Nigerian Hollywood Star Hakeem Kae-Kazim has played some iconic movie roles. He has featured in box office hits like– Hotel Rwanda, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Last Flight To Abuja, X-Men Origins: Wolverine – as well as hit TV series – Lost, 24, NCIS: Los Angeles. He is currently on the cast of Michael Bay’s new Pirate-themed TV series – Black Sails.
How did you get into acting?I started when I was very young. I was in all my school plays and then, I went on to be part of the National Youth Theatre – an annual 6-week theatre workshop in the UK. A lot of kids would audition for it and only about a hundred would be selected to work in this theatrical environment. We would do everything from stage management to acting on stage. That’s where my love for the industry and being an actor actually began.
Did you grow up in the UK?Yes, I did. I was born in Lagos but for the most part, I was raised in England and then went on to spend a good few years in South Africa before coming to the United States.
What type of acting jobs were you doing before you got into Hollywood?My acting career has been all over the place. I started off in the United Kingdom where I did mainly stage and theatre so I worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Court and all those big UK theatres. After that, I moved to South Africa and did a lot of stuff there on South African Television – commercials and various other things like that. Then, in the last few years, I moved to America. My career, in ways, has gone through three different countries so I’ve started all over again in each different country. It’s been a journey.
Did you grow up in the UK?Yes, I did. I was born in Lagos but for the most part, I was raised in England and then went on to spend a good few years in South Africa before coming to the United States.
What type of acting jobs were you doing before you got into Hollywood?My acting career has been all over the place. I started off in the United Kingdom where I did mainly stage and theatre so I worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Court and all those big UK theatres. After that, I moved to South Africa and did a lot of stuff there on South African Television – commercials and various other things like that. Then, in the last few years, I moved to America. My career, in ways, has gone through three different countries so I’ve started all over again in each different country. It’s been a journey.
You recently starred in the Award-winning “Last Flight To Abuja”. Was that your first time of working back home? What made you start to work in Nigeria?
My first experience of working back home was on a film called “Inale”. It was a musical directed by Jeta Amata, which was shot in Benue State. He said it would be great if I came to do some stuff out in Nigeria and see what it was like. That way, we could help push the industry to a different level.
Apart from “Black Sails”, what are your other upcoming projects?I’ll be going back to do season two of “Black Sails” soon. “Half of a Yellow Sun” is also coming out soon. I’m just working on another movie called “Daylight’s End” with Lance Henriksen.
Etisalat’s new advert campaign features you in it. Is it just a one-time thing or were you signed on as a brand ambassador?They asked me to come and do an endorsement deal for them so it’ll be my first in Nigeria. It’s just another avenue for me to see what it’s like back home, to sort of help bring a more international sort of level to what’s happening locally as well. You know, we’re Nigerians, so it’s important for us to be on the international scene. We’re still ironing it out but as a brand ambassador, we’ll be trying to improve the Etisalat brand and its awareness.
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Do you have a house here in Nigeria, especially now that you have a lot of engagements in the country?
No, it’s mainly hotels and running around when I’m in Nigeria. I do have a brother that is based here though. My mother is also in Nigeria but she spends some time in the UK as well. Even though I was born in Lagos, we’re actually from Abeokuta.
Apart from acting, you also do voiceover work for videogames, commercials and the likes. How did you get into that line of work?It’s a sort of spring off, really from people saying “you’ve got a nice voice” and then suddenly, people asking me to do voiceovers for commercials. I’ve done a lot of commercials for Nigeria. I was once the voice for MTN – “Everywhere You Go”. I did that for a couple of years. Yes, I also do for videogames. I don’t know if you know “Halo” and “Call of Duty” and things like that. It’s a great thing to be able to do and it’s a great acting thing and it’s a lot of fun. Voiceovers are a very important thing for me. I love doing it.
With how much people say they love your voice, have you ever considered branching out into radio?No. It’s a different skill. I can do voiceover for radio, in fact, I’ve done lots of those but working on the radio as a disc jockey or as a voice, it’s a very different skill. You have to understand and have the knowledge of music and entertainers and all that sort of thing. And, in that area, my knowledge is kind of limited.
I’m sure you get a lot of attention from the ladies for your voice. How about relationships?
I’m nicely tied down actually. I’m married and I’ve got three little girls – Aisha, Shada and Jadesola.
Source: BellaNaija
Is your wife in the industry as well?No, she’s not. She’s a blessing. She works in the hotel industry.
Tell us a little bit about your wife.Her name is Bronwyn. She’s from South Africa. Two of my kids were born there.
Do you have any advice for people who want to get into the movie industry?Work really hard at it and never give it up. If you’re really passionate about this kind of stuff – being an actor, producer or director, the main thing is to really concentrate and work as hard as you can. It’s a real skill. It’s an art form and it’s not just about running in and trying to be famous. It’s a way of giving back to people. I believe if you work hard at honing your skill base, it will get you far.
Tell us a little bit about your wife.Her name is Bronwyn. She’s from South Africa. Two of my kids were born there.
Do you have any advice for people who want to get into the movie industry?Work really hard at it and never give it up. If you’re really passionate about this kind of stuff – being an actor, producer or director, the main thing is to really concentrate and work as hard as you can. It’s a real skill. It’s an art form and it’s not just about running in and trying to be famous. It’s a way of giving back to people. I believe if you work hard at honing your skill base, it will get you far.
Source: BellaNaija
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