The best 5 Nollywood actors of 2013 - Charles Novia

Last week Nollywood film maker and critique "Charles Novia" named his top 5 Nollywood actresses of 2013 (See it HERE). W all have been anticipating his top 5 Nollywood actors of 2013. Check on it below...

No 5: Comedians Seyi Law, Bovi Ugbomma, and Kelechi Udegbu

As controversial as this may seem to some people, I believe there are merits in recognising the names tied on this list on the number 5 spot. I could actually have chosen just one when it came to the crunch but decided to first and foremost acknowledge the input of these guys into the comedy genre of Nollywood , which is often overlooked when giving awards. Secondly, whether anyone likes it or not, these comedians do know 

HOW TO ACT. If within the comfortable ambits of their arguable stereotypes, they could elicit rib-cracking spasms from millions of Nigerians all the time, then their ART must be commended and rewarded. These three are judged on different individual skits released on youtube and other online platforms in 2013. Having watched those skits critically and also using the same criteria to judge their roles as with the other actors in this list, it should not come as a surprise that these guys scaled through in critical areas of delivery, characterisation and a huge dose of believability which induces spasmodic laughter. These comedians have a style of organic acting, peculiar to them which itself is an art form.

SEYI LAW, though known as a stand-up comic, moved steps furthed in 2013 with some commendable acting in the the ‘Orijin in Ibadan’ sketch on youtube. Seyi was adept as the effusive and garulous Yoruba mogul who gets more than he bargained for in a restaurant. Though mostly improvised, the skit shows acceptable reaction points from Seyi and a good transistion from the garulous to the gutted.

KELECHI J. UDEGBU may not be well known to many of you. In fact, I never knew him from Adam before I stumbled on his comedy skit on youtube and I was completely blown away. His role as the corrupt Officer Titus, a parody of some of our staple traffic enforcement officers, is as funny as it is as formidable. What struck me in Kelechi was his ability to internalise the character in such a way that the rendition of his lines and his projection of the character found a perfect and almost-believable mix. Actors can be judged on minute clips or performances and though this youtube skit is short, I predict that Nollywood will soon be seeing more of Kelechi Udegbu in no short time. There are few new talents out there who are endowed with an undisputed capacity to act comically. This gentleman is one of such.

 

BOVI UGBOMMA is a popular and lovable stand-up comic who has a television series, ‘THE BOVI UGBOMMA SHOW’. His body of work in 2013 is quite impressive and amongst many of such, I particularly judged him on the Rhythm Unplugged promo currently shown on Silverbird Television. Bovi brought a certain humour into that short sketch as he always does in his outings. Notice the transistion from his angry storm to the bouncer who touched his girlfriend’s bum to the last bit where he pants and tells her he took a short cut. Classic. Like I said, these comedians are actors in their own rights too. 

Number 4: Blossom Chukwujekwu

 Somehow, in 2013, Blossom came into the scene and perhaps asserted himself as one we all must take notice of.  I watched him in ‘Flower Girl’ in February 2013 at the cinemas and apart from an obvious on-screen charm, I could see that the young man put in a lot of work in his role. There was a certain energy he exuded in that movie which wasn’t lost on many. He isn’t just good looks. He seems to be eager to learn more and to prove himself beyond the ‘Fine Boy, No pimples’ looks. In ‘Flower Girl’, his internalisation was good enough and though there were small areas of artistic indecision when it came to delivery, Blossom overall gave a good account of himself. He found a better platform to excel in the movie ‘Finding Mercy’ where I saw marked improvements in his acting. His performance there was quite a cinema rouser for many, though his characterisation came to the fore after the first half-hour in the movie. His reactions were on point and he brought an emotional calibration to the whole movie in the last scene. Few budding actors have that ability. Blossom will certainly blossom in his career in 2014.

No 3. Odunlade Adekola
I don’t judge actors on whether they are in Nollywood or in ‘Yoruwood’ or any other ethnic coinage. There are certain qualities an actor in any category of the industry must have in assessing him. Personally, I think the Yoruba movies as well as the other ethnic movies have an advantage over the English movies in the areas of acting because the acting comes naturally to them unlike the English movies where more is needed to compete with the global parameters. However, this actor in the Yoruba genre of movies, Odunlade Adekola, has stood out in 2013. I watched a couple of his movies and he impressed me with his style, attention to characterisation, internalisation and a restrained attempt not to be melo-dramatic. In movies such as ‘Baba Super’, ‘Eje Nla’, ‘Fayebora’ and sneak peeks I saw of ‘Eje Fun Eje’, Odunlade showed class among or even above his peers. I don’t even understand Yoruba so it speaks volumes about how his acting made an impact on me. I am told that he is presently the biggest star in the Yoruba film sector. I can see why. Talent do not lie.

No 2: Ramsey Noah
It was tough putting Ramsey in the Number 2 spot because he is a damned good actor. Very good. Having worked with him in eight of my movies in the past, I know his abilities but I am yet to know his acting limitations. Over the years, Ramsey has explored his inner depths as an actor and tries to push the envelope. He comes across as one who takes his roles seriously and so he should. I watched him in three movies in 2013; ‘The Courier’, ‘Weekend Getaway’ and ‘Confusion Na Wa’. I think he particularly stood out more in ‘Confusion Na Wa’ where a mix of cinematography, directorial genius and a very good script brought out his sterling qualities in acting. But I believe Ramsey would stun us all in 2014 when Izu Ojukwu’s ’76′ hits the screens. From the short trailer I saw, there is something very dark and daring in Ramsey’s character in that movie. Aided with the retro feel in the movie as well as the costumes, one can sense an intensity in Ramsey’s character from the trailer. We are yet to see the best of Mr Noah. We have only seen the stirrings of a best.

No 1: O.C. Ukeje

No apologies to anyone. My Number One Actor for 2013 would be OC Ukeje. In arriving at this conclusion, I had the uncomfortable task of distancing his acting in my movie ‘Alan Poza’ from the list of other movies he was assessed with. But one cannot ignore that in 2013 alone, OC has won the ‘Best Actor’ diadem FOUR TIMES at the AMVCA, NEA, BON and NMA awards. He has also been nominated for ‘ Best Actor’  a record EIGHT TIMES in a single year. Now, that is enough to make heads turn and so they should. This is a feat even the older acts in Nollywood cannot boast of.
Watching OC Ukeje in three movies in the past year was a stunning experience. Since 2006 when OC won the top prize in the ‘Amstel Malta Box Office’ (AMBO), the young man had been relatively quiet and picky with his scripts, preferring to feature more in stage productions and promising scripts. That sense of purpose paid off in the long run. Like the Bible says, you can’t hide a light under a bushel. OC’s illumination in the acting space can be seen in ‘Confusion Na Wa’, ‘The Awakening’ and ‘Hoodrush’. In these movies, the power of his art can be seen. He has an unusual intensity as an actor and a peculiar propensity to project his characterisation which would leave many with gaping mouths. This young man has a lot to give to us in the nearest future. All we have to do is to receive.

Rita Dominic to Charles Novia

Yesterday Nollywood movie producer/director Charles Novia named his best five Nollywood actresses of 2013 and placed award-winning actress Rita Dominic at No.5. Guess Rita didn't take it likely and has given a hint of what she thinks of the list ..  See her tweet below followed by Charles's response to her tweet...

 

Charles Novia replied..

Charles Novia names the Best 5 Nollywood Actresses of 2013

Written by Nollywood film maker, Charles Novia

I watched a number of films this year and as many as were being churned out in all the zones, I had to pin-point my search to specifics. As a filmmaker, with many years of experience to my credit, I know good acting when I see it. Acting is inborn while talent is general but depth in acting is few among actors. And so, my blog has decided to award and possibly reward actors with citations and accolades for their art in a preceding and current year. I and my editorial staff think this will be a good and unbiased reward system. I drew up my conclusions about the names on this list after watching them in stand-out roles in some movies released in late 2012 to the last quarter of 2013. I consulted a few of my colleagues about my list; tested film directors and there was an unanimity on 70% of the criteria I used in arriving at my conclusion. They all agreed with me 100% on the choice for the Number One Actress in 2013.

So, here are the Best 5 Nollywood Actresses in 2013.

NUMBER 5: RITA DOMINIC
Rita had a good year. Winning ‘Best Actress’ a couple of times (among many nominations ) for the movie ‘The Meeting’. I also watched her in another recently released movie, ‘Finding Mercy’ but felt that she gave a listless and lukewarm performance in that flick. In ‘The Meeting’, Rita was smoking. I would say that for the first time since I have been seeing her in movies, she found the right script which explored her acting depths. Rita is a Theatre Arts Graduate from Uniport and that is usually an advantage for actors with such credentials from Drama School. What is expected from such actors has to come to the fore someday in Nollywood, when the right script meets the right Director and the fundamentals of a good production are met. ‘The Meeting’ is that kind of production. Rita subsumed her character and aided the cackle points of the comedy. With make-up which aimed to transform and accentuate her character, she found it easy to give us all a good performance. However, I found some grey areas of her acting bordering between slapstick and sub]limal comedy especially the part where she called out ‘Code Red’ , which was a typical Nollywood play-to-the-gallery moment. But her acting on those few bits can be forgiven because she had a screen presence of mind. Rita Dominic has more to prove in Nollywood, either as an actress or as a Producer. If it is the former, then she has to be careful about her choice of scripts from now on because there might be false slips ahead. A good actress any day, she is.

NUMBER 4: YVONNE OKORO
Now this would raise eyebrows with people asking if Yvonne is from Nollywood since she is associated more with Ghana. Nomencletures do not matter to me. Nollywood is a global brand and is a huge platform for all African actors to make their mark. Besides, Yvonne’s movie, ‘The Contract’, was released in the cinemas in Nigeria in 2013 which meets a part of the criteria I used in drawing up this list.
I must confess that I had not watched much of Yvonne’s movies before ‘The Contract’. I just knew her name from a few social media buzz which was neither here nor there for me. So when I watched her performance in ‘The Contract’,  my curiosity gave way to admiration. She interpreted the role quite well. There was an almost effortless transition of moods and emotions in her characterisation and she had the audience eating out of the palms of her hands all through the movie. She  came off looking like she had something to prove with that movie both as Producer and lead actress and I think she succeeded. There was nothing forced about her nuances in the movie, which projected a rare self-assuredness lacking in many of her counterparts. Since Ghana is her chosen country of citizenship, I would say she is an asset to her country in the acting field.

NUMBER 3: DAMILOLA ADEGBITE
A surprise resignation from ‘TINSEL’in 2012 , made most people wonder if Damilola knew what she was doing. She gave reasons for leaving the televsion serial; to concentrate on her acting career. Watching her in Michelle Bello’s ‘Flower Girl’ brought home the wisdom in her career curve.

I have always held the notion that Damilola has a powerful screen presence. There’s something sultry and appealing about her looks on screen. Very few actors have that aura. In Damilola’s case, I thought it wasn’t yet explored to the maximum. In ‘Flower Girl’, that screen aura combined with a visible attempt at internalisation and visualisation by Damilola in her role, made many see her in a whole new light. Finally, the stirrings of a Super Actress is beginning to show. ‘Flower Girl’ is a romantic comedy modelled after the genre as it is done in Hollywood. Attempting to get it right needs the right male and female actors in the lead roles. Damilola was the right pick for the female lead. She knew when to turn on the charm and when to disarm in the movie. She gave it her best and it showed. Hopefully, she would maintain the tempo and energy in her new movies after ‘Flower Girl’.

NUMBER 2: TAMARA ETIENO
Many people would not remember her name and it is likely many would have forgotten her as the winner of ‘The Next Movie Star’ Reality show a couple of years back. But such credentials are not important when it comes to judging her abilities as an actor. Tamara was simply awesome in the movie ‘Desperate Housegirls’! She gave an organic and jaw-dropping performance which must her won her new fans and etched her name somewhere on the consciousness of movie lovers. There was a closeness to method acting when watching her in ‘Desperate Housegirls’ and she must be commended for making acting interesting again especially as we have been assailed with talentless actors and actresses in the past few years. I predict that Tamara is going to shine in a few months but that illumination depends on the kind of scripts she chooses and the Directors she works with. But then, she is good. Quite good.

NUMBER 1: MERCY JOHNSON
Mercy would be my number one choice for ‘Best Actress’ in 2013. She has simply been awesome in the her movies this year. There’s something ultra-natural and organic about Mercy Johnson which confounds even her critics. She can act. She delivers. In four movies I watched in 2013, which she starred in, she was the epitome of delightful characterisation. Watch her in the ‘Dumebi’ spawn of movies and you would appreciate how her talent has evolved since she came back from her Maternity Break.
Mercy is a chameleonic actress, one with the uncanny ability to immerse herself in her roles. She can play the victimised House Maid in one movie and switch to the Lady Boss in the next. In fact, if the role suits her, she comes out smoking.
She is arguably the Best Actress for 2013. You can quote me on that.

Who agrees with this list?

Maheeda Calls out Charles Novia on twitter! say's He Is Just An Attention Seeker Like Me + the article that made her vent

I bet we all know Charles Novia likes to be blunt ( I call him the Industry's whip lol) anyway, it turned out that Charles Novia's next 'victim' was Maheeda and he came out hard on her. Lol, but trust Maheeda who obviously can't be bothered because she cares less of what anyone thinks, was quick to take shots at her critic in response. She said to him that his career was 'dying' and he was only being jealous of her because he has no p**sy he could flaunt on the internet. damn!

 Read what Charles Novia said that made Maheeda reply him below.


Maheeda’s maladjustment'. By Charles Novia
In the past few months, some prominent and other bandwagon bloggers have been inundating the social media space with inappropriate pictures of a confused personality called Maheeda.

From scanty information available about the lady, she used to be a prostitute who got ‘converted’ into Christianity and later released a Gospel album or some singles. Somehow, she decided to straddle the pop culture horse and brought out some nifty singles and videos which found backwater acceptance on Youtube.

Maheeda is also reported to be married to a white dude and she is presumed to be presently living in a European country with the man and her daughter (or divorced or separated from him as some reports say) I took little pains to do this background research on her so as to be well-informed about the next few points I would make about her behaviour.

Somehow, Maheeda started posting suggestive pictures of her body on her instagram page which caught the interest of Nigerian bloggers. Since blogging is generally an acceptable form of lazy journalism and tittle-tattling in Nigeria, Maheeda’s pictures got the desired attention she wanted. Either by a covert or overt payment to leading bloggers to keep her in the news (as it is wont in Nigerian cyberspace) or a calculated ploy to garner more hits to their sites, the bloggers went all the way out with more indulging pictures of the young lady. And she was ever willing to give more and cheerfully too with no intention by me to denigrate her past profession by this phrase.

From suggestive pictures of her near unclad body parts, the young lady went on a visual spree of debased pictures of herself and with the lecherous or amused oogling of social media commentators, she finally threw whatever was left of her indiscreet womanhood and posted wanton naked pictures of herself on instagram. Blogosphere went crazy in Nigeria with repressed hypocites heaping accolades or abuses at her or ravished reprobates asking her to carry on!

Instagram finally had enough a few days ago and deleted her account for good for crossing boundaries of (in)decency, perhaps.

It is instructive to psycho-analyse negative trenders such as Maheeda who have decided to gain cheap or compulsory notoriety by posting pictures of their nakedness on social networks. Granted, there were others before her based in Nigeria or somewhere in America , some older Nanny Goats who threw decorum to the wind as well and posted pictures of drooping breasts and disgusting backsides in a bid to gain unfathomable attention. Did Maheeda learn from them? Or did she decide to improve on their art ( or rather, their tart!)?.

Whatever the reasons are, we all should be worried about this growing trend where shamelessness and wanton exposure of Nigerian women is fast becoming the order of the day. The children see all these things and I shudder to think of what is going to happen in our social space in a few years. A replication or cloning of millions of Maheedas and her likes is probably inevitable.

Oh yes, there are some who would react angrily to the fears I have expressed here and post comments under ‘Anonymous’ name tags on some blogs where this article would find amplification and vilify me and not my points. For such missing links, you are entitled to your putrid opinions in the closets of your anonimity where cowards and bullies find voice.

But the fact remains that you who support and urge the Maheedas of this clime to carry on with the de-mystification of all that is dear and sacrosanctwomanhood, are no better than she is. You are intertwined in the pugnancy of her putrid purpose. You both are destroyers of the last remnants of the African woman’s mystique and majesty. You support and encourage her to destroy your children’s moral future. That is just the plain truth.

I may not know much about psychology or psychosis but I am willing to bet that Mrs Maheeda is in the early stages of bi-polarism. It is possible that she is using the pictures to Jekyll and Hyde her mental health issues. Mercifully, she lives in a Western society where it is only a matter of time where her total sanity would be called to question.

But if Maheeda is not ill, then what is her plan? Is she possessed by a legion of seventy times seven demons after her earlier conversion to Christianity? Or is she just being plain silly? If she is being silly, then the blogs and websites which amplified her silly whims have a moral question to answer.

But Maheeda is not the only by-product of a jaundiced country. We have her likes in the National affairs of this country. Only, those types don’t have to post their pictures for us to see. They are already naked dancers in the ruinous chambers of national leadership. They and the mad ones before them inflicted the pain on the social fibre of Nigeria which Maheeda was unfortunate to grow up in. Their naked dances of greed and corruption turned Maheeda and millions like her into Prostitutes to eke a daily living. Maheeda could well be paying back the society with her nakedness, spoiling the children of the new Nigeria as a vengeance eats her. She just might be saying, ‘ as una spoil my life, me sef go spoil una pikin own’. And stupidly the children of her vengeful mission oogle and applaud.

It is not also far-fetched too that Maheeda might be using the naked pictures of herself as a new form of visual prostitution. Selling her body , now revamped and refurbished in a new clime, to her former clients as if to call them out. She might be saying, ‘You can’t have this now. I have gone to another level’.

Indeed, she has reached a new level. An all-time low of self-destruction in a gradual process. But knowing the society in which I live and where she comes from, her destruction may be pyrhic: the sick social society would soon invite her to red carpet functions and events. Soon, she just might be signing autographs and strutting societal streets of false adulation.

Then she would have have the last laugh. Or perhaps maybe society and fate have one last wince to elicit from her. Time has a way of telling, though.

Segun Arinze & Charles Novia condems Jim Iyke's deliverance, call it an embarrassment

Actor and former AGN president Segun Arinze reacted on his Blackberry. He wrote:

"This Jim Iyke's deliverance video at the Synagogue trending looks too contrived. It's a big embarrassment. Has anyone ever seen demons come out live and speak? Una fit stand demons? Una carry Nollywood enter Church, abi? How much did he get paid? I'm just wondering. Make una stop all these nonsense play. Haba. Stranger than fiction!

Outspoken Nollywood producer Charles Novia reacted on Twitter. See his Tweets below ...
LOL

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Stop Posting Your Pictures on Social Media If You Can't Take The Insults! Charles Novia To Celebrities

Charles Novia is like the parole officer for celebrities  lol. he just can't let them be .. In his new 'speech' on twitter, he thinks most celebrities need to learn how to respect their fans and stop insulting them by terming them 'broke'. In fact he is suggesting they should be lectured on that.... do you agree?? See his other tweets below.