Kiki’s Actor Quote: “Always prepare, prepare, prepare!” Kiki Omeili
My name is Kiki Omeili, I’m the second of four children. I started participating in stage productions in primary school and this continued in secondary school. I went on to study medicine at the college of medicine, University of Lagos. My desire for acting and performing wouldn’t relent. So upon graduation, I started auditioning for roles and they kept coming.
indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Kiki Omeili (KO): No, I did not study acting professionally. I did medicine, I’m an MD. I started professional work as an actor, I have completed many acting workshops and short courses. I have a natural flair to act, its a craft that needs to be constantly honed and improved. I also do take pointers from actors who have been doing this art longer than I have..
What acting technique to you use?
Kiki Omeili (KO): I’m a method actor. Everything I do is from the “inside-out”. I internalize the character. A start of my acting process. Then I can live-the-life of the character from inside-out or from within. This process, allows me access into the characters internal life. I can think, live and breathe the character. I mentally archive emotional, physical and psychological behaviors, events, gestures. This I witness daily to help me bring a character to life.
Describe wrong impressions actors hold about acting
Kiki Omeili (KO): A common belief is ‘that as long as you can act, you can rely on your talent and spontaneity to see you through a scene’. This is a misconception, it is not true. An actor constantly needs to prepare. Actors need to understand and research a character before attempting to play that character. This way you can become the character and interact with events, situations like the character would do. Spontaneity is a start, but can only take you so far.
Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Kiki Omeili (KO): I definitely do. Like I mentioned previously, knowing how to act is a craft that needs continual improvement. I like to learn from veterans who have been around for a long time and can teach me things that I don’t know.
What acting books do you read?
Kiki Omeili (KO): Quite a number of them, notable among which is “The Actor’s Bible”. It deals with everything from the decision to become an actor and what to expect, to acting technique, to exercises, the whole works.
How do you keep fit as an actor: mentally, physically?
Kiki Omeili (KO): Physically, I do stretches and breathing exercises. A great deal of acting believability has to do with voice tone and projecting. Rooting your breath so that it comes from the diaphragm makes it easier to control your voice. Mentally, I observe people a lot and see how they react to people and situations. It gives me a wide-range of reactions to choose from, depending on what character I’m playing.
