The red carpet was buzzing with excitement as Nollywire hosted the cast of ‘Saving Onome,’ a gripping story about a working-class couple fighting to save their daughter. The film, blending themes of family, desperation, greed, and betrayal, promises a thrilling cinematic experience.
First up was Nancy Isime, who plays Tola. When asked about her co-star, Olumide Oworu, Nancy was genuinely surprised to learn that this was his first role as a father. “Oh, really?” she exclaimed. “I didn’t even know that! Olumide was really natural with the scripts. We had a lot of chemistry on set, and that’s why the movie turned out really well. I encourage others to go see it.”
Next, comedy sensation Nasboi, who plays Tega, shared his thoughts on transitioning from comedy to acting. When asked how he felt about moving from comedy to acting, Nasboi said, “Well, I’m not really new to acting; this is my sixth film ever, which is quite impressive, to be honest. Yes, I’ve heard many people say I should stick to content making or my skits, saying skit makers aren’t exactly actors, but I don’t really care about that. I’m doing really well in this field. I’m very okay.” He went on to praise his character, Tega: “Oh, yeah, my character in the movie is amazing, very amazing, or more like the life of the party.”
Zulumoke Oyinbo, a co-founder of one of Nigeria’s largest production studios, Inkblot Productions, discussed the casting process, especially regarding Olumide Oworu. When asked about the thought process behind casting Olumide, who mainly stars as a child actor but plays a father in this film, she explained, “We always try to experiment. We are the biggest production company in Nigeria, and we’re the ones who put out the most cinema films yearly, right? If we do not experiment, I don’t know who else will do so. So we switch things up with our genres; we switch things up with our actors; we switch things up with our directors. We never stick to one method and never bore our audiences with the same genres. We’re always changing. However, one thing that is always certain and constant across all our films is that they have top-notch production value and are interesting and exciting. We give people what they want, and that’s it.”
Naz Onuzo, another co-founder of Inkblot Studios, added his perspective. When asked about the decision to cast young actors in significant roles, he stated, “Well, I just think that we’re reflecting the experience of our country, like we’re a young nation that includes both young adult people below the age of 18, and they wanted to experience their lives as well. In this particular case, the young actor is what I’m looking for; it’s not the main focus, but it’s something that we’re doing a bit more.”
Zulumoke further elaborated on taking risks in casting. She added, “Look, we take risks, right? And it’s not even that big of a risk, you know, because Olumide is such a fantastic actor. So we knew that we were also pairing him up with someone as strong as Nancy, both of them feeding each other. They’re both very beautiful actors, and we do not regret casting Olumide.”
Mega Geraldine, who plays the older Onome, expressed her admiration for Nancy Isime. When asked about her experience working with Nancy, Mega stated, “I only saw Nancy in films. I really wanted to meet her, so when I got the opportunity, I was really happy, and set was really fun because they just treat me like their real daughter. So overall, it was very fun.”
Khaira Bashir, who plays the younger Onome, also shared her thoughts on Nancy. When asked what she thought about Nancy Isime, Khaira said, “She was very kind. She was very nice. She was also very pretty. Also, we did have some fun moments together. We talked, we danced, and she also taught me a very valuable lesson. She taught me that acting is not all about art, but also putting emotions and feelings into the character. Nancy Isime is really great!”
The evening was a blend of admiration and excitement, with each cast member bringing their own unique flair to the film. ‘Saving Onome’ is now showing in cinemas.
