Former Big Brother Naija reality show star and actor Tobi Bakre has admitted he performed a variety of grim things to fit in with his role in the fiery crime thriller “Gangs of Lagos”. Tobi portrayed Obalola, a street King (Eleniyi – the owner of men) who had a modest origin and a childhood riddled with scars. He claimed that it was his first time acting as the main character and the first time he had truly relinquished control to become that role.
He was featured in the recent episode of Menism’s audiovisual podcast.
“For ‘Gangs of Lagos’, that was challenging because like for the first time… you know as guys now, we build so many walls like you are ready for all the possible sad outcomes in life mentally. Like you don’t know it but… I was now playing the role of a strong guy but then in the same movie, he had moments when he had to be vulnerable. Bro, I had the toughest time. I had to tear my walls down.
“You know those plastic [herbal bitters] drinks na? I drank two within the space of five minutes. I just felt like I drank water because I didn’t feel anything. I was listening to the saddest music. This is the song I always remember from Gangs of Lagos, Celia song by Tiwa Savage. It is a very emotional song. I wasn’t trying to fake it [my role]. I needed to be actually sad, I needed to be there. So, I was putting myself in the scenario of this character.
“I was self-reflecting. There was a graveyard right in front of where we were shooting. So my head was in different places. And eventually, we shot that scene. After we shot it, and they said ‘cut’, everyone stayed quiet. And people in the background were sobbing. It was almost as if for that moment everybody forgot that we were acting and some people were actually tearing up.”
The former reality TV star claimed that in order to portray the character, he rolled around on the floor and rubbed sand on his face. The character’s vulnerability, he claimed, was his most difficult task. Following the film, he admitted that it was difficult for him to get rid of the character.
Tobi said,
“It [the character] leads sometimes like my wife now when I got home initially… Hardly, anger is the last emotion you can get but my fuss became shorter. On the road I’m driving, my fuss is a bit shorter because of this character I’m currently infusing. So, after the whole thing I had to just ease out.”
‘Gangs of Lagos’, produced and directed by Jade Osiberu. Additionally, it is the first African Original for the video streaming platform, Amazon Prime.
The tale of three friends named Obalola (Tobi Bakre), Gift (Adesua Etomi-Wellington), and Ify (Chike-Ezekpeazu Osebuka). They negotiate their individual futures while growing up in the tumultuous streets of Isale Eko, Lagos. Furthermore, their lives are the core storylines in the film. The movie premiered on April 7, 2023.
cc: DailyPost
