In the Yoruba movie industry, the Philips family is one of the pioneers. The patriarch of the family, late Olufemi Philips, owned a theater group known as Osumare, which has produced many super stars, including Chief Kanran and Segun Remi. After Phillips’ death, his wife, Idowu Philips, better known as Iya Rainbow summoned the courage to solely continue to run the group. In 2007, one of the sons of the family named after his dad, Olufemi Philips, traveled abroad to study theater arts. He later became a big movie producer and director in the UK. Recently, he came to Nigeria to shoot a documentary on the founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, Mose Orimolade. During the shooting of the film, the talented actor, producer-cum-director had an interview with City People’s GBOLAHAN ADETAYO, at Ikeja Shopping Mall and he spoke extensively and exclusively on what he passed through in England before he became a big brand he is today. Excerpts:
You are known as a UK-based actor-cum-director, how did the journey start for you?
It all started between 2000/2001 because I was one of the strongest movie producers in Nigeria with many productions, such as Alamu Seniyan, Anikulapo, Eleporobi, Odun Mbaku and others to my credit. The movies really touched so many homes. I saw the industry, the marketers and all that and there was nothing to write home about them. At that point, I decided on what I could do. I chose to go to England for further studies on Theatre arts. I travelled in 2007. I studied Theatre arts at South Bank University, London. Things were not, however, easy, I couldn’t believe it that I could attend the school. I sold my car and my 2 plots of land at Mowe/Ibafo in Ogun State to procure funds to go and study abroad. I had to do something as at then because I didn’t like the way things were going in the industry. I have to acquire more knowledge and stand on my own. When I got to the UK, what I met wasn’t what I expected. The school fees were very prohibitive. I paid the first instalment and I couldn’t afford the subsequent ones. I have to work to pay the fees. Along the line, I couldn’t believe that all the money I had been paying, if you have their papers or you marry a British lady, you would not need to pay a dime. You would be attending the school free and the authorities would also be paying you. Can you imagine that? So, later, I met a British lady in my church, we got married and my story changed. She presented me well to the authorities and I got my papers and I continued my studies.
What was your mum’s reaction when you told her you had married a white woman?
I was asking mama to send me some money for my school fees. Between the 2 of us, we knew that there was no money in the Nigerian movie industry especially in the Yoruba genre. We have many icons in the industry who don’t have the money and people think they do. My mum couldn’t pay the money because I was talking about nine million Naira per session and that is 17,000 pounds. The school authorities believed you were okay before you could come to their country to study, but they allowed us to work for hours and also come to school, it wasn’t easy at all. All these money we are talking about, if you marry their daughter, they would be doing it for free for you and they would be paying you for studying in their country. That was why most Nigerian men used to marry British ladies to make things easy . I told my mum after I did it. I knew my mum wouldn’t agree if I had told her earlier because she is a pastor and she knew my fiancée in Nigeria before I travelled, who really understood me. I told her my movement and she supported me. Only God understands the way He does his things. The white woman (my wife) was a type, who used to sleep at home today, sleep at the club, the following day, drinking and smoking all the time, which were against my wish. I don’t smoke and I don’t drink alcohol either. That was the way we were brought up. From boarding house to church. Myself and the white lady were not compatible and we got separated after a while. The journey was so rough, but I thank God for where I find myself today. All I have in mind now is how to make sure that things are put in place in my father’s industry.
How were you able to continue your education after you parted ways with your white wife?
Once you have your papers, they can’t collect it back from you. We were married for 3 years and I had got my papers. The white people would appreciate you more, if you have a good job in their country because you are adding value to their economy. If my salary is 1,500 pounds and I pay 500 pounds tax, would you want me to leave your state? That is exactly what happened.
Which job were you doing?
Those years when I was in school, I was working in a forensic department just as an officer. I did that course separately. Forensic means the people working at a station where underage people ,who have not attained the age of going to jail are kept. I also did nursing, which took me to work in prison yard, I have done many legal works in England, my brother.
How many years did you work in the prison?
There is something called agency, it is only if i don’t want to do the work again that I’ll be completely out. If I get to Britain tomorrow, I will just go online and feed in my data, there are millions of jobs, I will just pick a job I want to do. Even their prison is better than most shopping malls or hotels in Nigeria. If you give a prisoner food and he complains about it, the server of the food could be told to leave the work, first because they believe you want to kill him/her. England’s prison is the best I’ve ever seen. Standby doctors and nurses provided in case of any health challenge. Someone was called a prisoner “Elewon” the management had to invite an interpreter and the person was immediately sacked . The white people value human beings much unlike in Nigeria where the government doesn’t care about anybody.
With your experiences, what are you still looking for in the acting industry?
The only job I am comfortable with is acting. I was only doing those jobs to be okay as a man. In acting, it is rare for a black man to make it big in Hollywood because they don’t appreciate us much and we don’t have their accent, you can’t satisfy their taste, but we over value them when they come to Africa. As a matter of fact, if you compete for a job in Nigeria with a white man, the white would get the job in your father’s land, so what are we talking about. I have so much passion for acting. Even at work, I am always writing plays.
I learnt you were present when ANTP was formalized many years ago; can you share with us what transpired?
You are right. I was a gifted child. I remember things much. I was a very smart boy. I was there with my dad in Osasa in Ijebu, Ogun State and the late Ogunde called my dad, Femi, which name should we give this association because my dad was the boss in Ita Faji on Lagos Island and Ogunde also had his own territory. Duro Ladipo, Ray Eyinwunmi, Oyin Adejobi and the rest, they don’t associate with one another before. They did their stuff within their groups only until when Ogunde called them and said let us be one. Suggetions came up. Someone called it Nigerian Theatre industry, another person suggested Nigerian Theatre Organisation, Nigerian Theatre group and all that before they settled for the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners {ANTP}. My father was a lecturer at the University of Lagos at the faculty of Theatre Arts. He was among the Village Headmaster cast and crew, but he died young at 42 years of age. Segun Remi was one of his students. My dad even established a theatre group within the school and the likes of Chief Kanran, Segun Remi and others were members of the group. Segun Remi is also a lecturer now. I was so much young then, but I overheard their conversation. Hubert Ogunde loved eating sugar; he was chewing it at the meeting. Comrade Ashaolu was very educated and connected, he was not popular, but he had some facts about this association. He was the one who registered the association with the CAC. I was not happy when I got the news that the major players had dumped ANTP for another association. I am not following anybody’s step on the issue, but I will remain an ANTP member, a body my father co-founded. I can remember vividly that after the meeting, Ogunde gave us food to eat. Thereafter, he called my dad to one corner and told him to be careful with friends. May be the man also saw visions. You know, Ogunde was very powerful. And my father loved to be with friends. You can’t believe that when he was going for the meeting, he brought along his friends . He had one built in Niaja vehicle called “Bolekaja”, he wrote Osunmare Theatre Group on it. Unfortunately, my dad was poisoned the following month and he was on sick bed till he died. He was on sick bed for about 4 years. We were taking him from one clinic to the other. My mum was a nurse, a matron at the General Hospital in Marina Lagos, but I was always with my dad. We were all with my grandma on the Island when the sickness started. My mum would finish work late at night and she would go to Oyo that same night to treat my dad every day. That is why I love her much. I would be crying that I wanted to accompany her and she would take me along. That is why I got to know all these stories. I was there when my dad died. When Baba Osunmare died, my mum cleaned him up. She bathed him herself and told his family members that Femi had died. My mum didn’t cry, may be because she is a nurse and she had seen more than enough dead bodies. Above all, I was not happy with the way the industry is now. With time, I would invite journalists to watch the new documentary I just did on Mose Orimolade.
Can you tell us more about that?
I go to Cherubim and Seraphim church, to God who made me, I always saw the man, Orimolade, in my dreams and he told me to talk about him and that he would stand by me. I had earlier forgotten about him, but when I got to the church, I saw the photo of the man and I told my mum about it. That was about 2 years ago. So, I started doing my research. As I am talking with you, I just returned from Ile Ife, where I went to meet with Jimi Sholanke to do the voice commentary on the documentary. I shot it and I added a short drama to it. I did that with my team, White Heart Media. We have done a research about Alaafin of Oyo, Ibadan, Sogidi and we are talking about something else now. We got to Ikare Ekiti where Orimolade hailed from. There is only one man, who is a member his family and he is known as Tunolashe. Orimolade was his uncle. Mose Orimolade’s mum had 6 children, but his brother’s son, Tunolashe, is the only member of the family still on the planet earth. He is over 100 years of age. He gave me the whole story of Orimolade. Fortunately, Iya Rainbow’s dad worked with Orimolade and that is why Iya Rinbow worships at Cherubim and Seraphim Church. And that my grandpa died in 1975. I have done the documentary and my white friends also contributed to the script. They were meant to come to Nigeria with me for the shooting, but the fear of Boko Haram made them to stay back.