actor always feels that he will get it right the next time he does it. So you keep going and going. It’s just that I like to always practice it when I know that all the elements are right. That’s I why for instance, I still have not produced another movie since the first one I did – (Out of Bounds). I have tried to, but I just haven’t got the money. I need to surpass whatever standard I have set with Out of Bounds. Something else that will move the industry forward as it were. And talking about moving the industry forward, I share in your view that the speed seems slow and I think for the most part, it is trying to control. I know that in every free society like ours in Nigeria as it were, it’s an all-comers’ affair. But in the process of evolution there were lots of things that we did not foresee. We were creating bodies that were not particularly in control.

Period as NANTAP President

When I was President, I found out that we were rather myopic in our framing of the constitution. So, by the time one got in there, you found out that you were just a President in name – of an association. That people that were practising did not owe you any kind of allegiance. All eyes were on me. So many people thought I had all it takes to bring life to the industry. Perhaps what they thought I lacked was time. But that’s not true. I had the time but the fact remained that, those you found to work with were the younger ones who are looking up to you for directions; whereas they are not the ones you really need to effect policy. The ones you need are the bigger ones who have managed to establish themselves in one way or the other; to be able to carry the industry in the direction that these younger ones would want to go. The result is that, whilst you are trying to do that, you don’t find any form of support.

I always consider my tenure as NANTAP Presi-dent, a sour point in my life. I had a lot of dreams in my head, I thought were possible! But when I got in there, it was a totally different picture. In fact, at one point, we had those who perceived NANTAP as something for stage. So when the industry shifted towards home movies, they don’t feel that they owe anyone any allegiance. So, these issues are still there. And until we are able to have that consultation forum that we desire, we will always have problems in trying to create a structure that we can actually hold in our hands and give to the government and say finally, ‘here is the structure, you

should put all your policies around so that we can control distribution and control piracy to some extent. So, these are all parts of the things we didn’t do right. We were not very strong visionaries. So, we did not foresee most of the trends that we are now faced with. People are more concerned about their little, little Islands. So, what you have are rival bodies seeking for attention. I think they should key in to the association that have a lovely vision. Not gathering charlatans together in the guise of forming an association but which are actually rival associations. What are we forming rival associations for? It really shows that we don’t respect ourselves. It is only in this country that I find that actors for one, don’t respect themselves. They think it’s wrong to actually respect an older artiste. I am not ashamed to admit that someone like Olu Jacobs inspire me. If they were not there, we will not be here. I told somebody once that it was people like Jide Ogungbade and Jimi Solanke that made me read Theatre. Today, Jimi takes me like his colleague but I am a child where he is; no matter what level of success I have achieved today. Respect is the practice everywhere, even in Hollywood. But here you hardly find people who would look around and say ‘well this is somebody of note’.

Has Acting picked up your bills?

It has helped to pick up my bills. As you know I have always been described as one who use my left and right hands. Somebody said recently that he hopes that as I sabi use my two hands na so I sabi use my waist (general laughter). So it has somewhat helped to pick my bills even though outside acting I run a Public Relations company. But acting does pick up my bill. It does. I mean it will be stupid of me to deny that fact. It’s just that I can’t stop whatever I am doing now for acting alone because Richard by his very nature is a very restless person. I most times don’t function well if I am not under pressure. So acting to answer your question helps to pay the bills. But I am looking forward to that day when I don’t have to anything but just acting. And when that day comes, whatever monies I get will be re-invested in producing more movies and stage production with which I will use to correct a few impressions about our people in Europe. I think its time we use movies to correct the Nigeria’s negative image Nigeria’.

His foray into Journalism

“Yeah, it was Segun Adeleke who started it all for me. I went to watch a play at the National Theatre and there was a viva afterwards and I was asked to comment and Segun, who was then writing for the Punch asked whether I could put down all the things I said at the viva in writing. I said yes. I did and the next thing I heard was that it was published. I was encouraged and that was how I started contributing here and there until I got my first job as a writer of Metro magazine. It was the second all-colour general interest magazine. Metro for me, became a big revelation. It showed a total new side that I had, that I never knew. And that was the most busy period of my life. That was when Ajo was there. I mean then, I was practically sleeping in the car. I used to drive an old Mercedes then. There were days when I will leave the office at 6p.m straight to rehearsals, do overnight, leave there at 6am, go to a friend’s place, have my bath, sleep for two hours and leave for office at 8a.m. In fact, there was a day the publisher stopped me and asked whether I had a house. That was the period when I use to play games with my names! Each time I was acting, I was using Evans Mofe-Damijo but as a journalist, I was using RMD. One day my publisher called me and asked whether Evans was my brother. I lied but later I owned up because I knew it won’t be too long before she realized the truth. I actually thought she would stop me from acting but she gave me her blessings. So far it did not stop me from turn-ing in stories. So, most of my early credits on stage had Evans Damijo.”

RMD and fame

I cannot deny the fact that acting has not brought about fame for me. I know that I am famous as an actor but I don’t allow that get into my head. Those who know me will tell you that I don’t wake up in the morning with the thought that I am famous or remember that I am an actor who is popular. I just live my life simply. Acknowledge cheers like every other person will do and try not to do things out of the ordinary. That is why I can go anywhere I want to go to and that is why I have made myself accessible to people. So if hear people run over me its simply because I am an actor. I read somewhere recently where someone said I had more female fans than I have male fans. I thank God that he even said they were fans. Some have gone to the extreme to say that I hang out with them, which is not true. They are merely people who stop me to appreciate the work that I do or to get me to sign autographs for them particularly the younger ones. It does not go beyond that and I do not allow myself to be carried away by the sheer fact that I am popular. I cannot just see myself carrying a chip on my shoulder. The day I do that I will lose focus. So, I constantly remind myself of where I am coming from and that has helped a lot because the day you lose focus, you have lost fame’

His role model

‘Professor Wole Soyinka and while I was growing up, I have always liked Denzel Washington because of his positive life off screen. I cannot have a role model who does not have a positive life off screen. So Soyinka is my number one role model. I have had the privilege of working with him at close quarters. I have also read almost everything that he has written and acted in a number of his plays. In fact one of the high points in my career was when I worked with him shortly after he won the Nobel prize. The experience for me was amazing and wholesome. I found him a complete man because he could do anything from writing to directing and even singing’.

On MEE

“But for death we would have been doing this together. But God know best. A typical day with her like you asked wouldn’t be much different. We were both very busy people. We started each day with prayers; hit the road; she goes to her office, I go to mine. One or two phone calls during the day when the phones worked. And of course, we get to meet at home”.

And Jumobi?

Oh, she is great. I wonder what life would have been without her. She has this stabilizing influence over me… I hate to do this on the pages of the newspaper but I think she is the best. I read somewhere were you described our wedding as the biggest movie to have been shot in Nigeria that year (Laugh) But let’s leave this now…

Inspiration

“I got my inspiration from the former Bendel Playhouse. The Bendel television too was a very strong weapon. People like Matt Emerion, Jimi Solanke, Jide Ogungbade, Ben Tomoloju and Segun Bankole also helped. Those were the people I looked up to. They were the people that inspired me to do Theatre as a young boy who liked acting”.

Hollywood and the Nigerian actor

“To tell you the truth, we have more than a hundred. They don’t do anything extraordinary in Hollywood. There is not ling they have done there that has not been done here. The difference basically, is that they are backed up with mega marketing money, mega scientific tricks and film work. They have the tech to make their movies look good. Believe me, if we have one percent of the budget of an average film by say Travolta, no one will be talking about our films the way people do now”.

The way forward for Nollywood

What I expect from Nollywood is a pause and a re-appraisal of what is considered as our strength and weaknesses. This is with a view to addressing them. Right now, I think Nollywood is in a hurry to just grow. there are no developmental structures on the ground to support the rapid growth. So what you find is that the quality of work is  not as it should be. Don’t forget also that budget makes a whole lot of difference. But even when we had no funds, we still produced works that had a lot of intellectual imput. What is lacking now in Nollywood is a little bit more serious intellectual imput. So, there are too many charlatans who did not learn the ropes as much as some of us did. So what you have is a situation where Nollywood’s fair share of bad movies grows by the day instead of reducing. That is the only thing that is worrisome. But it is good that there is an explosion because it is only in that process that people will get attracted and they will come in to help. Which is why one is thinking of training for people whether or not they come. But I know a lot of people will come’.

On his 20 years on stage

‘I feel humbled. Fulfilled in the sense that I can take all of this as an impetus for a new phase to ride on for say another 30 years or more. With a forum like the highlife party organized by a group of very appreciative people, I call them my best critics, one is encouraged to keep keeping on. I feel humbled and I consider this event at OJEZ a prelude to a big event which I am really planning to mark the day. Someone asked whether I have reached my peak as an actor and he was surprised when I told him that I have not even scratched the surface of my career. I still look forward to doing more production and I also look forward to using my talent to glorify God. I count myself lucky to have come to the realization of what knowing Him and being in his presence means’

A word for starters

Acting is serious business. So those who crave for a career in acting must think about the tedious work involved than the glamour and fame that come with it. You need to work at making your mark and not the money. I can’t say I am rich but I have a name. Yes, I have a name which has also fetched me friends that are for all seasons. So starters and even some of those who are there now must work hard at that and also must practice, get trained, oil their talent regularly and seek formal training where necessary. Above all they must seek Gods Guidance too’

On his tongue twisting names

(Cuts in with a prolonged laughter) “I was named Richard by my elder sister. My dad called me Wedson. Our landlady called me Eyimofe. My grandmother who speaks Itshekiri (I am Urhobo) named me Enagholo. Evans is my baptismal name. And I think somebody else named me Edamayo. My real surname is Williams. Damijo came in through my great grand father. He was a dancer called Edamajo. He used to supply cocoa to the whitemen who could not pronounce his name so they called him Damijo. But what I have done is just to leave it at Richard Eyimofe-Damijo. But a lot people prefer to just leave it simply as RMD.”

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