“An African City” is the latest "It" show out there for the young and independent African woman. It has been garnering so much media attention having been featured on CNN, BBC, BET, Ebony, Bella Naija and ELLE magazine, just to name a few so I am very excited to be able to
interview one of the ladies responsible for this tremendous success.
My intention today is for my readers to get to know Ms Esosa Edosomwan better as well as gain further insight into the show. She is indeed an
accomplished actress in her own merit having played roles in several movies
and featured films before landing a role on this show.
***
Me: Good day Esosa and thanks so much for agreeing to this interview. It’s such an honor for me because I am a huge fan of the show.
Firstly, may we know what your ethnical/cultural
background is and also where you are currently based?
Ms Edosomwan: Although I have been mistaken for
everything from Ethiopian, Somalian, Eritrean, Jamaican, South African,
Trinidadian, Moroccan, Ghanaian (from the north), and more…I am Nigerian and I
rep Edo State. I love the fact that I am somewhat ethnically ambiguous looking
though because I hope to play a wide range of characters from different
backgrounds. I am currently based in Los Angeles, but I go wherever the work
is.
This may seem random but why did you decide to go
vegan 10 years ago?
The
funny thing is I can’t exactly remember why? I was lactose intolerant since childhood so
milk and dairy aggravated me and one day I just decided no more meat. Over the
years I have added many reasons for why I choose to stay vegan which includes clear
skin, overall health and vitality, not getting ill very often, the environment,
and avoiding GMO’s (genetically modified organisms and participation in the
cycle of animal abuse.
I see that you attended school at both Cornell and
Columbia University and studied directing, producing and marketing management
but is this always what you wanted to do (acting and directing)?
No
I did not always want to be an actor, and I never imagined I would direct. From
early childhood until college I had the passion and desire to be a fashion
designer. When I was a little girl my mother taught me to sew clothes early and
I used to make clothes for my Barbie dolls. In middle school and high school I
started mini clothing lines and used to sell scarves and other wares to
everyone I knew. So I was a fashion peddler very early. My senior year of high
school I got cast in a play and my performance was nominated for an award at
the Kennedy Center. This started my interest in acting. I went to Cornell and studied
fashion design as planned but around my fashion curriculum and showcasing my
work in fashion shows I started intense study of acting, theater, and film and
tried to fit in as much as I could. I even took two years of night classes to
complete my study of Meisner technique, which added a lot to my already hectic
workload. I eventually caught the acting bug hard and by my sophomore year in
college I was already a working actor in NYC; I got a role in Platanos &
Collard Greens Off-Broadway and worked with them for several years on and off
after that. While in undergrad I used to audition for theater and would get
called back but never cast. I started auditioning for films instead, and all of
sudden I was doing tons of student films.
I loved the process of film-making and
over time I had the desire to be in films with better writing and meatier
roles, so I had a friend teach me screenwriting and wrote and directed my first
short. A few years after college I made my second short “50 Bucks in Argentina”
which won me a competition on MTV, won Best Short at the Nigerian Entertainment
Film Festival, went to Cannes Film Festival, and more. This was all completely
unexpected because I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. But I am very
naturally creative and loved the process of working through it all from
costumes to framing shots to music. From that experience the desire to study
more about producing and directing grew and I headed over to Columbia. So I
kind of fell into it all step by step.
Esosa for Zen Magazine
How did you get involved with “An African City?”
Did you know any of the ladies before the show or did you all just meet on set?
I
auditioned for the pilot episode, which was shot in 2011. The only lady I knew
prior to shooting was the lovely Nana Mensah who plays Sade; we actually
studied together in conservatory at the Actor’s Center post-college. It’s
wonderful to see how much we both have grown and be working together again on
An African City. Although my character Ngozi doesn’t agree with her, make no
mistake I am a huge fan of Sade and very proud of Nana’s work.
(Esosa and Nana, who plays Sade)
I believe the show is
filmed in Ghana (Accra)? If so, do you ladies shoot an entire season on
location and then head back to your respective countries of residence after
filming is wrapped up?
Yes,
Nana, Maame Yaa, and I came to Ghana to shoot all of season one in January and
then returned to the states after we completed shooting. Marie and Maame Adjei
live in Ghana so they were already there.
How much of Ngozi is Esosa? Was she your character
of choice?
It
would not have been my first choice. In fact, I was a bit bewildered by Nicole
insisting on it at first because I could see myself in everyone except Ngozi. I
later found inspiration for her from friends and family and also found a
personal connection that helped me connect to her truth. Like Ngozi, I was
raised Christian and love God, and I am also a vegetable eater in real life,
but much worse than she is. Those are the main things we really have in common.
Her way of seeing the world and moving through the world is completely
different than mine, but in the end I embraced it and love giving her life. Obviously
Nicole saw something in me and believed I could do it, and I’ll always be
eternally grateful for the challenge.
Will “An African City” ever become a televised show
or will it remain a web series? We, the international
fans appreciate how
accessible it is on YouTube right now!
I
appreciate that it is accessible too, and I think Nicole and Millie will keep
in mind that our international audience needs to be able to tune in somehow.
With so many legit web based television shows or with shows that air on network
and then go to the internet; I’m sure there’s a way to make that possible.
Right now there’s no news that I can report as far as where we would be headed
for a season two, but thanks to the continued support of all of the fans, I
think it’s very likely we will indeed find a home for a new season.
Did any of you ever imagine that the show would
become such a hit and garner this much press?
I
had a feeling the show would be popular. If I wasn’t in the show I would be a
fan; and I knew there was an audience that was hungry for content like this.
But the crazy amazing international response and press in countless top tier
media outlets is not something I think any of us was expecting. The show has
already exceeded our wildest expectations and I cannot wait to see what happens
next.
(As seen from this screen shot, the show was featured on BBC!)
Out of the 4 of you ladies, who is the most like
her character in real life?
Hmmm…I
don’t know? I will say though that I am probably the LEAST like my character in
real life comparatively speaking.
Who takes the longest in hair and make up?
Maame
Yaa tends to take the longest but rightly so because there’s so much to do with
her hair styles etc. Sade has several wigs so you know that cuts down on hair
prep time, she was usually the fastest.
Would you/are you
considering moving permanently to the motherland?
I
was just talking to a friend about how I fell in love with Accra. I could see
myself living there in some capacity or at least having a home there where I
can drop in and stay for a few months at a time. I don’t think I would ever
abandon the states completely though, to stay sane I would need the balance of
both worlds.
Apart from “An African City”, what other projects
can we look forward to seeing you in?
Right
now I am attached to play a role in an exciting feature film that I think will
shoot in Nigeria and London but I don’t want to give too many details so as not
to jinx it. Whenever it is formally announced I’ll be more vocal about it. I
just relocated to LA so I am looking forward to other new projects coming my
way soon.
I also noticed you are very much involved in the
fashion industry…can we expect a line or collection from you some time?
Yes.
I have never stopped loving fashion and I wear my own clothes out a lot. I just
never liked designing for other people as much as I liked dreaming up my own
work. I wore a few pieces I designed in a couple episodes of “An African City,”
and was also involved in the styling. Not too long ago I showcased a few pieces
from my collection in NYC. When the time is right, hopefully soon, I will
launch a womens-wear line based on my style sensibility.
Esosa with her fellow cast members.
We can't wait! Thanks so much and all the best with all your endeavors!
Thank
you so much for the interview. Many Blessings!
***
You can visit her website here: http://www.esosae.com/
Find out more about An African City: HERE
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