Yourcinemafilms.com | Andrea Ali (Champion, Doctors, Hollyoaks) shares how she was really against doing soaps in the early part of her career and dealing with the feeling of ‘not doing enough’.
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Are you ready for the truth?
’Welcome to Your Cinema'
Follow us on socials:
Tiktok: @yourcinemafilms
Instagram: @yourcinemafilms
Twitter: @yourcinemafilms
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FunTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:01 Now everyone's making it in film and TV,
00:03 but we don't really know how.
00:06 Here we uncover the truth.
00:08 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast.
00:10 (upbeat music)
00:12 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast.
00:15 This is the place where we explore the truth,
00:18 the authentic truth about film, TV, theater,
00:22 and we hear it directly from those who are smashing it
00:26 and doing really well in their areas.
00:29 Today, we've got someone who's really special
00:32 and amazing talent in front of camera,
00:34 and I'm sure she's also doing stuff behind,
00:38 secretly somewhere.
00:39 But she, for me anyway, right,
00:43 this is where I first came across her,
00:45 but like she was one of the leads
00:47 in the classic short film series,
00:50 Pride and Pack by R.N. Moses.
00:52 She's been in Idris Elba's series in the long run,
00:55 141 episodes of Hollyoaks,
00:59 Doctors, the Netflix series Champion,
01:02 as well as Coby Adams' latest short, Jump.
01:07 We've got Andrea Arlie.
01:08 What's going on?
01:09 - Wow!
01:10 My goodness, a lot has changed in seven years
01:15 since we last sat down and spoke.
01:17 That's crazy.
01:18 - It's true.
01:19 - It's true.
01:20 - Oh wow!
01:21 - Remember, yeah?
01:24 And I was telling you, I hadn't had my break yet,
01:26 and I was still trying to figure it out.
01:28 And then you've listed all of these things.
01:30 And I think that even has just been a testimony for me
01:33 in this conversation, 'cause I think I forget sometimes.
01:36 So thank you for that.
01:37 Thank you.
01:38 - It's been seven years.
01:41 - Seven years since we first sat down and spoke, yeah.
01:44 Yeah.
01:45 - It's interesting because apparently they say like,
01:48 every seven years, you're a completely new person.
01:53 - Hell, that's good.
01:55 - The cells in your body are like regenerating.
01:59 And by, after like seven years,
02:02 it's like every single cell in your body is new.
02:06 - Okay.
02:07 - So you're actually physically like a new person.
02:09 - I like that.
02:11 - That's very interesting.
02:12 Okay, cool.
02:13 I mean, so right.
02:16 I am gonna, I'm gonna,
02:19 I wanna start from the beginning, right?
02:20 Because I feel like your journey is one
02:25 that is very interesting
02:27 and one that maybe we don't get to see the truth of enough.
02:32 So yeah, I wanna unpack your journey a little bit.
02:38 So like for you, like how long have you been acting?
02:42 - Oh, you know, I did the maths like last week.
02:46 I think officially 14 years this year.
02:51 I got my first agent 14 years ago when I was 16.
02:55 But I would say I kind of fell in love with it
03:00 when I was about 12, so that's about 18 years ago.
03:04 So it's been a long time.
03:06 It's been a really long time.
03:07 But in this industry, we don't have a concept of time.
03:10 So I think sometimes everything sort of feels like
03:15 everything is happening and then nothing is happening
03:17 all at the same time in that space.
03:19 So it's about kind of making the moments
03:24 mean something to you within that
03:25 and not focusing on the length of time.
03:28 But yeah, officially 14 years, yeah.
03:33 - I love that.
03:35 I love that because yeah, truthfully,
03:38 it doesn't matter whether it's been a year or 20 years,
03:43 as long as you're doing it with your purest heart
03:48 in an ideal world.
03:49 Do you know what I mean?
03:50 - Yeah.
03:51 - Okay, I love that.
03:54 So what would you say, casting your mind back to
03:59 like your first agent and all of that stuff, right?
04:02 I wanna know what was your first serious role like?
04:06 And on set, what was that experience for you?
04:11 - Oh, okay.
04:13 So my first, technically my first professional credit
04:18 was a job that I did called "Meet the Adivandjos,"
04:21 which is actually now on Netflix.
04:22 Oh my goodness.
04:25 So that was the first thing I booked.
04:27 And I just remember feeling like,
04:29 okay, this is happening, this is a thing.
04:32 I can finally say I'm an actor
04:33 and not just like aspiring in front of it.
04:36 And being on set was great.
04:38 I got to work with "Don't Jealous Me."
04:42 Well, most people know him by "Don't Jealous Me."
04:44 So I got to work with him
04:45 and some other really, really, really great human beings.
04:49 And it was wonderful.
04:51 I got to learn on the job.
04:54 I got to sort of, 'cause I did performing arts in college
04:58 and in secondary school,
05:00 but I'd never officially kind of had any sort of training.
05:03 So I didn't really know what I was doing.
05:04 So I got to put everything that I knew into practice
05:07 for the first time.
05:08 And there were nerves,
05:11 'cause I was about 17, 16, 17 at the time,
05:14 and I was nervous.
05:15 And you're sort of thinking, am I doing the right thing?
05:18 But then at the same time,
05:19 this is an opportunity for me to prove to my parents,
05:22 my very Nigerian parents, that actually I'm an actor.
05:26 And like, this is paying off.
05:27 And like, yeah, this is what I want to do.
05:30 And I'm good at it.
05:31 And hopefully this will kind of like
05:33 give me some leverage in arguments
05:35 for me to keep going
05:36 and for them to just kind of let me do my thing.
05:39 And it was, and I was so grateful
05:41 because before it was out on Netflix,
05:43 they'd aired it in Nigeria.
05:44 So a lot of my family back home in Nigeria got to see it.
05:48 So they called and they were just like, "Oh, is this?"
05:50 And I was like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm international."
05:53 And it meant so much at the time,
05:56 because I think to kind of get that recognition
05:59 just from within the family was a huge thing.
06:02 And I think that's what really sort of kick-started
06:05 the support at home for me to continue going.
06:08 So yeah, I would say that was a really special first job
06:12 for me for those reasons.
06:14 Yeah.
06:15 - That's amazing.
06:16 That's amazing.
06:18 That's amazing.
06:19 So you've done "Meet the Adi Banjos," right?
06:22 After that, what was your next job?
06:27 - What was my next job?
06:31 So my next job, I think, would have been "Pride and Pack"
06:36 by RM Moses, who is just such a legendary human being.
06:41 And I'm so grateful to him.
06:44 And so obviously there was a jump
06:45 between doing "Meet the Adi Banjos" and doing "Pride and Pack"
06:50 because I was still trying to figure out agencies.
06:56 I had gone to identity,
06:59 so part-time drama school at the time,
07:00 just to kind of like brush up on my skills
07:03 and was really trying to make that break.
07:05 Ended up working with Remy on "Pride and Pack"
07:09 with the most incredible cast ever.
07:13 And we had an absolute blast.
07:14 We had an absolute ball.
07:16 And then we did the screening for it.
07:17 But I think as a lot of actors starting out
07:20 or like with their first couple of jobs,
07:22 you don't really think about where it's gonna go.
07:23 You're not really thinking about who's gonna see it
07:26 or the potential reach.
07:27 You're doing it because you love it,
07:29 because you love the cast,
07:30 because you love the crew,
07:31 maybe because you love the storyline also.
07:33 And so then we had the screening.
07:36 And after that, people sort of started to recognize me
07:41 from "Pride and Pack" or pick up on certain things.
07:45 And I was like, "Oh, okay, this is the thing.
07:47 "This is nice."
07:49 And then I'd done Stormzy's "Cigarettes and Kush" video
07:52 around that time as well.
07:53 That video had just come out around that time.
07:55 So it felt like there were things that I could put out there
07:58 and post on my social media to be like,
08:00 and it was a narrative video.
08:02 So I was really happy about that.
08:03 And so again, it's pushing me into these spaces.
08:07 And so people recognizing me for my work
08:11 and it sort of then felt like,
08:14 "Okay, this is taking off.
08:16 "My spotlight is building up a little bit.
08:18 "Yay."
08:19 - Yes. - You know what I mean?
08:20 - Yes, yes.
08:21 That must've been really nice to finally get those credits.
08:27 I guess even from a mental perspective,
08:29 because it's not the argument,
08:33 but it's like, okay, you haven't got any credits,
08:37 but you wanna act, so you're an actor.
08:40 But it's like, okay, but you still,
08:43 like you want this to be your profession.
08:46 So it's a big thing when you get certain things
08:49 like your first TV credit, your first show, first film,
08:52 all of that stuff.
08:53 So you must've been on quite a high.
08:57 - Yes.
08:57 - So does that take us to around 2017 or 2016 maybe?
09:04 - Yes, 2017, yes.
09:07 - Cool.
09:08 So, "Hollyoaks," right?
09:12 Now, I didn't realize you were in it for three years.
09:16 - Yeah.
09:17 - Like, do you know what?
09:21 I don't know if that's a long time for soap
09:23 or if it's short,
09:24 but it just feels like you weren't on there
09:28 for a month or two.
09:29 Even if you were, that's fine, isn't it?
09:31 But I'm like, oh.
09:32 - I get what you're saying, yeah.
09:34 A significant time, yeah.
09:37 Yes.
09:37 - Like, what was that like, yeah?
09:40 Landing that role?
09:44 - Goodness me.
09:45 Okay, so I'm not gonna lie, Pierre.
09:46 This is a conversation I've wanted to have
09:49 with you for a long time.
09:51 Just because I think,
09:54 I know that in the industry,
09:57 in the UK in particular, for black actors,
10:01 there is, or I'm not too sure about maybe now,
10:04 but definitely at the time,
10:05 there was such a stigma around actors doing soaps
10:08 because it was almost sort of like,
10:11 you don't wanna get typecast or you'll get stuck there
10:15 or it won't really do anything for your career
10:17 if you wanna then branch off into Hollywood
10:19 or you wanna do the bigger things and the lead things.
10:22 You know, the acting is questionable.
10:24 There were sort of all of those things around it.
10:26 So I will say, this is my testimony.
10:31 When I got the email that came through
10:34 for the role of Celeste in Hollyoaks as a lead,
10:39 I saw two years and I was like, oh no, absolutely not.
10:43 Tell my agent, I was like, oh no, not doing that.
10:45 Yeah, not for me.
10:46 I wanna do something else.
10:47 I wanna do the bigger stuff.
10:48 And so we'd had a conversation about it
10:50 and she was just like, you know,
10:52 it would be good for you to get on screen.
10:54 You know, you get some credits,
10:55 you get about a hundred episodes under your belt,
10:57 good training, it gives you something to do,
11:00 get your name out there, all of these things.
11:01 I still wasn't really sold.
11:03 I wasn't convinced at all.
11:05 So I thought I'm gonna do the tape anyway.
11:07 I'm gonna send off the tape, not think about it,
11:09 and then it's done.
11:10 But in the meantime, other things were coming in
11:13 that I was like, oh, like, God, I really want those things.
11:16 I want that job, I want that role.
11:19 And so they'd come back to me with the recall
11:22 and they were like, we really love you,
11:24 want you to do the recall.
11:25 And I was like, oh, no.
11:26 Like I said, no, God, I said no.
11:28 Why does this keep happening?
11:30 And so then I ended up having a conversation
11:32 with Jimmy Akinbola, who I met on the set of
11:35 In The Long Run.
11:37 We'd had a conversation and I said to him,
11:39 this has come in, the opportunity to do Hollyoaks
11:42 and I don't really know how I feel about it.
11:43 And he was like, are you crazy?
11:45 So he called me one day when I was at work,
11:47 at my office job, and we were on the phone
11:49 for like God knows how many hours.
11:51 And he was the most encouraging, supportive soul.
11:56 And he gave me the full rundown of all the list of benefits
12:00 and all the reasons why it would be good for me to do.
12:03 And he was like, I'm in full support of you.
12:04 He had done Hobby City.
12:06 And so he said, in doing that,
12:08 that's what really helped him to build his career.
12:10 He was there for a while, but it allowed him
12:13 the opportunity to build great contacts,
12:15 to work on his talent and then to have something
12:19 to be able to take over to the States
12:20 when he was ready to kind of make that jump into Hollywood.
12:23 So he's listed all of these benefits and he was like,
12:26 you'll be absolutely crazy not to do it.
12:28 So I've come off the phone and I was like,
12:31 okay God, if I get one more call back, I'll do it.
12:36 And then I got the call back and I was out.
12:38 So it was a fight.
12:40 I'm gonna be honest, it was a fight.
12:42 I think I had about six auditions
12:44 until I made it to the Chemistry Read.
12:47 Got to the Chemistry Read,
12:48 ended up meeting a bunch of phenomenal actors.
12:52 I got paired with Bobby Gordon,
12:54 who ended up playing my brother on screen.
12:57 And it was just the start of something beautiful from there.
13:01 Once I'd said yes, it was the biggest leap of faith.
13:03 I was terrified and I was like, right, okay God,
13:06 if I'm gonna say yes and do this,
13:08 you have to meet me halfway.
13:10 Like you have to make something happen with this here
13:13 because I definitely said Hollywood, not Hollyoaks.
13:17 So I know where I wanna go.
13:20 So if you're gonna put me there,
13:22 you have to give me something, do you know what I mean?
13:24 I really was like, me and God were tussling.
13:27 And I just felt at peace about doing it
13:30 when I started, that I was in the right place
13:32 and I was doing the right thing.
13:33 And I made the most of it.
13:35 And I had the most amazing time.
13:37 Like I can't ever quantify that experience
13:41 and what it did for me.
13:43 And how grateful I am to have worked
13:45 with such great directors and writers and cast, my goodness.
13:50 And the family that I then joined into
13:52 such a notable black family had Kelly Bryan
13:56 and Richard Blackwood and Imran Adams,
13:59 (indistinct)
14:00 We had all of these great people attached to this family.
14:04 We had such great storylines.
14:06 And one of the things that meant the most to me
14:08 was we got to at least make some sort of an impact
14:11 being a black family on screen in the UK.
14:14 And I loved that.
14:16 And that was really special to me
14:17 and to get recognition from people who,
14:20 whenever I'd come back down to London,
14:22 people who would recognize and be like,
14:23 I watch it for you and I'm happy to see
14:25 a black girl on screen.
14:27 And we had these turbans and we had do rags.
14:30 And so we were really like repping for our people
14:32 on this one show.
14:34 And so we got to do so much with it.
14:37 And yeah, it was amazing.
14:39 And so financially it was also really good
14:43 at being able to keep me
14:45 because unbeknownst to me and the world,
14:47 six months after I'd started, the pandemic happened.
14:50 So we'd all gone into lockdown and I was grateful
14:53 and I was so fortunate that I was still working.
14:56 I was still employed and I still had some sort of
15:00 financial stability to keep me going,
15:04 to be able to pay my bills, to pay my car
15:06 and all of these things.
15:07 And I really felt like that was God being like,
15:11 okay, this is, you obeyed, this was for your obedience.
15:16 You know what I mean?
15:17 Like this was for your obedience.
15:18 And so I'm gonna keep you and I'm gonna provide for you.
15:21 And so that kept me up until 2021,
15:24 when then I got another conviction
15:29 and another push to then leave.
15:31 So then that's how I ended up coming out of it.
15:34 So yeah, I would definitely always encourage actors,
15:39 whether you're starting out,
15:41 whether you're at the middle of your journey
15:43 or at the end or wherever you are,
15:45 to always be open to soaps,
15:47 to the idea of soaps and the possibilities
15:50 that they could bring to you and not be like me
15:52 and not be so shut off to them.
15:54 But I don't think that soaps are spoken enough
15:58 as much as they should be.
16:01 They're not pushed as much as they should be.
16:03 Whenever we celebrate TV and film,
16:06 we kind of, it could be TV series,
16:08 but we don't have TV soaps and then film.
16:12 You know?
16:13 So yeah, I'm waving a little flag for soaps.
16:15 - No, do you know what?
16:17 That's amazing.
16:18 And I'm really happy that your experience was so good,
16:22 if I'm being completely honest.
16:25 And I've got a question for you, right?
16:29 Like you rightly picked on that point of being in soaps
16:33 and the stigma around it.
16:35 Why do you think that stigma is?
16:37 - Okay, so I would say from my personal opinion,
16:43 I think it stems from the perception of the acting style
16:47 and a lot of people not really understanding
16:50 that soap is a style of acting,
16:52 just how you have like theater as a style of acting.
16:54 And there are many different styles,
16:56 but soap is a style of acting.
16:58 And so, you know, to some, it isn't to their taste
17:02 and then you can become limited
17:03 because people think that's your capability,
17:06 that's all you're able to do.
17:08 And so then it's like,
17:09 if we've watched our episodes
17:12 and we're not really sold on your acting,
17:14 we don't know if we wanna put you in our film
17:16 or we don't really know if we want you in our series
17:18 'cause you might not match up
17:19 to the talent of the other actors.
17:22 But then once you get into the audition room
17:24 and people see what you can do and what you can bring,
17:26 they're surprised each and every time
17:28 because they're like,
17:29 but I watched your episode and I thought you were bad.
17:32 And it's not personal, it's not a personal thing.
17:36 I think it's just what goes out on screen.
17:38 And so I think people are sort of apprehensive
17:42 to wanna work with soap actors because of that.
17:46 But it's just having to understand
17:48 that it's just a style of acting.
17:49 If you can master the style of soap well,
17:53 you are a good actor.
17:55 Do you know what I mean?
17:55 You're not limited, it just means you're a good actor.
17:57 You can go into it and you can very quickly come out of it
18:00 and find something else to do.
18:01 So, yeah, but again, it's not spoken about enough.
18:04 I think that's why.
18:05 - I love that, I love that.
18:09 I definitely feel the same way in terms of,
18:13 like, yeah, like the style of acting.
18:16 So yeah, it's interesting you picked up on that.
18:21 You mentioned like the, almost like stereotyping
18:25 or that view of like, ah, okay, cool,
18:28 I saw you in the soap,
18:29 but that style of acting doesn't feel,
18:32 let's say authentic or whatever, right?
18:35 Not sure if we want you in our project.
18:39 What was that like for you then
18:42 after coming out of Hollyoaks?
18:44 And it's like, all right, cool.
18:46 Like, were you actually experiencing that then?
18:50 Or like, yeah, what was that like for you?
18:51 - Okay, so I would say it was definitely very scary
18:54 coming out of it because at the time,
18:59 so I was at a different agent than I am now.
19:01 We'd had a conversation about it
19:02 and it was like, you know, brace yourself
19:05 because it might be a bit quiet, you know,
19:07 coming out of this.
19:09 There is still a stigma.
19:11 And so it means just in terms of how we start shaping
19:15 your career, you might not, you know,
19:18 go for the leads straight away.
19:20 We might have to start pushing you for smaller roles
19:23 in big projects just to sort of start building your CV
19:26 and to start, you know, building your IMDB up
19:29 and your spotlight up so that it's pushing Hollyoaks
19:32 further and further down on your CV list.
19:36 And then it will get to a stage where this is all people
19:38 can see and so then they'll get you into the room.
19:40 So that process, I would say, sorry.
19:44 - How did that feel hearing that?
19:46 - Frustrating, but also at the same time, I was like,
19:48 I know the God I serve.
19:49 So I was like, I know that I carry more than just this
19:54 and Hollyoaks isn't the thing that's gonna define me.
19:58 It was a stepping stone.
19:59 It's the thing that's gonna set me up.
20:00 And so I think if anything, it made me even more determined
20:02 to prove what I knew I could come in with.
20:05 'Cause again, I went to drama school, went to identity
20:08 for about four and a half years and I trained
20:10 and like, do you know, yes.
20:12 And I had my TV credits or my credits from before
20:15 and I'd worked with great people.
20:17 So I knew what I was able to come in with.
20:19 And I know that it wasn't, again, in this industry,
20:23 you can't take things personally.
20:24 'Cause I think if you take things personally,
20:26 you will feel very demoralized and you'll give up.
20:29 You have to almost kind of know your worth
20:32 and you have to know what you're coming in with.
20:34 You have to come in strong.
20:35 You have to keep knocking down a few doors.
20:37 You have to kick down a few doors, you know what I mean?
20:38 But you have to go in there and know if you've got something
20:41 to prove, you prove yourself.
20:43 So off the back of that, I thought, so 2021,
20:47 when I was leaving, I just thought, no,
20:49 I don't want that to be my story.
20:51 I don't wanna just kind of not work anymore.
20:54 I've come out of Hollyoaks and nothing happens
20:56 and it dries up and sort of people forget who I am
20:59 or what I'm capable of.
21:00 And so the trailer for "The Harder They Fall"
21:04 came out around the same time.
21:06 And so I watched the trailer and I just remember thinking,
21:10 oh my gosh, this is what I wanna do.
21:12 That's where I wanna go.
21:14 And so I did my Googles and I researched who was part
21:17 of that project and I saw James Samuel
21:20 and I immediately went onto Instagram, found his Instagram
21:23 and I just sent him a DM.
21:25 And so another thing, another benefit of doing SOAPS
21:28 that I want people to know is it helps you
21:29 to build your platform.
21:31 So I was very blessed to have then built my following
21:34 and then been verified.
21:36 I don't really care personally much.
21:38 (all laughing)
21:41 But it helps, it helps.
21:43 It's sort of like, it's like a creative's LinkedIn.
21:45 It's like our online CV.
21:46 People can see your work instantly
21:48 without having to search for you.
21:49 So because of the verified tick,
21:51 I was pumped up the queue, I think, in the DMs.
21:55 So I sent him a message and I was just like,
21:57 look, I'm a huge fan of this film and your work
22:01 and your casting.
22:02 And I've seen that you're also from London
22:05 and you're creative and I wanna work.
22:07 And long story short, he was like, yeah, sure.
22:10 And then maybe nine months, 10 months or so later,
22:14 I ended up getting a part in "The Book of Clarence."
22:16 So that led me to that.
22:19 But I also do believe that if I didn't do "Hollyoaks,"
22:22 it wouldn't have given me something
22:24 to at least show for myself.
22:25 Do you know what I mean?
22:26 To at least show that I am working and I am an actor,
22:29 regardless of what the world might think about
22:32 the style of acting or whatever it is.
22:35 I've been nominated for things.
22:36 I've been recognized for things.
22:38 I have a platform.
22:39 I have a following.
22:39 And like, this is just the beginning for me.
22:42 And so it opened that door for me.
22:44 So yeah, I use that to my advantage
22:45 to get to other places 'cause I'm sneaky.
22:47 - I love that as well.
22:51 And I think the truth of doing like 141 episodes,
22:56 it means you're very competent on set.
23:00 It's like, if someone hasn't really done much work,
23:07 it's good training.
23:08 - My goodness, when I tell you
23:13 the multitasking that you learn how to do,
23:16 you can hit your marks.
23:18 You know where all your cameras are.
23:19 You know your lines, like you know continuity.
23:21 There's so much stuff that you know how to do.
23:25 And then you can take that.
23:25 - 'Cause you're shooting sequence in it, yeah, yeah.
23:27 - Exactly.
23:28 And so you can take that with you into auditions.
23:31 Like my self-tape quality improved tenfold after that
23:34 because I was so aware of everything.
23:37 I was aware of how to pick up, how to correct myself,
23:41 how to then take on direction when it's raining
23:43 and it wasn't supposed to be raining
23:44 and a scene has been dropped.
23:45 And so you're supposed to pick up another scene
23:47 that you were supposed to film last week.
23:49 And so all of these things that you're having to do
23:52 on the fly, it really strengthens you as an actor.
23:56 And I think it boosts your confidence also
23:58 because you know that you're coming in
23:59 with all of these techniques, these qualities
24:03 that maybe drama school didn't give.
24:06 And that's not a discredit to drama school.
24:08 I think they teach other things.
24:10 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:11 - When I was in "Identity" at the time, when I did go,
24:13 we didn't really focus on TV and film.
24:15 It was a lot of theater.
24:17 So then when I was on set,
24:18 that was the first time I was having to learn,
24:21 oh, okay, this is my mark and this is how this works
24:24 and this is how this works.
24:25 Hollyoaks gives you all of that at one time
24:29 and it thrusts you into it.
24:30 And so you're forced to learn,
24:31 but then you come out of it honestly,
24:33 and yeah, it's just all in you.
24:35 So it's all in my muscle memory now.
24:36 So I feel like I could go anywhere on set
24:38 and just be fine.
24:40 - I love that, wow.
24:41 So you said something,
24:42 you said your self-tape quality improved.
24:45 Talk to me about that.
24:46 What, what, what do you mean?
24:48 - It's a, I have a light right here.
24:50 So like I have a light, I know where to set up my tripod.
24:53 Like I know what the backdrop should look like.
24:55 I know for continuity, I know how to improvise.
24:57 I know how to engage with my reader
24:59 where my eye line should be.
25:00 So all of these technical things that,
25:03 there's no guarantee in this industry
25:07 for how to book a job.
25:08 But I think there are things that can really sell you
25:11 as an actor when you're doing self-tapes.
25:14 And I think those things really help.
25:15 Do you know what I mean?
25:16 I think it sort of gives you a professional quality
25:19 and it allows whoever's watching your tape
25:21 to be able to focus on you and your performance
25:24 because you're not sort of misaligned out of frame
25:27 and your eye lines all over the place.
25:29 And you're kind of sort of,
25:31 you don't know where your lines are.
25:31 Do you know what I mean?
25:32 Like once you have all of that in you,
25:34 you can then fly when it comes to the talent
25:36 and you can sort of allow that to come alive in your tapes.
25:40 So yeah, that helps me a lot.
25:42 It helps a lot.
25:43 - I love that.
25:45 That's amazing.
25:46 So you've come out of Holyoaks.
25:51 You've messaged James Samuel.
25:54 You're in this time of,
25:56 like 'cause 2021 as well, that's the pandemic,
25:59 but you were working through that.
26:01 But then I guess, where are we in now, 2024?
26:04 So in the next year or two, it's like the strike.
26:08 - Yes.
26:09 - So what I guess have the last two to three years
26:13 been like for you?
26:15 - Well, so again, I was very, very blessed
26:18 because I booked a role in "Champion"
26:23 playing a character called Touchtone.
26:25 And I got to work with the amazing Adeyemi Michael,
26:29 who was fantastic, even just that one episode,
26:31 but he was brilliant.
26:33 So I was very grateful for that.
26:35 I booked the lead in a Sky Kids series called "Amistory."
26:40 So that came out for, I think World Book Day last year.
26:43 And then at the same time I was filming "Doctors."
26:47 So I did about six episodes of "Doctors" as well.
26:50 - And you did all right then.
26:52 - I did, I did all right.
26:54 But you know what, Pierre, I did all right,
26:57 but I didn't feel like I was doing all right.
26:59 That's the part, I didn't feel like I was doing all right.
27:01 I think I was really hard on myself.
27:03 And since "Hollyoaks," I've done four TV jobs,
27:06 but it didn't feel like I was doing anything.
27:07 It didn't feel like I was doing enough.
27:10 And I think that was,
27:11 I really had to take a step back and reset.
27:15 So even though the strike was tough, the strike was tough,
27:20 it gave me time to reflect on me.
27:23 It gave me time to stop being so hard on myself
27:26 and to realize where everybody is
27:29 and everybody's also going through things.
27:31 And I need to be more grateful for my journey
27:35 and for how far I've come and for where I'm still yet to go
27:39 and just take that pressure off and live life and enjoy
27:43 and go and do other things that I enjoy
27:45 and explore other facets of me
27:47 and things that actually don't have anything to do with acting
27:49 'cause I think you just, you go so hard all the time
27:53 and you're hustling all the time and you're networking
27:55 and you're going to events and you're getting new headshots
27:58 and you're doing tapes and you're shaving your head,
28:00 like you're doing all of these things
28:02 to try and be this actor, this person
28:05 who will book all of these roles
28:07 and understanding that actually some of these things
28:09 are just outside of our control,
28:11 but who are you as a person?
28:14 Are you happy within yourself?
28:15 Are you still doing the things that you love?
28:17 Are you taking care of yourself?
28:19 Are you surrounded by great people
28:21 who are very supportive of you and your career
28:23 and encourage you to keep going?
28:25 So I think the strike professionally was very, very tough,
28:30 but it also, it gave me time to be able to reflect
28:32 on those things and feel really grateful
28:34 for how far I've come.
28:36 So yeah, I'm grateful.
28:39 I've done some things.
28:41 - That's amazing.
28:42 You know, you said, right, about being hard on yourself
28:47 and feeling like you weren't doing enough.
28:52 Why do you think, yeah,
28:56 why did you feel like you weren't doing enough?
28:58 - I'm gonna be so honest.
29:02 I think sometimes I can also fall
29:06 into that social media trap of like,
29:09 you see so much going on and what everybody else is booking
29:14 and you're so proud of everyone
29:16 and you're so happy for everyone,
29:18 but then it also can make you think,
29:20 am I not there?
29:22 Am I not where I'm supposed to be?
29:23 And then there's an age thing.
29:25 And so being on social media, I think is such a blessing.
29:29 'Cause like I said, it got me to meeting great people,
29:32 but I think too much of an emphasis on it
29:35 takes you completely out of where you are,
29:37 where you're supposed to be
29:39 because you end up sort of comparing yourself
29:41 or you see so much.
29:44 I think we see too much all the time.
29:46 And then we become very self-critical of ourselves.
29:50 And we start trying to place ourselves.
29:51 And so taking a step back away from that
29:54 just allowed me to think,
29:55 oh yeah, no, I'm right where I'm supposed to be
29:58 and I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing
30:00 and sort of have that faith in myself
30:05 that everything is going to align as it's supposed to.
30:08 And the things that aren't for me, won't be for me.
30:10 Do you know what I mean?
30:11 And that's just taken so much, my goodness, P.S.
30:13 Taken so much of a weight off.
30:16 But again, I think off the back of
30:18 being in Hollywood for so long
30:19 and having consistent work
30:21 and having that consistent income to then coming out,
30:25 there's no, I don't know if it's pastoral care,
30:30 but there's no pastoral care.
30:32 There's nobody to kind of guide you out of it.
30:35 Do you know what I mean?
30:36 There's no one to sort of sit with you and check in
30:38 and how are you doing and how are you feeling?
30:41 'Cause you go from such intense work,
30:44 your schedules are so intense
30:47 to all of a sudden, nothing.
30:50 - Wow.
30:50 - And you're recognized this entire time.
30:53 So for three years, you leave your house in Liverpool
30:56 and people are saying hi to you in Asda
30:58 and wanting to take pictures of you down the street
31:00 and you can't kind of go to the gym in peace
31:01 'cause you see people there and they're all so lovely.
31:04 It's such an amazing city.
31:05 And then you leave and I've come back to London
31:08 and then it kind of filters out a bit.
31:10 You maybe have like 10 people saying hi to you
31:13 to maybe like four people to maybe like two people
31:17 to maybe people being like, so what do you do?
31:20 What do you do?
31:21 What do you do?
31:21 You're an actor?
31:23 (laughs)
31:25 Like, you're like, oh yeah, I was on TV.
31:27 So I think that can also be quite tricky
31:32 if you let yourself get into that rhythm
31:34 and you let yourself fall into it.
31:37 And so you wanna just get up and keep working
31:39 and keep doing something so that the next thing comes.
31:42 But that can just put an unnecessary amount of pressure
31:45 on the self.
31:46 So had to just let go of that.
31:48 - Thank you so much for your honesty
31:53 because I think it will help a lot of people
31:56 because you see what you just said,
31:58 it's quite a psychological and social change immediately
32:05 because like what you just said is intense, intense, intense
32:11 and the day you stop working,
32:15 that routine is gone.
32:17 - Yes, finished.
32:19 - And that's like, maybe the first day or two is like,
32:23 oh yeah, cool, I can rest and relax.
32:24 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
32:25 Then after you're like, ah, too much rest.
32:27 I don't like this, I don't like this.
32:29 I wanna do something.
32:30 Yeah.
32:31 - And then you add on top the socials
32:33 of like your friends doing stuff
32:36 and then your acquaintances doing stuff.
32:39 'Cause like in the past five years,
32:44 we've really come to the forefront
32:46 and like opportunities have opened up.
32:48 So loads more people are getting,
32:51 and then socials have become more prominent
32:53 with that stuff.
32:54 Like they're actually part of the marketing campaigns now.
32:57 So that influx, it can make, yeah,
33:02 like the mental toll,
33:04 if you are not consciously setting yourself up
33:09 to structure it in a particular way,
33:13 where it's like, do you know what?
33:13 Maybe I don't wanna go on socials right now.
33:15 Like I specifically don't want to
33:17 because it's not gonna help me.
33:18 - Exactly.
33:19 - Right now. - Exactly.
33:20 Yeah.
33:21 - Yeah. - Yeah.
33:22 - I wanted to ask, right,
33:23 so in that time,
33:25 who or what was like your support system?
33:29 - Oh my goodness.
33:33 I couldn't even list.
33:35 I couldn't even list.
33:36 I've just been so fortunate
33:38 to have been surrounded by such incredible people.
33:43 In the industry and outside of the industry also.
33:46 People who would just pray for me and pray with me
33:50 when I felt like I was just like, ah, I'm tired.
33:52 I don't wanna do this anymore.
33:53 I just, I can't give to this anymore.
33:55 People who would pray for me
33:58 and would see me at times
34:00 when I couldn't really see myself 'cause I was in it.
34:03 Who would look out for me financially,
34:07 who would look out for my wellbeing,
34:09 who would go for walks with me or go for drives with me.
34:12 I've, honestly, I've just been so blessed.
34:15 I've met people from all different walks of life
34:17 and from so many different jobs as well.
34:20 And people who are also going through it as actors.
34:22 You know, I've got a lot of actor friends and, you know,
34:26 and creative actually, directors, writers, producers,
34:29 you name it.
34:30 So I think everybody's been feeling it recently,
34:34 but it's good to have that community and that support system.
34:39 I would definitely say people from Hollyoaks
34:42 have become like real life, real life for lifers for me.
34:47 Like Rachel's, Bobby's, Dwayne's, Richard's, just, yeah.
34:52 They've honestly just been such a great support system
34:55 for me.
34:56 So yeah.
34:58 Shout out to them.
34:59 - Yeah. Big ups, big ups, big ups, big ups.
35:02 Do you know what?
35:04 This is like, it's so nice to hear
35:07 because you're speaking about the reality
35:10 of the ups and downs, right?
35:13 But from the beginning,
35:15 you have just been upbeat and happy and energetic,
35:19 which, you know what?
35:21 Given the stuff that you're talking about, right?
35:24 It's like, it's quite surprising if I'm completely honest,
35:29 because like the re,
35:31 and it's not like you're not even faking it.
35:33 It's like, nah, do you know?
35:34 - All the time.
35:36 - Despite that, this is where I'm at.
35:41 So my final question to you is,
35:44 where would you say you're at now?
35:46 - Where am I at now?
35:50 Honestly, honestly, I think I,
35:53 I'm finally at a place of peace
35:58 because I've accepted that what will be, will be.
36:02 But I'm also enjoying, like I said,
36:05 exploring other pathways in my life,
36:08 other talents, other callings, other gifts.
36:11 I'm working with kids.
36:14 I'm blessed enough to be able to work with kids
36:16 and give back in that way.
36:18 Looking at teaching, being able to use my psychology degree,
36:23 just being able to help others and give back.
36:25 - Okay.
36:26 - Yeah, yeah, you see, you see?
36:28 I was a working woman.
36:30 I was studying my degree
36:31 and like three jobs at the same time
36:32 while trying to make this happen.
36:33 So like, and I'm grateful.
36:36 I'm grateful that I did.
36:37 I think that's the one thing that I'm really,
36:39 really grateful to my very Nigerian parents
36:41 for drilling into me
36:43 because it gave me something to be able to do
36:45 later on in life.
36:46 I think so much of acting is about the self.
36:51 And I know people say we're selfish.
36:53 We're not selfish.
36:54 We're just kind of taught that it has to be about the self.
36:57 You know, you're always trying to figure out your life
36:59 and what the next thing is.
37:01 And how you look and who you need to connect with.
37:03 But I think it's important within that
37:05 to be able to do things that take away from you.
37:09 That's just about giving back.
37:10 That's just about helping.
37:11 It's just about being a set of hands.
37:13 Whether that's helping a friend on a project
37:16 that they're doing.
37:17 If they're writing something
37:18 and maybe you can't be of service as an actor,
37:21 but you could be a runner.
37:22 Do you know what I mean?
37:23 Or you could provide,
37:24 maybe reading the script for them or something.
37:25 But I think we're supposed to be able to keep giving back
37:29 to make us feel fulfilled.
37:30 And so I've spent the past few months doing that.
37:32 And I think that's why I feel so like,
37:35 I'm fine with whatever happens, you know?
37:37 Because like how we started this conversation,
37:39 regardless of what happens in my career,
37:41 which I pray will be long by the grace of God,
37:44 I can look back and I can say, I've accomplished stuff.
37:48 And there's a reason that I've come this far
37:52 and I've come to this point.
37:54 And if at any point,
37:55 any of the jobs that I've done have ever helped
37:57 or affected or touched anybody in any way,
37:59 I've done my job.
38:00 Do you know what I mean?
38:02 And I'm all right with that.
38:03 I'm fine with that.
38:04 So I think in life, it's just about how we help others,
38:07 how we give back to others to stay alive, man,
38:10 and to stay happy and to stay joyful.
38:13 'Cause we need it.
38:14 Times are hard, but we need to stay up.
38:17 - Wow.
38:20 - We need to stay up, you know?
38:22 - That's amazing.
38:24 Yeah, no, you're definitely full.
38:26 And that's great to hear.
38:28 That's great to hear.
38:29 - Thank you.
38:30 - Well, until our next catch up,
38:33 thank you so much. - Thanks for having me.
38:36 - I'm looking forward to it already.
38:38 Yes, thank you, thank you.
38:40 - Thank you.
38:41 (upbeat music)
38:44 (upbeat music)