No big deal in another man kissING my wife –Nobert Young

Nobert Young
Veteran actor, Nobert Young, tells Ademola Olonilua about his
career and family
At what point in your life did you decide to become an actor?
That was a very long time ago. It was even before I entered
primary school because I used to watch my sister and my
father direct school plays and concerts. I was very interested
in what they did. As I grew older, the interest did not die. In
1977, I saw, Langbodo, at FESTAC and that made me take the
decision to become an actor. I later went to the University of
Ibadan to study Theatre Arts.
So your father was also into entertainment?
No, my father was a headmaster and in those days, the
headmaster played a lot of roles. One of the roles he played
was to direct the school concert which I watched him do
often.
How would you describe your childhood?
I was a very happy child while growing up. I was the last born
out of eight children. My father was a headmaster and he later
became a produce examiner at the Ministry of Agriculture. My
mother was a nurse and she just died recently. I grew up in a
very big compound and the whole of Sapele, Delta State, was
my play ground. There were no restrictions and I grew up as a
very happy child.
Were you pampered by your parents as the last born?
I did not notice it because my mother did not spare me when I
misbehaved. When it was time to be pampered, she did that
but I did not notice any preferential treatment. I was very
stubborn and my mother was very ready for me. She beat me
very well when I misbehaved. I learnt how to do everything. I
washed plate, ground pepper and beans on grinding stones. I
could cook but they did not allow me. The training I got from
my mother helped me when I began to live alone.
Were your parents skeptical when you decided to make acting
your career?
They did not frown at it because I come from a family of
actors even though they did not take it to the professional
level. Before I went to school to study Theatre Arts, my father
had died. But I am sure that even if he were alive, he would
have supported my decision. My mother supported me to the
fullest. She only asked for one thing, that I had to graduate
with a second class upper and I did.
How about your neighbours and extended family, didn’t they
see you as being unserious?
We were brought up never to care about what the society
thinks. Just do what is right according to your profession,
training and religion. Although people raised eyebrow, they
respected the fact that I was in the university regardless of
what I was studying. It was not easy getting into the
university back then and every course being studied had the
same requirements. As a matter of fact, students from the
University of Ibadan were respected.
Was there any time you felt like quitting?
No, I never felt like quitting but there were frustrating
moments. There were times when you would spend all your
energy and resources to do a play and only ten people would
show up to watch it. Such things could be very frustrating.
That is why I say that if you do not have the passion, you
cannot survive in this business; you will run away. I cannot
run away from the business because I really enjoy it. Money is
not the determining factor for me even though it is important
because I have to live and feed my family. So far, so good; I
have never thought about quitting.
Why are you more involved in stage productions and soap
operas as opposed to full length feature movies?
I was trained on the stage and when we started out, we only
had the stage, television and sometimes radio to showcase
our talents. There is this attachment I have to the stage; it is
natural and more fulfilling for me. I also do videos and full
length films but circumstances make you take certain
decisions. I have stayed away from home videos because I
believe most of the actors do not have enough training. When
I say such things, people do not understand what I am saying
and they tag me as an ‘I too know.’
What exactly are the circumstances that made you stay
away?
I believe strongly in training. I do not believe I can become a
doctor without training; same way I do not believe I can
become a teacher without knowing certain things about
teaching people. So it is important to be properly trained in
anything that you find yourself doing. Most of the actors in
Nollywood that started out like myself were just people who
had the interest and we came together to do some good jobs.
That was where it stopped because there was no where else
to explore. Most of them were stagnant and limited because
they did not have any training. I advised a few to go for
training but they turned a deaf ear at me. It is a big business
and how many people do I want to quarrel with or always
correct on stage? This is something I studied and learnt and I
would like to share but people would always put you down.
So I decided to stay with the soap operas and stage
production. The few films that I could tolerate, I accept the
script.
Does this stance pay you financially?
I have been surviving so far. I really don’t know how much
home video fetches them but if you make a stand in life, you
must be ready to make sacrifices for those decisions. You
may not know how well stage plays pay but as regularly as
they come, they take care of my bills. It is not like I would not
add whatever is made from the home video to what I am
earning, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. Stage play
is not dying, Terra Culture has a stage play that runs every
week and people go there to watch the plays. We have
sponsors and patrons of theatre; so stage play cannot die.
Muson Centre also organises a lot of stage plays. The plays
may not be on the increase, but it is definitely not decreasing.
Are you saying that there is no professionalism with the new
crop of artistes in the industry?
That is a difficult question to answer because training in arts
does not necessarily involve going to a formal school setting.
It could be in form of apprenticeship. There should be some
kind of training. I do not believe you can become a
professional without any kind of training.
Are you scared of competition from the new generation of
actors?
I can never be scared of anybody local or foreign in my
profession. God forbid that I am scared. Most of the newer
generation of actors are very shallow. They do not know what
characterisation is. And if you do not know what that is, then
you are not an actor as far as I am concerned. How can I be
scared of such people?
Is that why you once said all they sell is beauty and
mediocrity?
That is true. A handsome face does not necessarily make you
a good actor; neither does a pretty face and good body make
you a good actress. But that is what people want to see. If
people like to see such things, then what good is it to act
properly? As a matter of fact, somebody called Henry Locane
was a very ugly man but one of the best actors in the French
history during the 14th or 15th century. Acting has nothing to
do with beauty.
How have you managed to remain scandal free even though
you are married to an actress?
Must every actor and actress have scandals? Scandals are
things you do not need and some people create scandals to
make themselves very popular or notorious. I am a very
humble person who comes from a humble background. I do
not do things above my head and I do not break laws. I don’t
engage in such things.
How have you and your wife been able to raise your children
amidst your busy schedules?
It has never been a problem. It has to do with understanding
and you need to marry your friend. Both of us do not take
jobs that would take us out of town at the same time. At any
point in time, one person is always at home.
How have you been able to sustain your marriage?
Sincerity of purpose; you do not marry because of glamour.
You do not marry because you want the world to see that you
are married to a celebrity or a good looking person. You must
lay the right foundation for marriage and you have to be very
sure of what you are doing. You have to believe in the
institution called marriage. Marry your friend so that when
love is failing, friendship carries you on. When there is no
money in the home, togetherness can carry you on. Be truthful
to each other and bring all the virtues to play in your
marriage. For me, it is not a big deal.
Do you keep secrets from your wife?
We share a lot of secrets together but we do not keep secrets
from each other.
How did you meet your wife?
We met at auditions, so we talked. I am a very playful person
and I kissed her one day. I just said hello to her and she
turned; immediately I kissed her and I walked away before she
realised what happened. I did not know what she was going
to do, whether she would slap me or not but I just left the
place. I did not run away but I left because I wanted to leave
an impression in her. After that, we met on the set of the
movie called, Izozo, and that was where our relationship
started.
What did you see in her that made you propose to her?
I saw a friend. I saw somebody that is reliable and somebody
that I can trust.
Did you watch Glamour Girls?
Yes I did.
Did you see the movie before you met your wife or after you
met her?
I think I saw the movie before we met.
After seeing the movie, did it influence your decision to date
her?
No, it did not.
How do you feel when another man is kissing your wife in a
movie?
I don’t have any feelings.
Do you feel jealous?
I don’t feel anything. I don’t feel jealous. It is a play and
professionally, we simulate things. There are camera
movements to make things real. Even if it is real, so what?
Would the man take her away from me after acting? I don’t
feel anything.
How have you been able to cope with the ladies?
I have never been a ladies’ man. When I am with other actors,
girls flock around them but they do not come to me. I had to
ask a lady why women don’t come my way and she told me
that it is because my face looks too hard. I am a very playful
person. Although I think they are right that my face looks hard
because sometimes I frown and I don’t know why I do so. I
have never been a ladies’ man.