#BNMeetTheStar: Chimezie Imo Opens Up About His Acting Journey, Growth & His Role on “Choke”

On this episode of #BNMeetTheStar interview, rising Nollywood smartly-known person Chimezie Imo opens up about his scurry in the switch up to now, his AMVCA nomination, and the rewarding roles he has performed in movies like “Choke,” “Nimbe,” “The Wait,” and extra. He also discusses his latest involvement as a producer and shares insights into his personal lifestyles, in conjunction with a surprising capability in the kitchen.

Safe a gaze into the lifetime of this talented actor as he takes us in the back of the scenes of his profession and shares his aspirations for the lengthy bustle. Expertise!

First of all, congratulations to your AMVCA nomination. How did it feel to be nominated?

Thanks; I worship it. In fact, I if fact be told mediate all styles of recognition for my work are a privilege. As a working actor who’s conscious of their location in a rising switch, I never lift any recognition as a correct. It forever feels surreal. On the replacement hand, AMVCA’s nomination used to be tremendous surreal because I used to be nominated alongside big actors who I grew up staring at and admiring, like Chidi Mokeme, Richard Mofe-Damijo, and OC Ukeje. Also, Blossom Chukwujekwu is one in every of my licensed working actors in Nollywood, so sharing a nomination checklist with him used to be tremendous surreal.

You’ve approach a lengthy reach, nevertheless how has 2023 been for you up to now?

I’d thunder 2023 has been an expression of God’s grace in my profession. It’s silent unfolding, though, and things are silent occurring. I am grateful for it up to now and would perhaps additionally no longer dwell wide awake for what the leisure of the 365 days brings.

Every actor’s path to this switch is weird. Rob us thru yours up so some distance.

First, I’d thunder God has held my hand thru my scurry up to now in Nollywood. I used to be primarily based in the North, the save I used to be training at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, and I needed to lift the night bus for auditions and whatnot. From time to time, I’d receive picked. A form of instances, I didn’t. Then, as fate would hold it, I used to be posted to Lagos for my NYSC, which gave me one more to pursue acting squarely. Since then, it’s perfect been God maintaining my hand, like I talked about, and strolling me thru it. I mean, there used to be an AMAA nomination and a Future Awards nomination, both of which I never imagined would hold came about that early in my profession. And now there’s an AMVCA nomination, which I feel came about earlier than I thought it will as smartly.

What has been essentially the most rewarding position of your profession up to now, and why?

Frankly speaking, it’s crucial for me to first thunder that every position I’ve had has been a blessing and a reward. Despite the indisputable fact that I’m currently craving for additional dynamic, fully fleshed-out roles in a smartly-written script, perfect being a working actor is a dream I are living. So, I’m fully grateful for the total opportunities I’ve been provided and for no longer having been put in a box or typecast. And that’s no longer to disclose typecasting is a inappropriate thing, nevertheless it absolutely’s no longer the route I’m hoping to appear at in my profession. “Nimbe” in particular opened many doorways for me, so per chance I would perhaps additionally call it my most rewarding position yet. On the replacement hand, there are also about a extra in the works that I will’t wait to portion.

You starred in “Choke,” a psychological thriller that touches on psychological smartly being, sickle cell, family, and worship. How did you receive in the honest reach of pondering to play a position in this sort of extreme film?

Step one in entering into the honest reach of pondering to play my position in “Choke” used to be to reach it in a extremely intentional manner. I used to be portraying a sickle cell warrior, which is a sensitive topic, so I needed to attain broad research on of us living with sickle cell anaemia. Then, I reached out to a buddy from high college who lives with the condition to present an working out and firsthand recordsdata on what it feels desire to be a sickle cell warrior. Within the cease, all I would perhaps additionally rating used to be a surface working out of their condition and their trouble, which made me scared. It took plenty of psychological work for me to strive my easiest to honour those living with sickle cell anaemia. Furthermore, my personality used to be a cat dad, so I chose to are living with a cat for a length earlier than filming began, which used to be a phobia I needed to overcome. Lastly, I needed to lose some weight to manufacture the personality as genuine as probably. Going in the honest reach of pondering to smartly-known person in “Choke” used to be both a psychological and bodily scurry for me.

Wow, that’s spectacular. Neatly done! You latterly announced your debut as a producer for the short film “It Took place Again.” How lengthy hold you ever been working on this challenge? And what’s it all about? How can of us peep it?

My debut film as a producer, “It Took place Again,” came to be when my buddy Dayo, who’s a director, cinematographer, and author as smartly, reached out to me trying to expose a honest fable of his personal lifestyles. His fogeys were shot and killed somewhere in the South by unknown gunmen. And it’s been laborious for him to movement on because he hasn’t gotten closure, hence his decision to manufacture a transient film to glance closure. He wished me on board as an actor, nevertheless I needed to be extra involving by such storytelling and this sort of highly effective message of danger since it used to be crucial to him. And to me too. So I requested to be a portion of the producers’ team and helped put our heads together to manufacture the film. The film is currently being submitted to film festivals and has perfect started its competition rounds, after which this would additionally likely be released on-line.

Who are some of your acting influences? Every Nigerian and foreign?

Ramsey Nouah, Gabriel Afolayan, and Gideon Okeke are some of my acting influences in Nigeria. Internationally, I’m hugely influenced by Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, and Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean).

Discontinuance any of the roles you’ve performed spill into your day after day lifestyles, and accomplish followers approach up to you and reach you as a consequence of one thing your personality talked about or did?

I mediate as actors, we assuredly lift some portion of our characters into our day after day lives, in particular as soon as we haven’t had ample time to mentally detox from a personality or focus on over with a therapist to shed the load of a personality. And to be candid, no longer many actors in Nollywood hold the gorgeous of time or money to glance wellness. We assuredly lift some portion of our characters into our day after day lives. So we perfect hope and pray that whatever we lift from a personality is glorious and no longer inappropriate or horrible. And undoubtedly, followers hold approached me as a consequence of the dialogue my characters hold talked about or their actions in a film.

What’s one fun fact about yourself that I wouldn’t be in a reputation to win in a assert?

One fun thing you wouldn’t win about me in a assert? I’m reasonably cook dinner (LOL). I’m no longer the largest fan of cooking, nevertheless I know my reach spherical the kitchen, and I’ve been urged my cooking comes out perfect honest (LOL).

Whereas you’re no longer working, how attain you strive to unwind?

When I’m no longer working, I strive to unwind by staring at movies and tv presentations.