Fred Aseroma… screen darling cooling off across the border
HE was a constant visitor to homes in the late 90s and 2000s appearing in most Nollywood movies released back then. Debonair, handsome Fred Aseroma was also a regular face on television as he hosted a long-rested weekly oil and gas programme ‘Petroleum Perspective’ aired back then on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). But he soon took a backseat and checks revealed that he has since relocated to the United Kingdom.
A former Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Chapter of the Actor Guild of Nigeria, those who have followed his art say he is perhaps one of the quietly resourceful and very reliable actors that the motion picture industry is proud to have in its fold. An actor and screen show host of immense credit, Fred, until he relocated, showed stuff to the delight of the teeming home video audiences and his expanding fan base.
Amiable and easy going and not one listed among the loquacious few in filmdom, Fred a model, a TV and radio presenter and a native of Delta State is a graduate of Applied Chemistry. Acting for Fred came naturally. His was an inborn talent which explained why he didn’t give a thought to taking up a course study in the arts. Fred said that he somewhat knew that he would emerge a top entertainer because as a tot, he was roundly regarded as a child star. So even though he had a bias for sciences, he never required a soothsayer to know that he would one day shine as an entertainer. Even though he has relocated, art has become his life. Art has earned him fame and fortune.
Described most often by the entertainment press as an actor with a robust talent, good looks and alluring personae, Fred who has put in over a decade and half as an actor and show host earned wide recognition after he interpreted delightfully, a lead role in Emem Isong’s ‘Men Do cry’ as produced by Rob Emeka Eze of Remmy Jess productions. It took that effort for Fred’s acting light to shine brightly. He not only became a regular face in Nollywood movies-moving from one location to another, he somewhat earned the respect of the restless movie producer Remmy Jess who ensured that he got Fred a place in his next movie. The movie was an epic- ‘Secret Tradition’. It was Fred’s first performance in an epic movie and he didn’t disappoint at all. In fact the post-production reviews rewarded him. It was short of asking those who were in leading position at that time in Nollywood to step aside for a potential leader had arrived. With ‘Secret Tradition’, Fred returned to the turf and he raked as many credits as the sector could possibly offer.
Star of ‘Hidden Secret’, ‘Set it off’, ‘Emotional Blunder’, ‘A time to Die’, ‘Men Do Cry’ and ‘Queen of Hasso Rock’, Fred has starred in a number of critically acclaimed movies. He was a major part of ‘Moment of Truth’, ‘Django’ and ‘Beyond Imagination’, an across the border production with the signature of the notable motion picture director Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen who is popular as the ‘Guvnor’. ‘Beyond Imagination’ was shot in Germany and premiered in Hamburg. Even though he has relocated, fans still yearn for when they will see their darling Fred again on screen, even if in an across the border production.
******
REVIEW
Title– Crazy Grannies
Producer- Rosemary Idornigie
Actors- Ngozi Nwosu, Shaffy Bello, Princess Damilola and others
CRAZY Grannies explores the adventures of three grannies — Omodele played by Shaffy Bello, Ere, Princess Damilola popular as Princess Comedienne and Cheta, Ngozi Nwosu. In a bid to relive their youthful days and rediscover themselves, due to a health scare, three sexagenarian women (Omodele, Ere, and Cheta, childhood friends with very different personalities) take a trip to a resort, where they have the adventures of their lives. Things get more interesting as the possibility of one of them finding love again is very high. Prior to the trip, the three women breathed down on the spouses of their children until they all decided to allow them be.
Written by Joy Elumelu, produced by Elrab Entertainment and directed by the duo of Tope Alake and Kayode Peters, the film boasts of a stellar cast, including: Shaffy Bello, Ngozi Nwosu, Princess Damilola (Princess comedienne), Bolanle Ninalowo, Mercy Aigbe, Debo Adebayo (Mr. Macaroni), Jimmy Odukoya, Onyebuchi Ojieh known as Buchi comedian, Bayray Mcnwizu, Chinonso Arubayi and Abazie Rosemary.
Crazy Grannies is interesting. It is likely to get you hanging on, on it even though it drags at some point and gets too repetitive. Princess Comedienne stole some moments but she slipped in and out of character most times. Ngozi Nwosu and Shaffy Bello were steady. They contributed in giving the movie much of the credits it deserves.
*******
Filmdom Notice Board
Popular Actress Rachel Oniga exits
THERE was dark cloud over the Nigerian movie industry on Saturday, July 31, as soon as news broke that notable actress Rachel Oniga had passed on. The native of Eku in Delta State reportedly died at 10pm on Friday night. A close family source confirmed that the actress died of heart related complication – not as a ‘result of covid’ as some bloggers insinuated. The source also disclosed that the actress returned home from a movie set on Friday evening hale and hearty with no signs of ill-health. “We are still in shock… we, the neighbours, everyone,’ the source said.
The family in a statement signed by her sister, Deaconess Toyin Odusote, indicated that the actress died at 10pm on Friday July 30 from ‘a heart related issue; an ailment she battled for a short period before her demise’. The statement put her age at 64.
A committed, disciplined, loving and professional who is not new to acting on screen, Chief Rachel Tabuno Oniga holds the traditional title of Yeye Amuludun of Ile-Ife. Her strength as an actress in Nollywood is in her ability to act both in Yoruba and English language movies, a reason she is described freely as a crossover actress. That multi-lingual acting ability has served her well as an actress as it is the reason she has earned super roles in movies in Yoruba language and her native Eku dialect.
‘Mama Rachel’ as younger colleagues call her has on that account done more movies that she could not even recollect. That’s why it was an uphill task getting her to say how many movies she had done since she stepped onto the movie turf a little over two and half decades ago. Till date, the single mother and grandmother and star of hit movies like ‘Take Me to Mama’, ‘Onome’, ‘Owo Blow’, ‘My Mothers Pregnancy’, ‘Big Time Chick’, ‘Kada River’ and ‘Lady in the Forest’, who has won several awards including the Best Yoruba actress from the organisers of the THEMA awards in 1998, found her arrival as a top rated actress hard to believe.
******
Filmdom WORD BITES: Rachel Oniga
“There is time to LIVE and a time to LEAVE. Never a perfect TIME to lose a loved one. Adieu Rachel. Goodbye.
– Veteran Actor Otunba Adebayo Salami
’’We have lost a committed thespian, mentor, and adviser, a lover of peace and hardworking artiste, who was ever willing to serve the Actors Guild of Nigeria. We will miss Mama Rachel. I will personally miss her’’
— President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria Emeka Rollas
‘Tunde so you are from Ile-Ife. Do you know I am the Yeye Amuludun of Ile-Ife…what are you doing after this shoot? I need to take you to Kaabiyesi. You can package an entertainment proposal you think he would like…’ this was how you facilitated my one on one with the late Ooni Sijuwade Olubuse. This is how you kept holding my hands in the industry. Through you I met a lot of important people who have had great impact in my life and career. I am so devastated that you are gone. We used 2020 to plan a massive project that we are still on till you left. You were so caring and pleasant. Rest in peace ma.’’
–Filmmaker Tunde Olaoye
“It is indeed painful and a great loss that we will not be seeing Madam Rachel again. Madam Rachel was original and was an organic actor. A very clear director’s delight. Not too long ago she worked with me in Benin. We shot ‘Love Upon The Hills’ which will be our last job together. Consummate, very deep. Certainly a huge vacuum has been created.
–Notable Filmmaker Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun
********
Star Fad & Hobbies
The Actress Ada Ameh –
“Surviving in the industry and staying at the top takes the grace of God. It also has a lot to do with hardwork and being at the right place at the right time. We have our ups and downs and we have moments when things will generally look dull. It has not been easy but I have been able to pull through all these years only by the grace of God. The road here was rough. What has helped is the passion for the job and the orientation I was brought up with, which is to love, be truthful and be content. I also believe that success is about encouraging others and influencing other people and bringing that change’’.
‘The Actress Ayo Adesanya-
“I would definitely choose acting again. The advantages of being a player in the movie industry far outweigh the disadvantage. I mean it has aided me in a lot of things especially outside the country. But there are hassles. I mean one has to think twice before doing the normal things that people do. Most time you are worried about what people are going to say. But I like to live a quiet and simple life not really minding what anyone thinks or say about what I do. To that extent I think I have been able to fair well as an actress. So there is much that acting brings your way. That’s why you see today that everyone wants to be an actor. The whole Nigeria wants to act. I have people who stop me and all they want from me is how to give them an opportunity to act. Today it’s no longer a dirty profession. I mean people no longer think that actresses are never do well’’.
*******
Milestones & Roughcuts
#US-based Nigerian actress floats foundation: Delta Born US-based Nigerian Actress, Oghenekaro Itene has delved into charity with the setup of The Agnes Fikieme Foundation, a non-profit organisation with the sole aim of engaging in life-changing events and immeasurable community services. The mission of the foundation, according to the actress and philanthropist, is to enhance the standard of living in the community and increase its efficiency through advocacy, mentoring, creating access to basic necessities and equal access to a resourceful, safe and sustainable society. For Oghenekaro Itene, the drive to create The Agnes Fikieme Foundation came during the time Covid-19 was raging hard and people were ordered to stay safe in their homes.
“The Agnes Fikieme Foundation was birthed to reduce homelessness and hopelessness in the community,’’ the actress said, adding that the foundation was named after her late mother who, according to Oghenekaro ,was a very charitable person. “I named the foundation after my Mother because when she was alive all she did was help strangers, the homeless community and building businesses for many women and men, awarding scholarships to those that wanted to be educated but had no means to fulfill that dream. So, I want to continue the work she did while she was here– reduce homelessness, educate and empower girls and possibly take folks out off the street for good. Every homeless person has a story. We want to hear it and see what can be done to help the situation’’. The Agnes Fikieme Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit charity organisation based in Beverly Hills, California. Since the foundation started, many programmes have been held to empower people, enhance lives, and provide for the basic needs of the less privileged, to mention a few
The festival has over the years served as a platform for presenting and showcasing the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help destroy negative stereotypes.
