When it comes to bringing life and discipline to a character and then talented actress, Kehinde Bankole best suit this accolades as her acting prowess stands her out. Having featured in countless movies and won some awards; Kenny as she is fondly called by her fans is not resting on her oars to get better. Kehinde who has tested both the craft of stage performance and film production in this chat with OMONIYI ALLI spoke about her acting prowess, the thin line between stagecraft and movies, keeping off scandal and what she considers good script amongst others.
The Trumpet: You are a fantastic actress, what do you look out for in a script before you consider the script worthy?
The direction the story is going, there are some stories you will see and you will understand what they are saying but you don’t understand the direction it’s going, that is what I look out for, I want a good story, apart from the story being good I should be able to understand the direction, there is a theme, a message the story is trying to pass, whatever happens to me the first time I open a script will be happening to the people watching at home, we serve as the bridge between the people at home watching the movie and the person writing the story.
The Trumpet: You do a lot of stage performances; which will you consider more challenging, being a stage performer or an actress?
Both of them are challenging, stage requires discipline, very challenging because you don’t have a second take, there is no rewind and let me take it again and so, what you give at that time is what the people are going to get, it is important you make your decision for stage like in fraction of a second, you have to decide how you want to deliver that role within a fraction of a second, and once it’s done you can’t take it back, it helps you to focus, people think acting a movie is simple but it is not, it is also equally challenging, the opportunity you have to act a stage play once is not like that of a film, you might have to re-do like 30 times, think about rewinding a particular emotion, the stress of having to put yourself on the same level of that emotion for about 30 times, especially if there is a crowd in a scene and you have to re-do a scene plenty times and have to sustain the same level of energy, if you have to remember something bad that made you be in the mood, you have to remember that over and over if you are ask to act the scene over again, so it is equally challenging if not even more, it’s a lot of hard work.
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The Trumpet: These days we see more female actresses delve into production and directing, are you also going into that direction anytime soon?
No, am an actor, well if I have the opportunity to produce something, it doesn’t have to be a film, it could be telling a serious story through documentary, some people do this, somehow I could be involved in the process of the production, I don’t have anything against it but I am an actor.
The Trumpet: Some of your colleagues reject scripts based on who the other casts members are, do you also find yourself in such situations?
it is not a yes or a no if it is important to the life of that film, I have a team, we sit down and we make a decision, if we think the smallest person is not good for that film or the biggest person is not good, it is business decisions that people make will make them turn it down or accept it, I necessarily do not have to say because an actress is in it or not in it, I look at the story, sometimes if a story is very good and they cast you and you know within yourself that you don’t find yourself in the story, you can’t deliver it, that is one of the reasons why you turn it down, you don’t think essentially because one actor is not there, it must be because of a business decision.
The Trumpet: What is your take on the state of the industry before the joined and now?
Yes there are a lot of changes, those who are ahead of us have done a lot of work, there are now so many opportunities, there are young producers, actors, it is spreading everywhere, the media is coming to us and we are also going to the media, it is not everybody in entertainment that are acting, everybody is doing serious work here, there are editors, cinematographers, it is way better than how it was before.
The Trumpet: How have you been able to keep fit?
Although the nature of my job is a bit stressful but more importantly; I watch what I eat, rest well, do exercise if need be and just put my mind at rest.
The Trumpet: How have you been able to keep off scandals?
I keep things simple; simplicity is what makes you stay away from trouble, when you keep everything simple it makes whatever comes back at you simple
The Trumpet: Take acting from Kehinde who is Kehinde Bankole in real life?
I joke a lot, I like to laugh, when am in the mood we crack jokes and laugh and also have a good time, I love to cook, I love spending time with family, loved ones and friends, I like to make people happy, and I can be very strict.
