FIFTY, the widely anticipated movie from Ebony Life Films is set for its Grand Premiere at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, on December 13, 2015. The 2015 BFI London Film Festival official selection is also scheduled to start showing in cinemas nationwide as from December 18, 2015. As we await both grand premiere and cinema release, one of the stars of the movie, FIFTY, and a leading light of the entertainment industry, Dakore Egbuson-Akande (who plays To lain the movie) chats briefly about the movie and offers some insight into the amazing film.
Can you briefly describe the role you played in FIFTY?
I play ‘Tola’ in the movie. She’s the quintessential diva with a heart but on the inside she’s deeply wounded.
What sort of person is going to love this character that you played?
I think it’s a character people may not understand, maybe people will dislike her at first but once they come to understand her story they’ll be filled with love and empathy for her.
How is this character like you?
Tola is like me in the sense of her philanthropic nature, being in front of the camera as a TV star, being glamorous and that’s about it.
What do you love about this character?
I love the fact that it’s a multi-dimension character. In some films you see people being mean but there’s no back story or explanation but in this film you feel her pain and learn that we all have our issues.
What do you hate about this character?
I hate what happened to cause her to become the way she is.
What is the biggest challenge about taking on this role?
Because my character touches on a very taboo subject and I had to play it with a lot of sensitivity and strength, also it was challenging because I understood the being true to those who might have experienced it. To tell the story on their behalf in a brutally honest way.
What’s your favourite line of dialogue in your role and why?
‘That man is nothing but a beast; I ought to get someone to slit his throat!
Besides you, which actor in FIFTY is going to blow audiences away? And why?
All the actors brought their ‘A’ game but I’ll be biased and single out my brother Timini Egbuson who plays ‘Jamal’.
If you could play any other character in FIFTY, who would it be? And why?
I would love to have played ‘Elizabeth”. The role has a lot of layers, like a big juicy onion. Having said that, I’m extremely honoured to play Tola.
Describe FIFTY in one word.
A revelation!