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Toyosi Adesanya, the Provost marshal of Theate Arts and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria, TAMPAN, is one of the artistes that have been in the movie industry for a very long time. In this interview with Glitter News crew, the scientist turned actress highlighted the reasons while uncensored movies are flooding the market and how a lot of artistes are living in penury due to piracy of their movies among other interesting issue. Enjoy:
Kindly introduce yourself?
I am Toyosi Adesanya. I started my primary school and secondary education at Sagamu in Ogun state. I went to Federal Polytechnic, Offa for my tertiary education and later I proceeded to the University of Ibadan to pursue my Degree course in Laboratory Technology.
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You studied Laboratory Technology as a course, what led you into Theatre?
I had flair for acting and I have always said to myself that I would one day be a great actress. I started my acting career with the likes of Yinka Quadri, Ogogo, Abbbey Lanre in the year 1993 even though acting does not stop my educational career.
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What’s your parents’ reaction then?
Their reactions were awesome and I promised them that acting will not stop me from studying. Acting has been part of me right from my childhood. When I was in primary school, I happened to be among the school cultural group and also during my secondary school days, I was the Social Prefect and that’s to tell you that I am of different talents. Aside acting, I’m also a musician because I love singing. So, acting did not deprive me of doing music tracks with the likes of Olayiwola popularly called Ojopagogo and Evang. Yinka Ayefele. My parents did not have choice than to support my career.
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Why can’t you go fully into music?
I cannot go into music fully because I don’t want to bastardize the effort of theatrical talents in me but if you want me to sing for you I will but I am a theatre person to the core.
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Have you produced any film at all?
I have produced seven films but it was not my movie that brought me into limelight. It was Alhaji Adedayo movie which was produced in 1999 titled “Morounmubo” brought me fame.
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What have been your challenges so far in the movie industry?
To be frank, movie is a hectic task. During our own days, you have to undergo training and in the course of the training our boss normally sends us on errand. It was not so easy under the tutelage of Odun Ifa.
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How would you juxtapose the movie industry in the olden days with that of this present day?
There are lots of differences. Theatre then has a lot of rudiments. In the olden days, people don’t come into the movie industry with the mind set of making ends meet. Back then, we started as stage actress but now that we are in the computer era, people just come into the industry without the proper training and that is the major reason we are having uncensored movies in the market. Let me tell you the reality, theatre work comprise music, drama and dancing, if you cannot practice these three things that means you are not a professional actor or actress. Stars are born but not made.
What do you think is the solution in order to put things in the right place?
We are trying our best to avert all these problems and that is why we are trying to organize seminars and as the National Provost Marshal of TAMPAN, I will try my possible best to orientate them (artistes).
We have Nollywood in America, Hollywood in India, is TAMPAN taking any step of having a film village?
We have a film village in Badagry and Ikorodu. But when the time comes, I believe it will surely function well.
Your advice for the upcoming artistes who are looking up to you as their role model?
They cannot be like me because I don’t want to be like anybody but my advice for them is that they should know what they are coming to do and portray the image of the industry well.
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Piracy is one of the problems facing the entertainment industry, what’s your advice for government in tackling this problem?
Government should see to our problems, and to be frank, many of us are living in penury. If government can intervene, I believe all will be well. They should not invest on sports alone; they should also see this industry as a means of generating revenue. They should come to our rescue because piracy is killing us.
There are many associations in the movie industry. What’s your view about this?
Yes! That’s true. We have ANTP, TAMPAN but the truth of the matter is that we are all one. Being a member of TAMPAN does not mean that I don’t belong to ANTP. What separated TAMPAN from ANTP is that there is a sort of misunderstanding among our leaders which wouldn’t want to delve into.
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If you are offer millions of naira to act nude, are you ready to go on?
No! I will not for any amount act nude.
Can you tell us some of your embarrassing moment?
Hmm! I have a lot but the one I cannot forget easily was when I came for a lecture at the University of Ibadan. When I entered the lecture room, my lecturer made a jest of me by saying that I don’t need to come to class again because I have already passed and along the line he threw a question at me that Toyosi Adesanya, what is Homologus series? His thought was that I won’t remember, but to his surprise, I answered the question. Another embarrassing moment was when I was going along Oja’ba in Ibadan, a woman called me a witch and threw a stone at me due to the movie that I featured in but I told her that it was the role that they gave me to act which I must do.
