Shan George’s Movie, Finding Goodluck, Set To Premier On 25th May, 2012, In Lagos: See Details + Exclusive Interview With Lead Actor, Eric Anderson.

Shan George & Eric Anderson On Poster

Multi-talented Nollywood actress, movie producer and musician, Shan George, and mother to fellow talented musician, Mr Dry Gin, adds another feather to her already colourful cap, as her new movie, “Finding Goodluck,” is set to be premiered on the 25th of May 2012 at Terra Culture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The action film, which features Shan George, Kalu Ikeagwu and Eric Anderson, is directed by David Uro.

“It’ll be a great event and it’s strictly by invitation,” beamed the lovely actress.

Watch the trailer below.

Read interview with lead actor, Eric Anderson, after the cut.

Eric Anderson

Eric Anderson is one Nollywood actor who has successfully carved a niche for himself as an actor of good repute. With his brilliant combination of great acting skills, good looks and charisma, he keeps his audience spell bound every time he appears on the screen. His ability to interprete roles properly makes him a favourite among movie producers, having an enviable number of good movies to his credit.

Eric started off his acting profession on the stage while studying for his degree in Theater Arts at the prestigious University of Calabar. After being part of several stage productions like ‘King Emene’, ‘The gods Are Not To Blame’, ‘Night Before’ and ‘Medicine For Love’, he cut his teeth into acting on the big screen, playing lead roles in Jeta Amata’s ‘Wheel Of Change’ and ‘Amazoni’. This opened doors to TV Series like ‘Faces’, ‘Reflections’, ‘Tinsel’ and ‘Bachelors’ and his role in recently released ‘Finding Goodluck’ and ‘City of Gangs’ is already getting good reviews. 

 As the current Chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria Cross River State Chapter, with a Merit Award for his contributions to the growth of indigenous movies by the AKWACROSS movie foundation, Eric is passionate about improving standards in Nollywood. He reveals more about his career, personal life and aspirations in this exclusive interview with Adeola Adeyemo.

Hi Eric. It’s great to finally meet you. Please tell me more about yourself.

My name is Eric Anderson. I am from Cross River state. I’m married with 2 kids and I’m based in Calabar. I’m the Actors Guild of Nigeria Chairman of Cross River state chapter. I act, I produce and I am at the verge of becoming a director.

You've come quite a long way in Nollywood. How did it all start for you?

I started acting in 2001. Jeta Amata gave me my first role in the movie, ‘Wheel of Change’. It was a Secondary School kind of movie. I was doing my Diploma in Theater arts in University of Calabar at that time.

You've done a few movies with Jeta Amata. Do you have any preference for Jeta as a producer or did it just happen by chance?

While in school, Jeta was about the only producer that was doing movies in Cross River state. School didn’t allow me to come to Lagos or Asaba or Enugu to do movies. So I was opportune to meet him and from his vetting, I was a good actor and that is why I was working with him.

Are you choosy about the kind of productions you get involved with? Do you look out for certain qualities in the producers and directors?

I am particular about the people I work with. No disrespect, a lot of them really don’t know what they are doing so I prefer to work with those that are properly registered with the Directors Guild of Nigeria and are creative.

What do you look out for in a script before you accept a role?

If I pick up a script, I look at the story and if I like the story and I know the director is grounded, I will go for the job but apart from that, I won’t accept the role.

How many movies have you acted in since you made your debut into the industry?

I have acted in 30 movies.

What would you say is more challenging – acting on stage or acting for the screen?

Stage acting. They are more professional and it is more challenging.

Have you acted on stage since you left school?

No I haven’t and I long for it. When I come across one, I will go for it.

You've managed to avoid the gossip pages of magazines; your name hasn’t been associated with any scandals since you emerged into the industry. How were you able to achieve this?

I am just a quiet person. I have a Theater orientation. When it comes to work, I do my work, and when I’m done with work, I go back home. I don’t let my work get in the way of my family or my family get in the way of my work.

You've played a number of ‘lover boy’ roles in several movies. Why do you think you get selected to play these roles?

I honestly don’t know but when you are given a script to do a particular role and you do it properly, some other producer might see that you are good in that role and they call you for the same kind of role. I just do it right, I think.

What are the challenges you face in the course of your work?

Personally, I do not face any sort of challenges but what I see generally is the issue of doing the production right. In the whole of 2011, I did just two jobs, for Shan George’s movie and for Nonso Diobi’s movie because those jobs are done properly. We spent money to pay artistes well. Those are the challenges I think we face in Nollywood.

You had only 2 jobs coming your way last year?

Well I had the opportunity of seeing one or two other scripts but I wasn’t just up to it, maybe because of the fee or something else.

Does it have anything to do with your being based in Calabar?

I operate from Calabar but I’m everywhere; like now I’m in Lagos. Wherever it’s happening, I’d make myself available.

Among the 30 movies you’ve featured in, which of them would be your most memorable and most challenging?

‘Wheel Of Change’ my first movie. It was challenging because it was my first and at the time I was still in school. I was about 21. It is very difficult for Theater Arts students to do movies. Movies is on screen and Theater Arts is on stage. There is so much exaggeration when it comes to stage acting. It was difficult for me but I will say a big thank you to Jeta Amata who helped work on me for me to fit into the character and to act for screen. Anytime I sit down and watch ‘Wheel Of Change’, I say thank God I have actually progressed in it. I see the difference between that movie and my very last movie.

And which would you say has been your biggest role so far?

My role in ‘Bachelors’.

Hmm, that was quite an interesting one. Tell me about it…

I played T.J Savage and I actually took over from a bigger star so it was very challenging for me to fit into his shoes. When you are new on set, every other person has kind of bonded so it was tough for me to make friends and do my work properly. At some point, I had to adjust. ‘Bachelors’ was big at the time it was on TV. We are not shooting at the moment but people still know me from bachelors, they see ‘Bachelors’ as the biggest thing I’ve done in Nollywood.

You mentioned that you are a movie producer as well. Tell me about some of the projects you’ve worked on…

I have produced one movie for my state government, Cross River State, about 4 years back. It is not in the market because it is for my state government and it’s for Tourism. I have also produced a couple of adverts and political jingles. I produce and direct.

What else do you do aside from acting or anything movie related?

I act, I produce, I direct, that is all I do.

Your achievements and aspirations are quite admirable. What inspires you?

When I sit down and see things that look big to me, things that seem unreachable, it kind of inspires me because then I’d want to work to get there, I’d want to surpass those levels.

How does your wife feel about your demanding job as an actor?

I met her five years back, three years before we got married and she knew what I was doing for a living and she didn’t have a problem with it. It’s not a problem for me, it’s just that I have to tell her family is family and my work is work, but we are happy.

As a handsome actor, you must be used to getting advances from female fans and colleagues. How do you tell them off?

I manage the situation. The first thing I will let you know is that I’m married and I’ve got kids.

You seem to have quite a busy schedule. How do you take time off to relax?

When I’m not acting, I’m home with my family, and when I have to leave the house, I love to play snooker, and I play table tennis very well, and I also swim. Those are the things I do when I’m not working.

Tell me about your role in the new movie about the Nigerian Customs?

I’m acting in it. We are shooting already, we started in November. It’s just about the activities of the Nigerian Customs and how they operate generally.

Nollywood has come under heavy criticism for the kind of stories being told. In your own view, do you think the right stories are being told?

At times I sit down with friends and we debate on this and a lot of them tend to criticize. I try to tell them that there is nothing we show on TV that is not happening, nothing. Everything we show on TV happens so I think we are telling the right stories. I always like to compare Nollywood with the music industry in Nigeria. We all started at the same time but the pace at which the music industry is growing is faster than Nollywood. But I believe we will get there, with the stories, yes, we are doing the right thing.

As an aspiring movie director, what kind of stories would you like to tell?

I’d like to tell simple stories that have to do with societal ills. We run away from those stories a lot, I don’t know why. We see ourselves doing all the ritual and love films. For instance, the movie I did recently with Nonso was about 4 guys who live in the ghetto and come out to the city every now and then to rob. And the leader of the gang is a police officer. There are ghettos everywhere, no disrespect, to Ajegunle, Base side in Calabar, Enere in Warri, but in such places, we have people leaving the ghetto to the city to rob. It was a very simple story but it was properly done. Those are the kind of stories I will like to tell.

What role did you play in that movie?

I was one of the robbers.

That’s really interesting. Did you use guns to act?

Yes. I’m trying to get out of that ‘lover boy’ kind of roles.

You’ve acted with a lot of big names in Nollywood. Who are the actors/actresses you admire the

most?

I appreciate Moses Armstrong. He is from Akwa-Ibom state. I have seen him in different roles and he interprets it properly. 

What would you like to say to your fans?

I say a big thank you to them, those that watch my movies, I’d like to say I love them and I need their support now more than ever.

What is the next level for you?

The next level for me is to be part of projects like that of Nonso Diobi because it is different. It is asimple story, a ghetto story, but if it’s properly done, with good picture, good sound, good acting, I want to be part of such stuff in times to come.