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With Badamisi, Eagle Wings Enyinna Nwigwe soars higher

By Shaibu Husseini
28 August 2021   |   4:16 am
Dapper and always one to play the leading man or the supporting actor in a movie, Enyinna Nwigwe has clearly been having a good run in Moviedom. An actor, producer and creative entrepreneur, Enyinna recently put up a pronounced performance in two big budget movie...

Nwigwe

Dapper and always one to play the leading man or the supporting actor in a movie, Enyinna Nwigwe has clearly been having a good run in Moviedom. An actor, producer and creative entrepreneur, Enyinna recently put up a pronounced performance in two big budget movies— the thriller Eagle Wings as directed by Paul Apel and in the biopic Badamasi as directed by Obi Emelonye.

Enyinna played the leading role in both critically acclaimed movies and he proved that he is a good centre to hang a story on. Pilot Yakubu Mohammed in Eagle Wings and as usual, the Economics graduate of the University of Calabar brought his ‘A’ game in interpreting the role of the brave and courageous fighter pilot Yakubu in Eagle Wing, while in Badamasi, he lived delightfully the role of former Nigeria’s ruler Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda.

A native of Ngor Ukpalla in Imo State, Enyinna started out as a model before branching out to acting. Those who have followed his career as an actor— from his daring runs as a gay lawyer in Emem Isong’s Reloaded to his deft run as a philandering bachelor in the popular television series Bachelors— describe Enyinna as an actor who is good at what he is doing and who hits the right note anytime he has an opportunity to feature in a movie.

Also best known for his performance in box office hit The Wedding Party 1 & 2, Enyinna has featured in a number of critically acclaimed movies including Living in Bondage: Breaking Free, and Red Code. Moviedom caught up and engaged the star on the set of another big budget movie.

From Wedding Party To Badamasi And Then Eagle Wings, Scripts Are Piling Up
What can I say, except to thank God for his grace. I prayed for work and success, now I pray for the grace to find balance. Rest time has become such luxury. I am truly thankful for the blessing to work in a field I am most passionate about.

The Journey Here 
Success and its sustenance is never easy, neither is it a destination; some just don’t show the hard parts of their journey while others do. Personally, I have had my rough patches; I just look at it all as a wholesome adventure of life, understanding it helps shape character and experience.

We have only scratched the surface, the journey continues. May be I should add that for me, I always believed in possibilities. I always found excitement envisioning things and watching them manifest in time. That kept me going. Almost like a sport for me.

From Studying Economics To The Movie Turf
I always knew I was not going to be in the 9-5 /white collar space. However, I didn’t know what it would be for me before getting into the university. I remember opting for Accounting and my Dad convinced me to go for Economics, and I listened.

On my journey of self-discovery in the university, I stumbled on entertainment. First as a runway model, then came film. From then on, everything leading to that time of my life began to make sense. It became easier to connect the dots from the past and seeing I had been on the journey much earlier, just wasn’t conscious enough to be intentional about it.

First Take In Nollywood
My first take was pure serendipity as I was on set to see the director and he figured I could fit into the scene he was trying to shoot in the moment I arrived, ‘just to fill up his frame’ he said. That actually sparked my interest in film. I didn’t get my break from that, but it certainly sparked my passion. So, I took a deep and today we are here.

I recalled that the last time we spoke, you had asked me my most memorable work and I mentioned Black Gold. Now there is Badamasi (Portrait Of A General), Eagle Wings, The Wedding Party, Cold Feet, All About Love, King of Jo’Burg and many more. But playing IBB in Badamasi and having to travel to major military formations when we shot Eagle Wings was quite an interesting experience. And like you asked, if I had an opportunity to come face to face with General Ibrahim Babangida, I will ask him how he has managed without his wife and indeed another woman since she died in 2009, being that she was so instrumental in his life and success. Having played him, I now know how deeply he loved her and how she was the strategic force behind his success.

On Enyinna’s Plate
I have a lot on my plate. A lot really, I have been on location for a while now working on different projects yet to be released. Also still working on an interesting project called ‘Single Not Searching’ and we are filming across beautiful locations in Ghana and America also with cast from across the continent of Africa and Black Hollywood.

Hobbies And Past Time
Adding to the hobbies list would be deep-sea fishing, it is one way I relax now and get closer to nature, getting far from the chaos of the city whilst also doing sport. And for career ambition, I want to be at the centre of conversations to unify (Africa) and drive the film industry to commercially viable status and global reckoning.

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