Nollywood actor Ebisan Arayi has addressed the persistent stereotype that follows him on screen and off, admitting that his looks often lead people to typecast him as a villain while those who know him closely describe him as soft-hearted.
Speaking on the Conversations With Kenni podcast hosted by Kehinde Ajose, the rising star laughed when asked if he felt stereotyped because he is rarely seen playing “good boy” roles.
“So my looks give out a lot; to say, negatively; to say, positively. But it’s mostly negative. They always call me a bad boy, but when they get to meet me, they find out I’m not a bad boy,” Arayi said.
He revealed that friends and people who know him personally call him “Teddy Bear.”
“You’re so sweet, you’re so that that that,” he recounted them saying.
The actor was quick to add a firm boundary:
“That doesn’t mean that I take shit from anybody. You can’t poke a bear and not expect it to react. ‘He’s a teddy bear, right? He’s sweet, he’s nice,’ but don’t poke him,” he said.
Arayi also shared his thoughts on dream roles. Rather than fixating on one specific character, he believes every part should feel special.
“As an actor, you shouldn’t have one dream role. Every role should be a dream role.”
He later opened up on looking forward to playing a cynical character.
“I’ve played quite a number of roles and the one role I feel like I’m still looking forward to play is an actor with three different personalities. Where in the space of 1 minute, three different persons speak through me. Three different characters speaking through me. Something cynical,” he explained.
The conversation offered a rare glimpse into the personality behind the intense characters Arayi often portrays. From his early days as a child actor on Charly Boy’s Kiddies Show to becoming a recognisable face in contemporary Nollywood productions, the actor continues to navigate industry perceptions while staying true to himself.