Shanty Town, the newest Nollywood production to appear on Netflix, is still very much the topic of conversation. Actors Chidi Mokeme, Ali Nuhu, and Mercy Eke provided additional insight into their characters and their experiences portraying them in a new sit-down interview with Nollywire. Here are the comments made by each actor.
FIRST: CHIDI MOKEME
CHIDI MOKEME: I play the character called Scar. Scar is basically the main antagonist in the movie. Scar is the one who feels disenfranchised. He has an entitlement mentality, and the character is ruthless. Coming from his background, where he is coming from, where he’s been, he has almost zero regard or respect for life or anybody else. If it’s not going Scar’s way, then it’s not going anybody’s way.
“What new skills did you have to learn to embody your character?”
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CHIDI MOKEME: I think the first thing that I did after I read the script was to do a disguise and I went into this place called Shita. I put on my disguise, and I won’t say what my disguise is so you won’t catch me next time, I put on my disguise and then I went out to Shita, found a nice spot, and then just transported myself to like 20, 30 years back when I used to go hang around those places. I took it all in. Just spending about one hour plus sitting in that place. That night, I knew Scar was going to come alive
NEXT: ALI NUHU
ALI NUHU: The Accountant, that is the role I played. He is one guy that looks corporate but behind closed doors, he is into shady deals, counting dirty money.
“How hard or easy was it to embody your character?”
ALI NUHU: Getting into the character was something that was initially a bit difficult because I wasn’t comfortable, but thanks to my director and Judith Audu, she did a lot too. She had to talk me into doing it and that was how I played the character of The Accountant.
NEXT: MERCY EKE
MERCY EKE: Jackie is a promising sex worker [laughs] There is no way you will put it. Jackie is a sex worker that got herself mixed up with Scar and got herself entangled with things that are not her business.
“What was your reaction when you found out the character you were to play?”
MERCY EKE: I just said to myself you just have to be Jackie and play Jackie. It was a sweet character, like it’s something everybody can relate to in our society today. Everybody can totally relate to Jackie. So when I read the script, I was like it is what I can do. Yeah, let me just go and show my acting skills with Jackie.
What did you think about the acting performances of Chidi Mokeme, Ali Nuhu, and Mercy Eke in the show Shanty Town?