Go and Do “Buying & Selling” Was What A Producer Rubbished Me With When I Started ----- Nollywood Actor/Script Writer, Fred Calistus.

Fred Calistus, Nollywood Actor/Script Writer.

Talent is something everyone of us is blessed individually with by God, as well as having them in diverse means, with people exhibiting their talent in ways preferably accepted by them.

The movie industry in Nigeria, popularly known as Nollywood has been an avenue of talents discovery and harnessing, which has seen the discovery of young people whose immense talents are gradually being pushed to the global audience through the efforts of people whose contributions to the development of the industry cannot be over emphasized.

Fred Calistus is one of the benefits of Nollywood to Nigerian and as one of the up and coming actors in Nollywood, we took time out to have a very detailed conversation with him and we are glad to present the interview to your reading pleasure.

Excerpt!

Q. Let’s meet you and know a little about you?

ANSWER:

I am Fred Calistus, a native of Isiorie Umunam Atta, Njaba Local Government Area in Imo State. I am a Christian and from a family of five children.

Q. It’s not news that aside acting, you are also a good writer. How long have you been writing and, acting?

I have been writing and acting for some time now but can't really specifically tell the exact time-frame because I actually started out as a writer in Nollywood while in secondary school. I wrote for my schools drama group and had them presented on our moral instruction days, that was before I eventually went full time into Nollywood, but sincerely, I have always had passion for writing and later, acting and I’m happy to be here today.

 Q. How did it all start for you?

ANSWER:

It was the writing part of me that propelled my acting career. I was busy with the secondary school drama I spoke about earlier before popular producer; Obi Emeluonye discovered my talent and contracted me to choreograph a movie titled "Quiet Storm" with Zack Orji. I was made to wear mask throughout the movie because, I was given the role of a seminarian who brought in criminals into the Church parish house. This was how it all began for me.

Q. Majority of our stars had at one point or the other, issues with either their parents or family members who stood against their choice of acting over taking up proper career ROLES.

How was it for you?

My case I would say was a bit different because my parents supported me, but only supported the writing aspect of my life and not the acting part, as it took them unawares to learn that I had started acting by the side.

They even made sure, when they discovered that I had started acting too, that I graduated first, and it was after my NYSC in 2014 that I relaunched my career in acting fully.

Q. There are challenges associated with every career if you’LL agree with me and it is a known fact that entering Nollywood and remaining relevant is not child’s play. So tell us some of the challenges you faced while starting out your career?

ANSWER:

Presh, I can tell you with all modesty that "Nollywood is not a bed of roses". It was terrible for me at the beginning as I had a particular producer rubbish a script I put efforts to write then, with words like, “You know nothing about scripting and acting, go do buying and selling because that’s what would work for you”.

I cried my heart out that day and nearly lost the interest and hope to continue as it was shocking that the same people who should have looked at my work, put me through where necessary, was the same that washed and watered down my effort but regardless of how bad it was then, telling me to go do buying and selling was way too much from a producer, but I took courage and continued fighting.

Today, I am very grateful to God that the same producer who rubbished me had contracted me to do jobs for him without remembering what he did to me in the past.

Q. Let’s have a peep into some of the movies you had featured in?

I have featured on a lot of movies, with my very first being, Quiet Storm, then Igbotic Love, Nneka my Daughter, Money is Love, Marine Attack/Spiritual Attack, Disaster for Revenge.....etc.

I also wrote and featured in, Marine Son, Sinful Kingdom, Ebelebe, Ogbangada River, Family Deliverance, Clash of Royalty, The Iroko, Marine Money, Games of Marriage, My Virgin Wife That Cannot Cook and so many others.

Q. Looking at Nollywood today, what are some of the major challenges facing practitioners, actors, producers, Directors etc?

ANSWER:

Generally, lack of funds is the major challenge we are facing in Nollywood. If government can help Nollywood financially, believe me they will top Hollywood in all ramifications.

Q. It was nice speaking with you Fred Calistus.

ANSWER:

The pleasure is all mine Precious. Thanks for this opportunity.