Writer's Avenue

Nonso Anozie’s acting CV is impressive; he has worked with some on some of the best names in film, television and theatre. RockNRolla, Happy Go Lucky, Cass and Atonement are just a few film credits to his name, he has also appeared in numererous television films such as I Am Slave and not many can say they have worked alongside Oscar winner Colin Firth. It doesn't end there, Nonso can be seen in HBO's Game of Thrones (Season 2) and this summer's blockbuster Conan the Barbarian.

Nonso comes across as an extremely humble guy, he is also genuinely good company and has a good sense of humour, interviewing him was a pleasure.

It’s a lovely rare but sunny day in July and we sit outside Soho Theatre for the interview. It seems like everyone who walks by knows Nonso and stops to say hello.

Let me go back as far as I can remember. It started off when I was really in to superheroes and Spiderman and wanted to, you know... be a super hero. And then somehow I realised you had to be an actor to be those superhero characters and then I started getting into school plays. I was picked out (at school) to take part in an audition and the vibe I got from the audience on that day...if I don’t feel that vibe anymore I’d stop doing it because that day made me want to be an actor, I wanted to be on stage. As I’ve got older...at first it was just about attention but now it’s more about building characters and telling a story. There was a man that called himself Lord Eric, a Ghanaian man, he used to go round telling us stories, all these African stories. In my class when I was growing up I was one of two black people, this was in primary school, and this guy captivated me. This was a black man and growing up in that time in the 80s you didn’t really have too many black role models on TV or in theatre so I remember that, it is a strong memory. Essentially it’s the storytelling I love about acting.

I grew up in a typical household, my dad left when I was quite young, though I’ve started to build a relationship with him now. I have two younger sisters. My family is from Nigeria. You’re family are from Ghana right?

I haven’t been to Ghana I really wanna go, one of my good friends is from Ghana. I keep saying I’m gonna come, I’m gonna come! I grew up in a really Anglo-Nigerian household. It was just a great experience. Some of my friends when I was young would say “shut up mum” argue back with their mum. That is just not something you can do in a West African household you know what I mean?

Strangely enough my mother wanted to be a singer when she was younger but she had it beat out of her (not literally) her mum was like “no!” Her granddad was like “no my granddaughter is not gonna be a singer, that’s madness!” In Nigeria, you’re a doctor, lawyer an engineer, that is was what you became. So she went in to nursing. Because they stopped her from doing what she wanted to do she encouraged me. She just said “make sure you’re successful at it” so I’m trying to my best really!

It was a great experience. Guy Ritchie he used to be able to get ease out of you, he’s a really simple director and he listens. I got to work with Mark Strong, Idris Elba and Gerald Butler and a pretty cool director.

Nonso in RockNRola The Last Legion

What was your first on set experience?

My very first experience was on a feature film, it was The Last Legion which stars Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley and Aishwarya Rai, a famous Bollywood actress and one of the most beautiful in the world. And here I am, I hadn’t done any screen work and all of sudden I’m stood here working on this huge Hollywood blockbuster.

Yeah but it was great! I was 25. Up until then I had really become comfortable with stage and being in front of an audience. But then now, I’m in front of the camera with people that know exactly what they are doing and I’m expected to know exactly what I’m doing. It’s a hard experience but I had a great calm director called Dough Lefler. Colin Firth, I’ve become great friends with now, we spend a lot of time together. But I made it clear that “hey I’m new here, give me a chance” (Laughs)

Very much so. To be fair I did not have too many lines in that movie, but it was still a big part, it was crazy, but there was a lot of choreography. I was in it throughout. My first scene I had to say a line walk around a courtyard with a little boy in my hand, catch a sword, throw the boy and hit all these marks! So if you mess it up you have to go again, and again, it had to be one long shot!

I enjoyed it very much, it was scary. We had an old school producer Deno De Laurentiis who was involved in The Godfather and so many different things, God rest his soul because he died recently. He was very frightening because he would storm off the set and say (in an Italian accent) “Oh no, it’s not right!” I remember the audition actually, I thought I’d been offered the role and then they said “Ok, last thing, you need to meet Deno...and the family”. No word of a lie it was exactly... like... The Godfather. It was a huge room he walked in and his wife was sitting there, he had all his nieces and nephews and sons and daughters just staring at me on these long sofas. (We’re both in hysterics by this point) And he has a chair facing them all, and they’re all asking me questions and in the middle of everyone talking he stood up and he said (in an Italian accent) “Ok, you wanta do movie with me, you shake my hand” And I shook his hand and I swear I could hear violins playing. It was an amazing experience.

I have a close network of friends that are not in the acting world. The good thing about having friends in “normal jobs” they don’t...you know… actors tend to blow everything up, but my non-actor friends they keep me down to earth and my family. My actor friends are like “oh my god it was amaaazing, oh my god it was woooonderful” my mum will watch something and say (Nigerian accent) “Why did you where that in the scene?” that really brings me down to earth! It really doesn’t....

No, it doesn’t faze her. The First Legion was a real turning point, it definitely opened doors into film and TV.

Theatre is where I started, I graduated in 2002 (drama school) and we there was a project for the RSC. They went around to all drama schools and scouted for young actors that they thought were very talented. I was shortlisted, came to audition for a production. Basically they were getting disgruntled letters from young actors saying they weren’t getting a chance to get into the RSC. So we did this production where everybody was given a chance to play a leading role and they decided to do King Lear and they offered me the part of King Lear.

At first I was terrified! Oh God! But the great thing about the director, he was a very open guy. I learnt a lot from that production. It was so successful it ended up on a European tour for the rest of the year. Then every audition I went on to it was like “oh you’re the guy that played King Lear. So it gave me a bit of a name in the casting world. And then I did a play called World Music which went to the West End. I worked with Kenneth Branagh in a play called Edmond at The National Theatre which was a huge hit. I remember when I was rehearsing for King Lear the director wasn’t giving me notes in the first week of rehearsal and I was thinking “have I done a bad job???”. He took me aside and said “I know I haven’t given you notes but I’ve been thinking, I’d like to offer you a job in two years, I want you to play Othello. Hopefully that will let you know how I feel about your work”. I was like “yeah!” Then I played Othello and again we took it on a world tour; China, Africa, Russia, Spain… it was truly amazing and really shaped me as an actor. We all put our hearts and souls into it, we got 5 star reviews, a lot of rewards and recognition. Then I decided I’d like to do a bit of film so I flew to America and got a manager who I’m still with today.

What are your thoughts on actors moving to America?

A lot of actors want to go to America. You’ve got to be able to do the accent. They are very straight forward you will know straight away if you will not be able to work there. There’s a bigger audience so a lot more money. There are a lot more opportunities, especially for people of colour who can play a variety of roles, but there is a lot of competition. I didn’t see a lot of black people on British TV before but it’s changing so much now… maybe as a response to the good actors moving to the US. Our actors have gone over there and become successful, made a name. Like the most recent one is Idris Elba who was over here for years but they didn’t recognise him here or provide him with any platform to be successful over here. He went to America, was really successful in The Wire and a number of feature films, now he’s come back here as a big star. And now he’s doing Luther which he also produces as well. It’s interesting. Everyone finds their own journey. Now you can just send a tape to America and audition like that, so you don’t have to be there but it helps to be in LA.

It’s funny, I’ve stuck to what I wanted to do. Theatre and film and really good TV, it’s got to interest me. If I really like the director or story I will do it. I haven’t done, so far, anything that I don’t want to do. I’ve been lucky and blessed enough to be able make money and support myself with the work that I have done, so I can say no to the things that I don’t wanna do. Because it’s hard being an actor, it’s very hard, sometimes you just have to take a job ‘cause you need the money. But I just don’t wanna do things that I don’t wanna do.

You’ve got something coming up on TV soon right? (Stolen was on in July 2011)

Stolen on BBC 1 and that was the first real baddie I played, opposite Damian Lewis. I play a...a child trafficker.

Well, I couldn’t go kidnapping kids! We did a lot of research into how it works but there isn’t a lot available on the internet. You hear a lot about it, people affected by sex trafficking but this one is about children brought into the country and sold off for various purposes, actually a very lucrative trade. I wanted to do this role, one because the script really exposes that it’s not just people that look like you and me doing it but the people that fuel it demanding these children, are people who are English, white, Spanish, German or whatever. And this character really exposes that. I normally play positive role. I have quite a round cheerful face,so I’ve been told! (laughs)

So I tend to get nice characters but I got be a real baddie so if you don’t like him I’ve done a good job!

Yeah, it’s coming out in the US 19^th August and 26^th here in the UK. It was filmed in Bulgaria.

They’re going more for the take on the novel rather than the Arnold Swarchenegger movie. The story is totally different from that movie.

I play a goodie in this one, I’m Conan’s best buddie. I’m his only friend really.

Not for kids! A lot of blood! Blood, gore and swords, I know a lot of guys waiting for it to come out. It’s gonna be exciting, I’m looking forward to it. It was great to meet with Stephen Lang who was the bad guy in Avataar. Did you see that?

That guy is a big star and Jason Momoa who plays Conan is a really nice guy to work with. I had a great time filming it.

I’ve enjoyed working with everybody but if I was too pick out someone… I‘d say Colin Firth has been my favourite. We have stayed friends, he was such a gentleman. It has been such a good experience to learn from people. Watching a leader, I‘ve been blessed with working with some great leaders which has helped me.

Do you ever get recognised in the street especially with the film coming out? If so how do you feel about that?

Well, it’s part of what we do. I’d would prefer to be a respected actor or that guy who does films. I don’t envy people who can’t walk around and go anywhere, I don’t envy that kind of lifestyle. But yeah, I do get recognised a lot, mainly for the film Cass which is a football hooligan movie so if there is a football match going on…it does get a bit much. But it’s something that I love, it means that people like what I do, it means people acknowledge it, it’s almost like a positive review.

I just finished doing a film in Vancouver, another American film called The Grey it’s basically a plane crash and we end up crash landing in the mountains in Alaska. There are 8 of us and it’s about our survival in wilderness.

Have you ever had any embarrassing moments on set, on stage or at an audition?

Oh my God! One night we were performing Othello it was...(laughs) and I was wearing this white shirt and black dinner trousers with suspenders and I grabbed hold of the actress and I slipped with my back to the audience. And as I slipped my trousers split all the way up the back.

And I had white boxers shorts on Sandra, not black.

Now Nonso, if you had worn black boxers there would been some blending in, more discreet.

I know, I had white boxers shorts. And it split so wide, I mean my whole entire backside was out! It was not nice....at all.

Have you ever had an embarrassing foot in mouth moment or said something embarrassing.

Em....yep! Well, I remember when I went to meet an agent and I just walked in the door and I had one of those sour sweets in my mouth. And just as I said “Hello” the sweet popped out with a whole lot of saliva like I was dribbling and I almost walked right back out of the room.

(Laughs) I was like “ok, let’s just ignore that” but you couldn’t really; big sour sweet hitting hard wooden floor in pool of saliva. It wasn’t good, wasn’t good at all. They must have thought “We’re not taking this guy on, he clearly has saliva gland issues” (Laughs)

Ohhh. In terms of guilty pleasures... I really (laughs)...I really like Disney movies

I’ve got a nephew, so I’ve got an excuse, but recently I watched Tangled. Have you seen that?

Absolutely brilliant movie. No word of a lie it’s Rapunzle...but it’s a twist on Rapunzle.

Yep. (Laughs) I was gripped. They just know how to tell a good story.

And have you bought anything you’ve never used?

Dirt Devil, that doesn’t ever get used, tells you about the cleanliness of my house don’t it. Tool sets, power drills, I bought it thinking yeah, I’m gonna do everything.... ha...it hasn’t got done! I’m sounding like a right bloke aren’t I?

I like to sing, I’m learning to play the guitar. I’d love to do a musical, I envy those people who can do a year long run but it would have to be a short run for me at Donmar or National Theatre or somewhere like that. I‘ve got the soundtrack of Dreamgirls in my car.

I don’t really belt it out I...I just admitted that, I can’t believe I just told you that! Can you take that off the record please!

I don’t know why I’m being so open with you. I need to just calm down. I need to just caaaalm down, this is not good. Dreamgirls in my car? I obviously meant Terminator. Yeah, I’ve got the soundtrack to Terminator.

Yeah the soundtrack is in my car, (humming a random Terminator soundtrack tune) de der der der dee der der! Yeah, guns!

You mentioned acting started with superheroes if you had to choose a super power which one would you wanna have?

Flying, straight up. And I wanna be Superman, he can do absolutely everything. Walk up walls, super strength, laser eyes, he can multiply himself, he can get shot in the eye and not die. He’s faster than a speeding bullet, he can turn back time by spinning round the world!

Ok, fair enough...Spiderman, hmm, he gets knocked about a bit don’t he? Not sure he’s power’s worth it.

Nah Sandra, super strong. And you know there’s a new Spiderman movie coming out, it’s gonna be amazing.

I know ... and there’s Spiderman the musical.

Yeah there is, er....maybe I’ll play one of the bad guys or something, you wouldn’t wanna see me in that Spiderman costume, a lot of people wouldn’t like that. Maybe I better leave that role. (Laughs)

A lot of people playing that role have got hurt actually, might not be a good move for you ‘cause you wouldn’t get a chance to be in Dreamgirls.

(Laughs) One of my friends is in the new Spiderman the movie, Andy Garfield, he was in Social Network. Brilliant actor.

Really? That’s great. Don’t change the subject, I wanna see you in Dreamgirls.