William Benson On Embodying Iyase in “Osamede”

William Benson, a dyed-in-the-wool thespian, did not need to audition for the role of Iyase in Osamede, an epic fantasy film executively produced by Lilian Olubi and directed by James Omokwe. He was at home when he received a call from Omokwe, with whom he had worked on Ajoche, to confirm his availability for the project that was to be filmed across two towns Fugar and Ososo in Benin, the capital city of Edo state.

Having previously fallen in love with Osamede as a stage play, Benson related easily with the film version. At first, he found the script attractive for its portrayal of Benin culture with which he has maternal ties. In the past, he had taken up roles on historical projects, including stage plays like Imota, Adesua and Ovoranwen Nogbaisi and films like The Herbert Macaulay Affair, which gave him a cumulative edge going into the current production.

Osamede follows the story of a young orphaned lady living in colonized Benin kingdom, where she discovers her superhuman powers as the chosen protector of the Aruosa stone, a revered object that bears the blessings of Osanobua, the Benin deity of creation. The film is set against the backdrop of the 1897 Benin Expedition and explores themes of spirituality, resilience, ambition, power, faith and cultural identity. With the titular character and protagonist, portrayed by Ivie Okujaye Egboh, Osamede breathes life into Benin mythology.

Iyase, Benson’s character in the film, seeks the Aruosa stone to combat the British believing that with its powers, he would help the empire regain her freedom from the colonizers and rule the empire in place of the deposed Oba Ovonramwen. The character appears to be selfish and overambitious, but Benson, uninfluenced by audience perception, thinks otherwise. To the actor, Iyase sees himself as a rightful custodian of the law and saviour of the kingdom. “He is just a character in the play who is pursuing power,” Benson says. “So he is not seeing himself from the perspective of someone who is overambitious.” The actor borrowed from a formula that defines his career to fully embody this character. This involves a Research, Analysis, Practice, Performance (RAPP) approach, with considerations for character motivations, obstacles, monologues and duologues, and environment. By immersing himself fully in the character and rendering most of his lines in Bini, he gave the cultural narrative an authentic edge and keyed into the vision of filmmakers Olubi and Omokwe.

The experience on the set of Osamede was both fun and fulfilling for Benson. He found Olubi’s proactiveness and optimism impressive and was also glad that they shared the same Christian values. The project provided job opportunities for members of host communities who were engaged to provide food and logistics—with such moments enabling a cooperative atmosphere towards production success. While on location, the production team established rapport with the community security leader who doubled as manager of the hotel where the cast and crew stayed. Every evening, on returning from the set, the production team ordered catfish which the man would go with his motorcycle to fetch. Afterwards, they all sat together, eating and communing. The most beautiful memory for Benson was the natural landscapes of Fugar and Ososo, including their hills, where they created beautiful sets. Moments like this accentuate his belief in the need for epic films to be filmed in the actual places from which the stories are derived.

Osamede screened at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It was a milestone for actors like Benson, with the festival adding value to his brand and exposing him to a new set of audience. After the festival, he received feedback from people who reached out to notify him about seeing the film and commend him for his performance in it. Such exposure, Benson believes, is an impressive development for African cinema, a step towards further recognition and appreciation of African cultures.

With over three decades of experience in theatre, film, radio and television, Benson has established himself as a highly dependable and excellence-driven actor. He achieved mainstream prominence particularly with films such as Taiwo Egunjobi’s A Green Fever and The Fire and The Moth, Kemi Adetiba’s To Kill A Monkey and Tunde Kelani’s Cordelia. In To Kill A Monkey, a Netflix series that has garnered critical reactions since its release, he played the lead role of Efemini, an intelligent but poor family man who takes a morally reprehensible route in his quest for wealth.

Osamede, however, poses a unique dynamic for Benson, enriching his historical repertoire and enlivening his faith in the gospel of art. A conversation with the actor is enough to tell you he is an enthusiastic reader, but he is also cognizant of the fickleness of the current generation. In a society where reading culture is threatened, film and theatre are veritable tools for preservation of cultural heritage. Through these mediums and other cross-cultural exchange programmes, the rich legacy of Africans can be exported globally—as seen in the case of a historical film like Osamede. However, Benson knows moves like these are not only the prerogative of creatives. The Nigerian government has a duty to protect the creative industry through investments in art and tourism, allocation of grants to deserving creatives and the establishment of functional digital footprints with which creatives can access intervention funds and requisite programmes. “We can create more job opportunities and an academy in every locale through which we engage the youths in the areas rather than having them resort to crime,” he adds.

Throughout his career, Benson has always sought motivations in different artistic works. But his curiosity for history grew from seeing the likes of The Trials of Oba Ovoranwen, Death and King’s Horseman and The gods Are Not To Blame. Then, he read the books and became aware of the undocumented aspects of history. Understanding this makes Benson care enough to treat his craft like a sacred item, confident that productions like Osamede will help Nigerians better appreciate and protect their cultures.