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There is much to admire about screen queen, Iretiola Doyle, who has steadily built her name into the sands of Nollywood. It’s fair to say that the Ondo-native has played a big role in building the Nigerian film industry into the giant it’s becoming. Her work has earned her several awards including an AMVCA nomination for the Best Supporting Actress for her role in Gidi Up.
In a career that has spanned over two decades, the actress has breathed life into many characters, from playing Caro in the early 2000s series, Fuji House of Commotion, to playing Lady Obianuju Onwuka in The Wedding Party.
For the younger generation, she is Sheila Ade-Williams from the hit telenovela, Tinsel. Either way, the thespian has made her mark and scored a special place in the audience’s mind and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
In contrast, the 56-year-old keeps commanding her art as she plays Flo-Ade in Africa Magic’s original, The Hidden. The 13-part thriller explores a rigged society where the strong prey on the weak, where culture and tradition are turned to weapons of oppression and motives are twisted and turned at whim.
Follow the life of Flo-Ade, a woman who has seen it all. She has been through the furnace, lost her loved ones to the brutal dividends of a once thriving career and now seeks redemption by becoming a safe haven for others who seek refuge even as her calm, near perfect demeanour hides her thirst for vengeance.
In an exclusive interview, the actress shared some insight into the series, from a producer, writer and actress’ point of view:
Question: It’s your first time as an executive producer, how was your creative process different this time?
Answer: I’ll be honest, it was tough. Up until day one of shoot I was still having to make decisions and carry out my duties as executive producer. I remember that my call time was around 02:00 p.m but as early as 07:00 a.m there was some small fire that needed to be put out and I had to be the executive producer, putting out the fire, trying to convince the director about the direction we wanted to go and stuff like that. And that’s how the day went.
Question: It’s also your first time as an executive producer and acting. How was your creative process as an actor different this time?
Answer: It was a little bit off in the beginning, but I got with the program very fast. On that first day my actors were bringing serious fire and energy on set and that’s when an inner voice was like ‘you’re going to have to learn how to put your Executive Producer hat aside and become the character because my role was a centrepiece’.
If everybody is bringing fire and I am weak, what’s the point? So that was a wake up call. My colleagues, my co-actors gave me that wake up call without even realising it. I had to tell myself that I had done my homework and everything I needed to do in pre-production. It was time to bring the actress on set.
Speaking about her character, Flo-ade, she shared: Flo-ade just wants to just take care of people because she feels it’s her only redemption. If you look closely, I’m sure you will recognize some of those stories are mine. There are things and situations that I’ve experienced personally. Things I have witnessed other people experience, maybe situations. I know the things that hurt in the moment and I know the nuances that were missing.
Question: From the lens of the executive producer, what would you like the audience to take? What’s the thing that you want them to leave with?
Answer: Art is subjective. Five people will watch the show and go home with five different things or maybe nothing at all. If you ask me what my intention was when I was creating the show, it was some sort of challenge.
However, I’d like to say that The Hidden’s storytelling is pretty intriguing. The whole idea was easy and as you watch, you get heavily invested in our characters and stories. They share that no matter how bad it gets, there’s always a second chance. There’s always a do-over and you will always find a safe space. That’s the essential message.
Catch a new episode of The Hidden every Sunday on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv ch. 151) at 8.30 p.m. You can also enjoy the show on the
MyDStv app at no extra cost.
The post The Writer, Executive Producer, and Lead Actress: Meet Iretiola Doyle in Africa Magic’s Original, The Hidden appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
