Bovi Ugboma says he is still walking away from movie offers that want to lock him in one box. The comedian, writer, actor and director told the CreativiTea podcast that the habit started after his first big screen moment and has not stopped.
That moment was the rustic Warri boy he played in Extended Family, the 2007 comedy series he created. The character stood out. Then the scripts that followed all wanted the same man. A Warri boy. A gateman. A quiet extra. He said no.
“We all stood out in our different ways, and because my character was playing that typical Warri boy, the rustic village one. I started to get offers in Nollywood, but they were all tied to either being like that character, or a gate man, you know, or a passive role, and I turned all of them down,” he said.
He knew why.
“Yeah, because I was like, I know there’s more to me, you know, I grew up watching TV, I grew up understanding how different industries work, Hollywood, Bollywood, so I was like, it’s too early for me to get stereotypical in my approach to my career.”
The Delta State native said the fear of being frozen in one role was already in his head as a teenager. He does not pretend typecasting is always a crime.
“Make no mistake, there’s nothing wrong with being typecast, especially if you are doing it as a career path to earn money. I want to earn money, I want to make money, but I know there is more to me than to be typecast. So, today I still turn down roles, actually, you know, and I explain why.”
His advice to younger actors is blunt. If you know what you want, hold it. Hunger will come with scripts that look easy. Taking them can stick a label on you that never peels off.