Giving Nollywood Their Flowers: Muna Obiekwe

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Nobody does dialogue onscreen like Muna. It may be an exaggeration but I stand by this. Well, as a male Nigerian actor, nobody does dialogue onscreen like Muna Obiekwe. I'm currently watching "Not Man Enough" with Muna, Emeka Ike, and Genevieve, and I am in awe of his je ne sais quoi. He had an effortless energy and he did not even have to shout. The film was directed by Andy Chukwu and produced by Nwafor Anayo. Man we loved Marc Anthony in Nigeria ***swoons**

Muna Obiekwe gave his characters depth, and if the depth was already in the script he cemented it in his acting. He added meaning whether it be as a playful romantic or an unemployed youth. It was truly never a flat surface. He spoke as his character should, and moved as his character should. You could hear the inflections in his voice and it was not a boring repetition of the script. His method was not by unnecessary shouts or wasteful dialogue. He really understood his craft and did his due diligence and that commitment translated beautifully in the film.

His romantic scenes were actually romantic. He may have even made his co-actor a better actor. He had expressive eyes, attentiveness, and a tailored focus. His expression changed as they should, in collaboration with the other characters, his fellow actors, and the script. He was truly enjoyable to watch. He took his acting seriously and also not seriously onscreen. The guy never felt out of place on screen and his words were never heavy as though he was struggling to get them out.

Sidenote - this ish is hard. Coming up with the words to describe his creativity and his works is hard. So I'll do a voicenote as well. But yes, Muna passed and he was gracious enough to share his work with us.

Rest in peace.

Giving Nollywood Their Flowers (GNTF): Prelude

I was inspired by Tracy Clayton's interview with Black American actors where she gives them their flowers, literally and figuratively. It's often the case that when an actor, musician, or novelist dies, their works get an almost instant replay value. It happened with Michael Jackson, Prince, Toni Morrison, Aretha Franklin, John Singleton, Diahann Carroll, etc.

Their songs, books, shows and movies see a surge in relevance almost as if to relive them one last time. Even with me. I was fortunate to see Julia after Ms. Carroll's passing while working out at my apartment gym. And it really was a great show.

But wouldn't it be nice for them to get their flowers before they pass. Fortunately, Tracy and her team were able to do this for John Witherspoon - "Pops" on the Wayans Brothers.

So that's the inspiration for this. Plus I really enjoyed watching Muna Obiekwe on the screen and it's a shame he didn't get his flowers before he died.