Culture Custodian had a sit-down with three of the stars of Far From Home, the new and first Nigerian Young Adult Netflix show; Michael Afolarin who plays Ishaya, Bolanle Ninalowo who plays Oga Rambo, and Gbubemi Ejeye who plays Adufe. We had a conversation about the characters they play on the show.
Michael, what is the most memorable thing for you in playing Ishaya?
Michael: I was first of all very excited about the young adults demographic being represented in the industry, which didn’t use to be the case until recently. Ishaya, despite his shortcomings, was also very relatable and I think the audience will share the same sentiment. He’s very smart, persistent and dogged about achieving his goals, just like the typical young Nigerian, and that’s what I tapped into.
Nino B, What was it like playing the big, bad Oga Rambo?
Nino B: Oga Rambo’s character is one that I’ve always wanted to play so I’m first of all glad that I got to do that on a global scale. The minute I got the script, I knew it was definitely my cup of tea so it was a no brainer for me, I had to jump on it.
In some of the scenes, you had to share a room with a caged hyena. Did that bother you?
The team had the right protocol in place, there were guards and caretakers so I wasn’t really worried. I was a bit taken aback the first the first time I saw it on set though, I was like ‘Oh snap! These people really mean business’.
Gbubemi, what was it that stood out for you in playing Adufe?
I was drawn to Adufe’s character mostly because of how different we were. I found many of her choices outrageous and I knew playing her was the kind of challenge that I needed.
So you didn’t find anything about her relatable?
Oh no, I did. I connected to the part of her that fixed situations and got things done. She always found a way to survive, I find that quite relatable.
What do you think will surprise your audience the most?
Gbubemi: It has to be all the crazy decisions.
Nino B: I think rather than surprise the audience, Far From Home will help them arrive at a realization that we all, especially the young adults that will be watching, are like Ishaya than we know. The sneakiness, the strong will to do what we want, everyone is just looking for someone else to do the same thing and give them permission to own who there are.
Michael: Yeah, it will show everyone that we are all just trying to find ourselves one way or the other and that will include some bad decisions.
Which character on the show do you think you’d be friends with in real life?
Nino B: I think Ijoba, my right hand guy. I would be cool with anyone as long as their head is in the right place.
Michael: I actually feel like Oga Rambo and Nino B would be good friends. I can definitely see both of them sharing a drink at a table and totally hitting it off. Ishaya’s friends, Frank and Zina would also be my friends. And maybe Atlas too, so I could keep him in check.
Gbubemi: It’s Zina for me. She’s such a light and she’s so full of good vibes, that’s the kind of energy I would want around me.