My Pain, My Joy as an Actor- Tony Umez

He came to limelight in 1994, after featuring in the blockbuster movie "Died Wretched: Buried in N2.3m Casket", and since then, Tony Umez has remained one of the most bankable actors in the Nigerian Movie Industry.

However, following the role he played in the soft porn movie, 027, which was released in 2013, Umez incurred the wrath of his fans who were unhappy with his involvement in the movie.


In this interview, Tony Umez talked about the movie and why he doesnt feature in Igbo films.

" My face has been missing on screen in recent times? I dont know what you mean by missing non screen but i have to agree with your observation, i am back on track. The industry is evolving and younger artists are spring up everyday. but that doesnt mean i havent done some jobs in recent times. its just that i havent been as prolific as i used to be in the oast. i have been involved in other projects. Nonetheless i am back in the industry.

He was also asked why scripts doesnt come his way. He said, For an A list actor who used to feature in thirteen to fourteen movies per year, if he starts featuring in about four to five movies, his face would cease to be regular on screen. Thats why you said my face has been missing on screen. I wasnt actually missing on screen. 

On why he doesnt feature in any Igbo film. He said, " Its a long story which i would not want to talk about now. its sad but there is nothing i can do about it. In fact, the little i undestand is from my wife. My wife is from Okija. I am from Ogidi in Anambra state, i speak english and efik fluently because my mother is from cross river state".

He was asked why he starred in a Soft porn movie. He said,
"it was a 2 hour movie  but people are focusing on that particular scene which just happened. And it wasnt as if there was sex on set, everything was basically make believe. it was made to look real and everybody believed it too.I dont blame them because they have their opinion and not mine"

" it wasnt a pleasant news for my wife because she is a woman. But like i have said before, i have weathered the storm and i have moved on as an individual and my family has moved on too. Maybe what it has taught me is how to be more circumspect in the things i do. I should not just look at the creativity embodied in a script but i should look at the societal reaction to it.