Every week, The Culture Custodian grants you an all-access backstage pass into the lives of Nollywood rock stars. You get to learn about their fascinating backgrounds, the behind-the-scenes stories, and more. This episode features actor Natse Jemide.
Natse Jemide was born in Nigeria where he spent his first fourteen years before moving to the United Kingdom. “In the UK my life revolved around school and sports,” he recalls. While pursuing a Law degree at the University of Birmingham, he realized the possibility of exploring his creative potential rather than settling for a mundane corporate career. After school, he embraced music, modelling and was fortunate to get his first acting role as Reggie in Far From Home, Nigeria’s first Netflix Young Adult Original series. “If I had told my father I wanted to be an actor and was just going for auditions without securing anything, he wouldn’t have found the idea welcoming,” Jemide reminisces on his formidable starting point. He also played the lead role of Ibukun Saka in the 2024 football-themed drama, When Love Strikes.
A passionate football lover and music artist, Jemide’s Spotify discography contains soulful singles like Broke My Heart, Honda and Call Me When You’re Lonely that hint at a romantic part of him, a tribute to his attitudinal optimism. “I generally believe that you can change a generation of Nigerians with entertainment and sports,” Jemide says. He also attributes the effervescent nature of Lagos to her vibrant entertainment culture and side attractions. Towards the end of every year, the commercial capital blossoms with music concerts and other artistic performances. “Without the music industry, there’s no detty December,” Jemide admits. Back in 2014 and 2015, he always looked forward to the holidays in Lagos. “I would tell my friends in England that going back to Lagos around that time of the year was a vibe,” he recalls.
In this interview, which is already optimized for clarity, Natse Jemide lets us into his creative landscape and personality and, most importantly, provides insights on his budding Nollywood career.
What inspired your evolution from modelling into an acting career?
Being an actor wasn’t something that I necessarily planned or worked towards in the beginning. I always knew I could act and, in fact, I ran a production company at a time because I wanted to be a filmmaker—particularly a director. So, when the opportunity to act in Nollywood came, I couldn’t say no. I got an email asking me to come for an audition, and it ended up being Far From Home.
Did your experience as a Law student at the University of Birmingham have any impact on your modelling and acting careers?
I hated school. The only impact university had on my career was making me realize that I didn’t want to live a corporate life because of how little I enjoyed academic activities.
Do you have any additional training in acting?
No. It was just me at the studio watching producers and directors work. In my studio, there were a lot of young people coming around to make music videos and films, so I just watched them.
How did you establish chemistry and rapport with your fellow actors on the set of Far From Home, given that it was your first acting role?
If I had gone on the set and was overthinking, it wouldn’t have been easy. I was confident in my ability and just wanted to be a positive contributor.
How did you land the lead role in the football-themed Prime Video film When Love Strikes?
I didn’t audition for the role. When Love Strikes was made by Inkblot Productions, the same company responsible for Far From Home. So, they knew what I could do and that I could play football. That probably landed me the role.
What was growing up in Nigeria like?
I lived in Nigeria till I was 14. I grew up in a family of creatives. We have painters, singers, sketch drawers, filmmakers, fashion designers, etc. My mom was a writer and poet. My dad was also a writer. My uncle, Doye Agamo, was one of the first people in Nigeria to appear on TV, though he didn’t do it for so long. My most fundamental talent in life is being able to communicate, either orally or in writing, which was instilled in me through my early, formative experiences. That led me to writing my first fictional stories at age 4 or 5. That turned into a passion for music, as I started writing songs when I was 10 years old. At age 12, I was already YouTubing as a content creator. All these made me realize that I could evolve and achieve more as a creative.
Can you recall specific experiences that helped contribute to your creative and career trajectory?
I was lucky because I went to a school that gave me access to people from around the world. I had a friend who was from Turkey and the WiFi in his house was just so fast. We would go to his house on Thursdays and Fridays, watch YouTube videos and learn how to use editing softwares. It made me realize I could do this as a job. It was the first time I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. After graduation, I started running a production company to put myself into the world of creativity. That’s when I got Far From Home, recorded my first song, got signed and did my first runway show in Lagos. All these happened in six months in 2020.
What challenges have you encountered in your acting career?
The biggest challenge is patience. Being an actor requires a lot of patience because it’s tedious and comes with sudden schedule changes. Most times, it’s impossible to access all the problems you will face before the production has started. For instance, the two films I did which are coming out this year were supposed to be out last year. As an actor I had made plans according to the releases but then due to production and distribution issues, the releases got delayed for an extra year. As an actor, so many things are out of your control because they are tied to luck and grace. Also, while you can work all the time, it’s difficult finding the perfect combination of things in a project as regards productions that advance your career, pay well and come under considerable terms and conditions. A very personal challenge are the physical things I have had to do as an actor. My characters, Reggie and Ibukun, were football players. And Ibukun was particularly challenging because I was under the sun for an extended period of time.
Are there any specific roles or genres you are interested in exploring as an actor or filmmaker?
I’m open. I feel like it’s such an interesting time for film, and I’m a young actor. I just want to do things that feel right at the moment. And honestly, I don’t know what that looks like right now.
Do you engage in other sports apart from football?
I play basketball and have also played table tennis, rugby and volleyball. But football remains my favorite sport.
Should we expect any projects from you soon?
I have two upcoming films that will be out this year. I can only discuss one, which is Afrobeats Superstar, produced and directed by Tola Odunsi. It’s an awesome show about a young artist striving to make a name for himself in Lagos as he gets signed to one of the biggest record labels in the country, while having to navigate family, relationships and the dark sides of the music industry. I got the role after meeting Tola at Mo Abudu’s birthday party and setting up a conversation with him afterwards during which I introduced my music to him. That was when he informed me about wanting me in his film. Initially, they were going to cast me in a different role, but after undergoing a studio session and realizing I could do the music part, I was made the lead.
