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As Nollywood continues to gain global recognition, veteran actor Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin, passionately emphasises that the industry is built on an African cultural legacy that must be cherished and preserved.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Latin said Yoruba Nollywood consistently reminds people about their roots.
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The filmmaker said: “Like I used to clamour, a few years ago, we must bring back history so our new generation can know about our legacy. African storytelling is one of the best things that happens to us. It makes people remember their roots, learn more about their culture, and understand our dos and don’ts.“
Speaking on his efforts to merge culture with filmmaking, the comic actor said he has always advocated for film production that connects audiences to their roots.
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Responding to questions on how cultural movies have contributed to Nollywood, the 58-year-old said, “Let me tell you something. Femi Adebayo was nominated for his role in Jagunjagun and Agesinkole. Those are cultural movies, right? Indigenous movies will encourage Femi Adebayo to do more to propagate our culture.
“He who is not proud of his colour is not fit to live. So, we are very proud of what we have been able to do, we are very proud of our little achievements, and we hope we will do more.”
Efforts
The actor who was elected president of the Theatre Arts and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria, TAMPAN, on 14 December 2022, also reiterated the efforts of AMVCA in challenging actors and filmmakers to produce excellent movies, saying it is a ‘reward for excellence’
“Today, we are having AMVCA, right? It started 11 years ago. So, this is a reward for excellence and an improvement to the industry. It allows producers and directors to do, act, and produce better films, with better picture quality, so it is an improvement.”
The Nollywood icon said the industry is growing with the help of its pathfinder, but challenged his colleagues to continue to be original in their storytelling and production.
Mr Latin said, “I am not a negative thinker. With the help of our pathfinders, the industry is growing, and that is the truth.”In your storytelling, be original, in your production, be original, in your acting, be original.”
Mr Latin’s Background
Mr Latin is known for his comic roles in Yoruba Nollywood and is a filmmaker among his peers. He earned his stage name, Mr Latin, in the 1992 film 50-50, where he spoke French but was mistaken for Latin by the film producer, Akin Ogungbe.
He started his acting career in the late 1980s, appearing in movies like 50/50 (1992), Ebun Igbeyawo (1996), Faworaja (1999), Nnkan Olomoba (2000), and Talo n gbemu (2001).
He is also renowned for his roles in recent movies: Ejika the Tailor (2021), Symphony (2022), Deity (2023), Ijogbon (2023), and Lakatabu (2024).
