Kemi Korede is one of the hardworking actresses in the Yoruba movie industry. She acts well and she also produces lovely movies. Over the last 10 years or so, Kemi has acted in many movies. She has also produced her own movies too. Many do not know she is a trained nurse by profession and she was practising, before she left nursing for acting.
Last week, she told City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE how her love for acting began, plus how she’s been able to cope all these years. Below are excerpts of the interview.
How has your career been, in the Yoruba Movie industry? How many years now?
I have been acting for the past 15 to 16 years.
How did you start acting?
I started when I was in JS 3. Some people were shooting a movie right in front of my house. I saw them. It was at Iyana Ipaja, at Alaagba. I saw the man, Sunday Soyinka, I saw them acting. I now went inside our house. I couldn’t stay inside. I came out again to watch them. I was now saying inside of me: Me too, I will like to act, I would like to be like them. I couldn’t eat. I just sat down in the house thinking about them. I kept peeping at them. So when I couldn’t take it any longer I went to meet their director called Sunday Soyinka. That was how I joined. After I joined they said I should be doing make-up, that I should start from there. They said if I start from doing Makeup, they would always remember to give small, small roles in movies, like being a house help or waka pass roles. They asked one auntie to teach me how to apply makeup. The auntie is Toyosi Adesanya. Later, I started acting. Then I decided to be on my own, acting, for the past 15 years. The film I saw them acting was about 17 years ago. It is called Jensinmi. I decided to be on my own. And I called my own production Kemi Korede I had no boss any more. We were many all there, like Kunle Afod, Omobolanle. So we all left at different times to set up our different groups.
My 1st movie was in 2006. The name of the first movie is Omobewaji I featured Funke Akindele, Ricardo Agbor, Olaiya Igwe in it. That’s my 1st movie. My 2nd movie was in 2009. It’s titled Abo Oja. Then, I did Afi ibi solore, Omo Aye. I have done a lot. I also did Satans Bride, Ignorance. Those ones are not out yet. I did Wemimo in the U.S. It is not out yet. I have done Oju Ade. It is not out yet. I have also done Ojoor, Abeni, I have done a lot. There are more.
So, how has it been churning out these movies? How do you cope? People complain that movies no longer sell.
It’s God. If you don’t do it, others will do it. It’s not as if there is a gain in it. I did a movie once in 2012, I now ran out of money. Midway I needed almost N800,000. (Adekaz), the marketer had to support me. I was stranded. We only make little amount from the movie business. If a marketer calls you to come and work for him, if you don’t do it, other people will collect the money and do it. We all pray to God to stop piracy. It’s not easy at all.
How do you see the movie business online?
It’s also not easy. They can collect 200 to 300 movies within a week. At Arena and Idumota, they release about 20 films a week before they now said ok, 2 weeks interval. If we continue that way how many can they watch before a new set comes out. I will advise we reduce the frequency in the number of our films coming out. We can limit each person to about 4 or 5 in a year. In America, you only need to do one film and you are made. We can improve. Our association should be able to tell us the number each person can do in a year. There are so many of us in the industry doing the same thing. TAMPAN has a lot to do to put things right.
Which movie launched you to the limelight?
It is Ile Olorogun by Sunday Soyinka, my boss. I just started then. The little efforts I put in, God blessed me. I played the daughter of Olumide Bakare. Yetunde Wunmi was my mum in it. I acted with Laide Bakare in the movie. Peju Ogunmola also acted in it.
Where were you born? Where did you grow up?
I was born at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos. I am the 2nd to the last born in my family. I went to Primary School at Iyana Ipaja called Ifelodun Primary School. There are 6 schools inside that school. I was in school 2. I then went to State High School, near there too. I left to do a course in Nursing in Ilishan, near Ijebu-Ode. I spent 3 years there. I came to complete my Midwife course at the General Hospital at Igando.
I practised for like 4 to 5 years after I finished. But once I joined the theatre industry, I abandoned Nursing, in the year 2000, when we went to Osogbo to go and act. That was about 18 years ago. It’s the Osogbo Y2K film. I was the one treating everybody, both young and old. All the stars, I treated them, everybody. Yomi Ogunmola directed the film then. I was the Nurse on the location. I would have continued to do nursing, but acting does not leave you the time to do any other thing.
How do you cope with moving around locations?
It’s not easy. When I started having kids I used to carry my babies along with me to the different locations. I used to fasten my baby on my back and go to location. It was stressful at a point. So, I had to slow down until I finished childbearing. It’s not been easy till date. In a month, I may not sleep in the house for up to 2 times. I am always on location. That’s how we are all busy.
What should your fans expect from Kemi Korede?
Please expect a lot. I am working on 3 films right now that I have not finished. I shot one abroad. I shot another one in Nigeria. They are Oju Ade, Ignorance, and Wemimo. I am working on the 3 together. I am about to start work on Backbone, (Alafeyin ti mi). This makes it 4 instead of 3 movies. They are hot movies.
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