Exclusive Interview: Nollywood Veteran Prince Jide Kosoko's Interview With Peak Pathway Magazine

Peak Pathway had a sit down with Nollywood veteran actor Prince Jide Kosoko and we had an interesting interview. The Nollywood veteran had alot to say but one thing that kept on ringing as a lesson to future actors and actress is "A trained professional producer will not ask you out before giving you roles to play".

·         PPM: Can we meet you sir?

JK: My name remains unchanged Prince Jide Kosoko

·         PPM: Please tell us how and when you started your acting career?

JK: I started around 1964 at the age of ten when I was still in primary school.

·         PPM: What was the first movie you did and tell us the year?

JK: The first movie I featured in was more of a documentary done within an American setting in the year 1969.

·         PPM: What could be the cause of the high divorce rate in the entertainment industry?

JK: Divorce is something that happens on a daily basis in any community. You see, several numbers of people are divorcing each day and since actors and actresses are human as well they are bound to face such challenges.

·         PPM: How about sexual harassment in the industry? Do producers have to sleep with upcoming artist before they get roles?

JK: A trained professional producers will not ask you out before giving you roles to play. There is bound to be sexual harassment as it happens in most organisations, not only in the entertainment industry. Even if you are married and you work in an industry, be it banking or journalism, you will definitely see somebody that will find you attractive or that you personally find attractive. So, it’s now left to you to make your decision. I detest people who say, ‘Yes’ (to sexual advances) all because they want to get a particular role to play.

 Be professional enough, and don’t gatecrash into any field. Look at Madam Joke Silver, and some other artists. I am sorry to mention names here. Look at other big professionals who went through the rudiment of the practice. People who got trained whether in higher institution or locally trained. People who are purely ‘cooked’, who are fully equipped. You cannot mess around with such people because you need them to interpret your role professionally. You will rather beg them, but when you gatecrash, it means that you are desperate to get a role. Then, when that happens, you are on your own. ‘O.Y.O’.

·         PPM: We are aware that you have other endorsement deal apart from acting career?

JK: There are so many of them. Some I don’t even know. I have endorsement for car, and then, products such as Chivita, Gala, and Yoyo bitters amongst others.

·         PPM: We are aware that piracy is a major challenge in the film industry?

JK: Yes, piracy is a major challenge to all intellectual property owners in Nigeria. There is a need for government to impact severe penalty (for the offenders).Stringent laws like what they are doing in UK and America are needed, because we know we are very stubborn in Nigeria. We need serious discipline, which is imprisonment and everybody will run because nobody wants to go to prison.

Somebody who steals by means of pirating another person’s job and makes over two or three million naira. You now charge such person to court, and he /she is now being given a fine of one hundred thousand naira only or imprisonment. The person will quickly pay the one hundred thousand naira because he has made a profit of over three million. That is not a punishment as far as l am concerned.

·         PPM: When was your saddest and happiest moment in the movie industry?

JK: Several happiness, several sad moments. You see, my own happiness happens anytime l am being acknowledged and appreciated for a particular work that I have done. It means that I have touched a life. Any time somebody watches my film and say I watched your movie and l am satisfied.

The saddest moment, of course, comes especially from the press where they give you a bad name/image without confirming the truth from you. So we have been able to identify which of the papers are genuine and which are junk and I reserve my comments for them.

·         PPM: We heard your daughter just gave birth, can you tell us the sex of the child?

JK: She delivered a baby girl in the US. I am sure you know the mother is also an actress and her name is Shola.

·         PPM: What are the successes you have recorded after your 60^th birthday?      

JK: My being alive today is by God’s grace, and that people talk about me positively or negatively is a success, and like you’re rightly mentioned, that one makes the 7^thgrand child. It all depends on what you use as your measure for success. A lot of people will want to measure their successes by the millions or billions of naira in their account or by the number of houses that they have built. No, but I am a highly successful man. Professionally, I am still relevant and I thank God that even my children are not doing bad. So, it is good, because as ‘young’ as I am (laughs) I can conveniently tell you that I have nine graduates. That goes a long way. I have worked and trained so all these are regarded as part of my success.

·         PPM: Sir, what is Jide Kosoko Foundation all about?

JK: The aim of Jide Kosoko Foundation is to care for people with mental instabilities. We intend to go into educating people on what mental health is all about? Because, if this is done the number of mad people on the street will be reduced as proper measures will be taken. Diabetic mellitus is one of the health issues which Jide kosoko has had and maintained since 1990. This is due to the fact that I am properly informed that it’s not a death sentence. It is something that can be maintained. That’s the reason I have chosen to also educate people on diabetes. How it can be maintained. And, my advice generally is that whatever health challenge you have in your life face it squarely and try to manage it. I eat normally, do a lot of exercises, and do a lot of things to reduce those sugars that are in my body. Importantly, know the truth about your health, and run some laboratory tests. Doctors will tell you the problems that you have and the things you can do to ensure you get out of it.

·         PPM: We heard about your book ‘The Warrior Lamentation’

JK: The ‘Warrior Lamentation,’ is not my auto-biography. It is my Sojourn in the entertainment industry. It is my leadership in the industry so that people coming behind me can learn from my mistakes and be able to make necessary corrections so that the leadership and industry can continue to grow.

·         PPM: Do you have any political ambition?

JK: I used to have in those days. Last registration I made effort to contest for the national assembly but I didn’t have enough financial ability to go ahead. And, you know Nigeria politics. I am in politics already, although I might not be contesting for anything but I think I am contributing my quota by touching lives. But, if I am given a role politically, of course, I will accept it.

·         PPM: If you are called by the Liberian President to shoot a film in Liberia what will be your response?

JK: The title of the film will probably be ‘EBOLA!’ (Laughs)  or (O- M -GOD).We will over dress even more than the doctors attending to the patients. You will think we are going to the moon. We will wear clinical coats made of ‘metal’.

·         PPM: Have you been involved in any campus career talks?

JK: Yes, severally, in fact, I have been given an assignment in one of the Colleges of Education at present to set up their Theatre Art Department.

·         PPM: What can Nigerians do to eradicate insurgency?

JK: A lot of things have been politicised. So, you never know what to do. But, the truth is this; if truly people are behind it, those people will not live to see their grandchildren. I don’t even know where to start from. Honestly, I don’t believe it is a religious matter. Some people must have known them .And, these people who know them, I will ask, is it that they (Extremists) are so hardened that they cannot talk to them to stop or beg them to stop? We have said a lot of things about theChibok girls to the press. I am even thinking that we should stop the idea of ‘leave our girls alone’, let us all continue to pray that God touches the heart of those people behind this insurgency in Nigeria.

·         PPM: As a Guru and achiever in the entertainment industry what advice can you give to the youths?

JK: Be professional. Try to be upgraded. Try and be trained. Even, if you have the talent and the rudiment of the profession, be ready to learn. Don’t be too forward. A lot of people do program like ‘Who wants to be the next movie star’. You cannot be a movie star by accident. Accident in this situation is when you become an actor in one program, and they say you won and you have become a star.

We can claim to be a star because we have been around now for some time. A Professor or a Doctor of English will continue to be relevant for as long as he is alive in his field. A situation where you claim to be a star today and tomorrow you are not in the industry, then, it means you were never trained. Because if you are properly trained, even if you don’t continue to be a popular star you will still be one of the artists to still be reckoned with.

·         PPM: Who is your role model?

JK: Helbert Ogunde was my role model. He lived a stone thrown from my family house at Alagomeji,Yaba road where I grew up. 

·         PPM: What is your favorite food?

JK:  I love eating rice.

·         PPM: What was your favorite childhood moment?

JK: My favorite childhood moment was when I featured as a led role in the movie ‘MAKANJUOLA’ around 1964.

·         PPM: What was your first car?

JK: Volkswagen (Beetle). I bought it #1500(One Thousand Five Hundred Naira) only then. 

He remains one of the most respected Nigerian Actors in Nigeria.