In the Nigerian movie industry, Yomi Fash Lanso is a big name that is always in the frontline whenever the names of who- is-who are mentioned, especially in the Yoruba movie genre of Nollywood. He got into the industry many years ago and he has carved a niche for himself. He is fortunate to be among the stars who have been in the limelight for decades and still leading. The thoroughbred actor has however expressed concerns on why many of his colleagues get broke after their career. The easy going actor also told G why he hasn’t been featuring in most Yoruba movies lately. He made this revelation when MO cornered him at an audition which took place recently at Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos. He spoke mostly on the business aspects of acting that most top actors and upcomers are ignoring. Excerpts:
What is new about Yomi Fash Lanso?
To God be the glory, when you have an idea and you don’t create time to pursue it and make it manifest, it will definitely disturb you. So, I had to take time off a little bit from acting so I can really focus on this idea. To God be the glory we had the maiden edition last year 2015, and what I am talking about is Afro-Heritage Broadcaster Entertainment Awards but we coined it as Afro-Heritage. What we try to do is to honor and celebrate Nigerians and Africans as a whole, who have really contributed to the development of the entertainment industry in Africa particularly in Nigeria and showcase them to the world. At the same time to correct the notion that nothing good comes from Africa. Via our little research, what we discovered was that most of our children schooling abroad are being tutored not to believe in their country of origin because nothing good comes out of it, and if you ask this kids about their role models, they will be pointing at foreigners because they don’t allow them to know that back home we have a lot of people who are doing well also in their chosen careers. We are using this platform to project our own heroes and our stars too who have done wonderfully well to promote our culture and values. So, we tagged the idea celebrating legends and icons.
How long have you been having this dream?
For about 4 years now, we deliberated on it and when i eventually met with a big brother of mine, he listened and we discussed about it and he said this idea can really fly and the rest is now history because we are having the second edition come October 20th 2016.
Aside acting and this project, do you have other things you are engaged with?
Of course yes, aside acting I put money in some businesses that fetches me returns now and that is by the way. I have a lot of things doing now. Yomi Fash Lanso is someone who is passionate about his background, where he is coming from and how to project it. Our culture and Language for me is very important. Same thing we did through the Odu’a Progressing Union (OPU) platform which I am their ambassador. It is a social cultural organization and it is not for Nigerians, it is for the people in the diaspora. As I speak, OPU is in about 68 countries now. UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Ghana, Gambia, Senegal and many more and we are still moving. Being an ambassador for that kind of large entity shows that whatever you do in life, you have to be consistent, don’t waver, be focused and you will surely get their.
Your new project has stylishly taken you out of the industry, when are we seeing you coming back into it fully?
You are right that I am not featuring in the movies like before because this project requires total concentration because you have to be doing something about it at all time, you have to attend to mails and being the chief coordinator for it, is not an easy task. I need to know who are the foremost actors in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Ghana etc, to know this people isn’t easy, you have to be up and doing but I know that very soon I will come back fully because it is my first passion and I won’t let it go off me just like that.
After years of reigning as a star, you hear some cases of top actors living below standard as a result of being broke, what is your take on this?
That is a very good question. There is something all entertainers need to pay attention to, and that is why you need have a good management team so that nobody will take advantage of you, let your management speak on your behalf. Let them strike the deal for you, let them discuss with you on where and how to manage your money, your resources. Do T let family pressures and responsibilities be on you so much as to forget to plan for the future. If you let it be on you alone because of the emotional attachment we have to our people, our siblings, extended relatives and other family members, it will hit back at you if you are not careful. It will affect you if you don’t have a management. Then, we need to cut our excesses, don’t believe because you are a star you need to live above your income, you need to cross check your earnings and try to live below it.
Can you expatiate more on that?
For instance, when you make like 5 million in a year and your expenses are like 7 million in a year, how do you want to balance it? When you made such money, spend 2 or 3 million in a year and save or invest 2 million that will yield profit later. When I hear people say that this job doesn’t require rivalry, I laugh because I don’t see sense in that. If you can make money from the industry and invest it on something else when you have people that can truly manage that investment for you, why then should you say acting doesn't requires rivalry. Though, we have this wrong impression in Nigeria, everyone wants to make it by all means and if you are not monitoring your investments, they will milk you dry. That is the problem we are having, but for my colleagues, the economy is bad right now but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. We will get there soon. We have a lot of things to sit together to and analyze. When we don’t do this things, there will be problems. We have our problems but we need to come together to analyze the problem and find our way out.
Many artistes in Nigeria don’t believe in setting up a management because they see it as a waste of money, what is your opinion on that?
What is there not to set up when you have somebody that manages you, that goes out to sell your image and brings money for you. Out of #100, they have 10% or 20% depending on what you agreed on. But when you think you can manage yourself, where you are supposed to be paid #100 you will be collecting #50, so who is losing? You are short of #30, because if they manage for you, they will get you #100 and they collect their 20 percent which is #20 and you have #70 left with you, if you will be cheated.
You seem not to be interested in producing movies like your colleagues, why?
It baffles me whenever I hear this and I want to believe that it is you the media that are putting the idea that an actor must produce by all means into our heads. I am not saying that actors shouldn’t produce but there is lot you need to know before going into it. The question you need to ask yourself first is that what is my knowledge about productions? If you don’t understand it then don’t go into it, and that is why we now watch rubbish movies in the country since every Tom, Dick and Harry is now a producer. Someone will join the industry last month and before you know it, he/she is already producing this month. Who mentored you to do so? Is it that easy? If you ask that kind of person, do you have formal trainings from any film institutes, he/she will say no. That is why we are having bad movies now because he/she will hire another inexperienced fellow to direct for him because they are all the same. Birds of a feather flocks together. You that you don’t have those professionalism skills will hire another fake fellow to hire the camera and the rest to shoot, what do you think will come out of it? I am not saying you shouldn’t invest because I see them as investors, but hire a very good producer to produce for you. You are an investor whom we call an executive producer and that is it.
It is believed that the upcoming get intimidated by the stars, is this true?
Who are the stars? I wouldn’t know what is going on in their minds to say that but in my own little research and understanding, it is the actor’s fault because if I ask you, do you have any formal training and you say no that you are training under one man and I find that this man is out to exploit you, you will still pay for getting trained under me and I see most of them on set. It is not my fault that you went to the wrong person. I see them acting and I will be like what? I asked a question sometimes back that no one could answer, but if we have one channel that we will all pass through in times of training to be an actor, we will have a balanced knowledge. You understand that as an actor there is no business apart from this. You should know that these are my don’ts, and these are the respect you give to me. I should be attending audition because it is free, no producer must collect money from me because it is free, I should know that if I get engaged and I discuss my fee, and don’t forget that each and every one of them should have an agent. Prepare yourself from now; try to have an agent that will discuss on your behalf. If it is one naira that you are collecting from a role you play, have it signed on paper and leave, but because most of the people coming into the industry don’t want to go through the normal channel, they are coming through the back door, that is why they are facing all these nonsense we are talking about. There is problem, it is not until you produce that people get to know you. Funke Akindele is a good example of this from my own view. Before she started producing she was already a good actor and she understood the business and there a lot of people like that also in the industry.
