Actress Iveren Antiev tells MUSA ADEKUNLE how punishment led her to acting, why rejection no longer shakes her, what playing Awashima taught her, and other issues. 

Background
Growing up was fun. I was allowed to be a child, so I don’t remember anyone putting pressure on me to decide what I wanted to become.

Before I discovered acting, I wasn’t actively dreaming of becoming a doctor or a lawyer. I was just playing. Then I did my first play in junior secondary school and knew I wanted to act. 

Drama club
I found acting because my friends and I skipped games on physical education day. We were caught after games had ended, so they sent us to the drama club as punishment.

Nobody wanted to sit around reading scripts and acting. We didn’t know what the club was about. But I did my first play and fell in love with it. I remember thinking, “What is this?” That was it for me.

Family
My parents were supportive of my choice. They believe in letting you choose your path, make your mistakes and learn from them. They will guide you, but they won’t force something on you.

My brothers were the ones who objected. One is a doctor, and another is an architect. When I said I wanted to study theatre arts, they said, “Not in this house.”

I spent about two or three years at home trying to get into law. But the university I was considering did not have accreditation for the course at the time, and I kept going round in circles. Eventually, my dad said they should let me do what I wanted. I studied theatre arts, and here we are.

First job
After university, I went to Royal Arts Academy because I wanted to learn film acting. I had studied theatre, but I knew working on screen would be different.

While I was there, we did some classwork that Auntie Emem Isong liked. She invited me to act in a film. That was how I got my first job, Close to Perfect.

Mr & Mrs Right
Working on Mr & Mrs Right was fun. Some of my friends from film school were on set, so it didn’t feel like I had been thrown into a strange place.

The experienced actors were kind to us too. I think they knew we were students from the academy. They were willing to guide us and help us feel comfortable.

Stage and screen
Theatre teaches you to use your voice. The person sitting at the back of the auditorium needs to hear you, even if the hall is full.

On a film set, the microphone is close to you. I had to learn to control my voice and reduce my gestures. On stage, your expressions have to reach the audience. With film, the camera is right there and picks up the smallest thing.

That transition wasn’t completely smooth. I had to unlearn some of my stage habits.

Career break
After Mr & Mrs Right, I went to Kano for my national youth service. I had to be there, so I was away from acting for about a year. When I finished in 2019, I moved to Lagos and picked up from where I had left off.

I never wondered whether acting would work out. I felt that this was what I was meant to do. I’m happiest when I’m filming. The work is hard, but I feel at peace on set. Nothing else gives me that same sense of fulfilment.

Roles
Dr Doofan Adasu taught me something about myself. She was one of the most stubborn characters I’ve played, but she was also resilient. Once she set her mind on something, she kept going, even if she had to do it alone.

I could relate to that. I’m goal-oriented. When I know where I’m going, I try to stay focused, regardless of what is happening around me.

I also played a woman with cancer in another film. That role took a toll on me, but what stayed with me most happened after the film came out. People sent messages about their own experiences. One person told me they had just lost an elder sister to cancer. I still think about that character and those messages.

Rejection
Rejection is a big part of acting. There are periods when you are not working, and it is easy to question yourself.

I remind myself that losing a role does not always mean my talent is in question. Sometimes you simply do not fit the world the production is trying to create. They might need someone with a particular look, height or build.

You are allowed to feel disappointed. Take a few days and cry if you need to. But you have to come out of it and keep going.

Challenges
People see the finished film and think acting is easy. They see your makeup and costume and assume you just turned up, looked good, and said your lines.

They don’t see the time you spend learning those lines or researching your character. You also have to understand the other people in the story. Even if you appear on screen for only two minutes, a lot of work may have gone into that performance. 

Awashima
When I read Awashima’s story in A Land Apart, I understood her work ethic straight away. She was a woman in a large, male-dominated organisation. She knew she had to work hard and prove herself. 

What took me longer to understand was her fear. I kept thinking, “You are brilliant. Why are you afraid to speak up for yourself?” That fear affected how she dealt with the people at work and the family she married into.

As I spent more time with the character, I understood that she knew how dangerous some of those people could be. She had reason to be afraid.

First daughters
I spoke with first daughters while preparing for Awashima. I learnt that you don’t have to be the first child in a family for responsibilities to fall on you. Sometimes being the first girl is enough.

A lot of the decisions the women described were shaped by the people depending on them. One woman told me that her need to care for her brothers influenced when she married and whom she married.

Those conversations helped me understand why Awashima could be in a bad situation and still find it difficult to leave. She had family members depending on her. 

Silence
There is a scene where Awashima has information that could change the course of the story if she shares it. I wanted her to speak. I kept thinking, “Just say it.”

But she didn’t. It was almost as though she hoped somebody would understand without her saying anything. I was thinking, “Nobody is psychic here. You have to use your words.”

That scene frustrated me. At the same time, I understood why speaking was difficult for her.

Working with senior actors
Working with the senior actors on A Land Apart taught me that you need discipline and humility if you want to go far.

I watched them closely. If Richard Mofe-Damijo’s call time was 2 pm, he could arrive by 1.30 pm. They were also approachable. If they saw an actor sitting alone, they might come over to check whether the person was okay or had eaten.

It didn’t matter how much they had achieved. They respected the work and the people around them. Seeing that made an impression on me. Discipline can take you further than talent. 

Support
I’m fortunate to have my family and friends, but I would single out my manager and my brother.

My manager knows so much about the entertainment industry. When I have a question, I know I can ask her. There are times when you doubt your work or question whether you are moving at the right pace. I speak to her and my brother when I feel that way. 

Life outside acting
When I’m not filming, I go to the gym, see my friends and take acting classes when I can. But I like being at home. I’m happy to stay in and mind my business.

I also farm. I’m from Benue, so perhaps that part won’t surprise you.

Social media
The characters people see me play can be very different from who I am. On social media, I try to be myself, but I’m careful because things can easily be misunderstood.

If I didn’t need social media for my work, I probably wouldn’t be there. I’m a little afraid of that space.

Future roles
I don’t think a role would scare me. I enjoy a challenge. When a character takes me outside my comfort zone, I want to see whether I can make it work.

Some roles take longer to settle into. I once played a sex worker, and I had to confront the stigma I had absorbed about women who do that work. That was harder than anything the script asked me to do. The more demanding a role is, the more interested I am in finding my way into it.