Richard Mofe-Damijo: The Secret of My Staying Relevant

Richard Mofe- Damijo, popularly known as RMD is widely recognised as one of the greatest to come out of Nigeria and while he has worn a lot of hats: actor, writer, producer and lawyer; there is no doubt that the promotional clout he provides to every film he stars in adds millions of naira to the Box office.

In this interview with SERENADE WITH BOSSLADY with media personality, Temitope Duker, on FAD FM, Calabar; RMD reveals how he has been able to stay relevant as well as harping on the shortcomings and advancement of Nollywood.

From acting to journalism to law, you’re one of those few actors/persons who possess the Midas touch, because for every sector and thing that you’ve ventured in, you’ve come out really successful. What is the secret?

I always like to say that I am exceptionally graced by God. But then, I also put in the work especially for things that I enjoy doing and things that I am very passionate about. Money has never been what motivates me till now. Saying I am exceptionally graced comes out of not having a need at work because if I do, it will be fulfilled by God. He has also promised that the work of my hands will be blessed and because of that, I have never had a need.

I concentrate on the goodness that comes with my work, on how I can change the society, influence; and inspire people to do better in whatever they are doing. I use my life to teach people that you can quest after the simplest things of life and still be great or successful in whatever it is that you do.

The secret is to be passionate about what you do and not having a particular motivation behind whatever it is that you do. You add a value to it because you also bring a particular value to the table and when you add the grace of God, that gives you the followership that you have, everything will work.

You delved into politics at a point in time and became SA to Ibori and Commissioner to Governor Uduaghan, are you still in politics?

Well man is a creature of politics. I never really served Ibori. I got into government through Uduaghan who appointed me as a Special Adviser in charge of talent development for a year. Afterwards, I became a Commissioner for Culture and Tourism for seven years and when he left I also did.

In the sense of active service, I am not in politics; but I still go to the state from time to time when I’m being called upon. I’ll be going back this December to do some workshops and train people. I go when I’m invited to train people; and I believe it’s when you train the next generation that you would have done well. I coach and I teach, even in politics. My participation in politics now is about talking to the new tribe of young people, who are demanding better governance; to let them know that they need to participate in politics as well and own the process. They can provide the technology that will transform the sector. The day we can do that, our votes will count, merit and fairness will become the basis of political appointments.

Are you considering contesting for an elective post?

Considering? I feel that I’m too old because there are younger people who have a lot of capacity and should be looking at contesting.

Don’t you think that there is room for experience?

Absolutely, there is. The room you have for experience is not necessarily to contest, I always say ‘never say never’. So I am not ruling it out completely but my mind set is that there is space for younger people because solutions are being provided all over.

I would serve in any capacity that I am called upon to serve, but elective office? As we speak, I am not sure but if I have any opportunity to serve people, I will. I still serve my community, I still go home from time to time and help in ways that I can. I put my ears to the ground to know what is happening in my community.

Let’s talk about growing up, how was it for you?

I am the only child of my mother but I come from a polygamous home so I have never really lacked brothers and sisters. My father had five wives and eighteen children.

My cousins lived with us and my grandmother did for the most part but I grew up in a very full and active family. I used to play a lot and I played most of my early life away and I never really cared or bothered about anything.

But I grew up with the sensibility of an only child whose mother trained properly so I respect women a lot. I am a mama’s boy but not in the derogatory way. My mother taught me the value of humility, so that is a driving force in my life; she used to say to me ‘if you can’t afford it you don’t need it’ and my last guiding principle is ‘keep it simple’.

You were doing so well in entertainment before you went into politics, you also decided to study law, what exactly were you looking for?

Just knowledge, there is no end to the quest for knowledge. An actor’s life is robust and fantastic but it was a combination of different things for me. My mother always wanted me to become a lawyer, it would have been my first degree but I suffered a disaster; I lost my wife early in life.

I was just looking for something to just jump into, and put my time into then I remembered law; and I said maybe this is the time to do it. So I spent almost six years in school; I would go to Unilag every day. But I painstakingly did all I had to do and when I finished, I insisted on going to law school. People teased that if I failed, I was going to make the headlines but I didn’t care.

However, I did and I got called to bar in 2005. It was one of the most important things for me to have done in my adult life and I look back now and smile. Today, I can say that I have influenced some people in the industry. It was after my political appointment that actors started going into politics.

Did you ever practice law at any point in time?

I am a practicing lawyer but for most people it means that you must go to court every day. It doesn’t necessarily mean that, my field is intellectual property and performance rights. I write opinions and I have been a member of the section of Business Law in Lagos; and the vice chairman for almost 11 years so I actively do a lot of things legally that you may not know about. I seat in committees for entertainment law. So I practice but not in the traditional sense of what people call it. It is a profession that I am very proud of and I do not joke with it.

And you were away from acting for more than eight years?

Yes, more than 8 years because when you go to law school, you stop everything. By the time I was entering law school, I had to stop everything I was doing because you’re supposed to go to law school as a student. I resigned from my company and my life stopped. I did that for a year and after that I got called to the Nigerian bar. From there I started practicing and I represented some TV stations until 2007 when I went into politics. So from 2005 I wasn’t really acting anymore.

Before you left the screen for about eight years or more you were arguably number one then you came back and retained your position, how were you able to do that?

Like I said it is about being exceptionally graced and putting in the work and most people forget that. It is not by short cut. There are people today who like the glamour of being an entertainer or a singer without putting in the work. One of the youngest musicians that I have seen his work ethics is Davido, he is like a work horse with his energy. So I put in the work, I do my research, I read, I am very vigorous with my roles.

In the 80’s when I came into this town, I was chosen to do stage plays, I used to work with the directors on their script for weeks; doing intellectual training and dissecting the characters. On TV, I would choose to work the likes of Tade Ogidan and Amaka Igwe. I have always wanted to work in a place where my brain will be challenged. Those bricklaying periods of my life are part of what I am enjoying right now.

Being number one is not a difficult thing, it is staying number one. I don’t want to lay claims to being number one because I work hard. No matter how hard or smart you work, there is always somebody else who is working smarter and harder than you, but this is where grace comes in the picture.

In the 36 years that I have put into this business, I am still as excited if not more excited for every time that I get a new role. If you give me a new role today, I will discuss the script and the character. If I was given just a line, I will read the entire script, analyze it and ask questions that other people will not ask. These are the things we consider too much work but at the end of the day the result will show.

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You’ve invested 36 years in Nollywood, looking back and now where is the industry at? Are you satisfied with its present position?

I can’t be satisfied because we are evolving. But within the limit of where we operate in our country with factors like bad governance at all levels, individual irresponsibility and having regard to the kind of the environment that does not enable us to be at the peak, we are constantly innovating within the limit of what we have. So we are in a good place.

We never give up. You can’t repress the Nigerian spirit, and it is the same thing with Nollywood, we are trying to adjust. I am not satisfied because there is always room for improvement. Look at Hollywood, they are still moving up. We are beginning to get the attention of other international cinemas and gradually we will take our rightful place. Our music has done that and is still doing it. Our comedians are not stopping too.

We opened the doors for that. And with Netflix, this is just the beginning of our potentials and what we can do. With technology, there is no limit to telling what we can do. Also with the kind of collaborations between actors and streaming platforms now, there is a lot coming. Look at Nollywood doing great things with Mo Abudu, Kemi Adetiba, Ramsey Nouah and Charles Okpaleke. I am happy to be alive, at 59 I am excited about the development.

Every actor wants to work in Hollywood, is it something that you’re considering or do you think you won’t be fulfilled until you get to Hollywood?

I will love to work in Hollywood and stand side by side with Denzel Washington, Idris Elba and others. It is not to say that’s when I will consider myself talented, but it is just a bigger stage and I’m hoping that the kind of collaboration we are doing will pay off.  The pay is amazing, I have done some little work over there and I can say the pay is good. It’s very cool when you get the opportunity to play on a bigger and better stage where remuneration is a lot better; just like when Genevieve got the Netflix deal.  Everybody looks forward to a bigger picture so I look forward to it. Like I said, 36 years after, I am still exited. Actors never really retire, they might go on break but you retire when you are dead.

At a point in time you published Nigeria’s first all-gloss magazine for men, why was it for strictly men considering the fact that you’re a ladies man?

I did that because men don’t get half of what women get style-wise. In the early 90s, men were beginning to become more conscious about their dressing; it was the era of the upwardly mobile young men. I have always liked to dress well. I liked the finer things of life so there was a need to teach young men how to dress properly. Instead of buying GQ magazine, I decided to do something to speak to the Nigerian men specifically.

Can you give upcoming entertainers basic tips on what they need to achieve their dreams?

The way to achieve your dreams is to be very focused on what it is that that you want to do or what you want to change. When you change your life for the better, it begins to affect your environment. I have found out that when I put my mind to something and believe in what I’m doing; I’ll achieve it. That is how it should be for everyone. So self believe, after finding out what you want to do; and going at it with single mindedness will make the lines fall in pleasant places for you.

How fulfilled are you as RMD?

I am very fulfilled because success is not at the end of your life or what you have done. It is about your daily wins, the goals you have set for yourself and achieving them. That’s what it is. Right now as we speak, I am very content with the life that I have. You can’t have a perfect life. But I am constantly trying to be a better person for my kids, wife, family and the society.

Looking back 54 years ago, did you picture yourself as successful and big as this?

No I didn’t. But maybe it was when I was 19 that I had a sense of how it would be. My mom was an illiterate. She asked me why I opted for Theatre Arts instead of Law like everybody expected of me. The only way I could explain what I wanted to do to her was “mama no worry, you go see me for television.”

I knew at that point that I was going to end up on television because that was what I knew.

In 1980, the people on TV were very few, so at that moment, I spoke it into existence. I had not even studied Theatre Arts at the time but I knew that when I appear on TV, my mom will understand why I was going to study Theatre Arts. Thankfully just two years after, when I was in my second year in the university, I appeared on television; and she became one of the most popular women in Warri before she died.