In Conversation with Actor Adisa Bankole – New York
Adisa Olubayo Bankole
It was absolutely a pleasure to interview our personality of the week. I felt such passion from a man with an extensively long career as an actor. Read the interview of Adisa Olubayo Bankole
My first time dealing with the stage was in elementary school for two plays for a Catholic Convent. My inkling however for the film and stage profession came at a young age. This is when my father took us out every Saturday or Sunday to the movies. It was the experience of going and sitting in a dark room looking at the screen, that was kind of magical. I did my first directing and acting in a scene from Jan Paul Sarte’s ‘No Exit’ for summer school.
As I am fascinated with the written word, as well as being an actor, I began writing poetry in high school and have continued expressing my thoughts through the written word. I am currently writing film scripts as well as lyrics. I also do storytelling for various festivals, schools and cultural events, while I continue pursuing my acting career.
indieactivity: How do you describe your acting? Adisa Bankole (AB): I approach acting in an organic spiritual way, flowing with the energies of one’s spirit, but I also use various acting techniques I’ve learned over the years.
Adisa Bankole on a production set
How did you get into acting? Adisa Bankole (AB): Again my interest was long formed in my youth but my decision to become an actor was from high school into college, but I had already, as they say I have been bitten by the acting bug.
Did you study acting? Adisa Bankole (AB): My official entry into the realm of acting came when I attended Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, then I did technical gigs for one or two productions in my home town. My attempt to be a raving super star saw me in Hollywood California for about a year, where I was beginning to shoot a TV program about kids on bicycles while there I did some course work in film/TV at LACC. I also did technical work for some theater productions while auditioning for films. Upon my return back home in Albany, NY I appeared in a couple of theater productions and again worked on a few, before entering in SUNY at Albany which I received my BA in theater.
There I created my own short lived group the Black Theater Experience, where I created, directed and played in the productions. I also got the chance to direct plays and scenes. My first foray into film came with being cast as an extra (though I was cut out of the film) in the film ‘Ironweed.’ ‘Fort of Saint Washington,’ was my second foray into the film profession. I also audited a few acting seminars before I got my shot as a principle character in the feature film ‘Williamstowne.’ From there I began to do quite a few shorts and plays in NYC.
I have taken acting workshops with Aleta Chappell, Margate Emory on camera work, ‘The Spirited Actors’ a six week workshop with Tracy Moor-Marable, and my favorite workshop teacher Bill Duke and his ‘Acting Boot Camp’ workshop. I also have taken a Screen Script writing workshop, and I have taught/coached acting.
Adisa Olubayo Bankole
Do you operate on instincts when acting? Adisa Bankole (AB): Yes primarily, sometimes the role will come naturally where I don’t have to struggle with finding the character’s beat. It simply comes, and that is always a good feeling, because you can then concentrate on building the character and more to the point you can easily “get out of the way” as Bill Duke would say. However there are times when the character’s beat is not always evident and it takes a little more work to catch the rhythm. These are times when I must use much energy to achieve the goal but all in all my instincts are usually right on target.
What acting technique do you use? Adisa Bankole (AB): This is the same as above instincts mostly but on occasions I will explore Lee Strasberg’s ‘the Method Acting.’ But I tend to go back to the basics with Constantine Stanislavski and ‘Acting the First Six Lessons’ by Richard Boleslavsky the very first book we were given in Onondaga Community College.
What wrong impressions do actors have about acting? Adisa Bankole (AB): One that many start out with the naiveté’ that it doesn’t take much work to do, and that one will be discovered (a few have) but often it’s a long sludge to stardom almost like ‘A Long Day’s Journey into Night.’ Secondly many don’t often respect the rules of the profession, yes this is a creative venture, but it is also fortunately or unfortunately a cold cold business.
Do you take courses in acting to increase your craft? Adisa Bankole (AB): Since I belong to SAG I try to get some of their workshops in. The last one I attended was a on camera workshop with Scott Wojcik.
What books do you read? Adisa Bankole (AB): These are the books I have gotten much from and I would recommend them to both novice and veterans of the acting profession, ‘Acting The First Six Lessons’ by Richard Boleslavsky, Ginger Howard’s ‘Casting Directors’ Secrets: Inside Tips For Successful Auditions, Tom Logan’s ‘How to Act & Eat at the Same Time: The Sequel’, Acting Professionally: Raw Facts About Careers In Acting’ By Robert Cohen, ‘Your Film Acting Career’ By M. k. Lewis & Rosemary R. Lewis and ‘Ask An Agent: Everything Actors Need To Know About Agents’, By Margaret Emory.
Adisa Olubayo Bankole
How do you keep in shape as an actor? Adisa Bankole (AB): Try and take many workshops that time and money will permit, by reading and keeping up with what’s happening with film/TV/theater production, and practicing my memory skills by working on different monologues. Also I keep up with my voice exercises.
What Physical Exercises do you do to keep fit? Adisa Bankole (AB): I exercise at a gym regularly.
When you are offered a role, what do you do? Adisa Bankole (AB): I tend to do the proverbial dance “me oh, but why me’? Then the work begins. I will read it once just to get the feel of it, then read it again to get more of the what, who, when, of the story. Here is where I begin to digest the story and visually see it in my mind’s eye.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest believable and breathing person? Adisa Bankole (AB): I begin the journey by analyzing the character, filling in the background work, compiling a profile who this person is, what is the motive of the character in other words what makes this character do what it does within the story. Then I begin the process of committing to memory and building the character, the physical mannerisms etc. It is during the course of this exploration that I begin to believe in the character and feel the pulse and the rhythm of the character’s spirit.
How do you remain fresh on a film set? Adisa Bankole (AB): To be truthful I have never thought about it, I guess for the most part I try to stay relaxed and have fun with the shoot, pace myself since I know it will be a long shoot.
What thing or situation helps your character during a production? Adisa Bankole (AB): Good question, since I have gone through the process of character building, then the character is always a part of me during the whole shoot.
Explain a creative a creative choice you took on set of a recent production? Adisa Bankole (AB): The role of Dr. Simon in Feliz Complanoes, here I developed Dr. Simon as a compassionate and knowledgeable doctor, and eager to help his patient verses a cold condescending doctor. This was oddly enough something that both the director and writer saw this character to be.
What is the most memorable screen character you have played? Adisa Bankole (AB): There are actually two that come to mind Donovan Gooden schizophrenic father trying to renew a relationship with his a strained son, from ‘Life with Episodes’ 2004 and Charles a homeless guide into the consciousness of the lead character, from the film ‘Rooster’ 2001. This following photo is from ‘Rooster’:
What do you want from a director during a production? Adisa Bankole (AB): To offer me guidance in what they are seeking, to guide me to bring their vision to play. I like a hands on approach, not babysitting.
How do you prefer to work prefer to work with a director during a production? Adisa Bankole (AB): I prefer to collaborate with the director, to bring ideas to the table and discus them with the director.
Do you get offers from film industries like Hollywood, Bollywood or Nollywood? Adisa Bankole (AB): Not yet, but I’m still pursuing.
What do you think an actor can do to get into the film industry? Adisa Bankole (AB): That’s the million dollar question is how to. There is no real easy answer and no real one way to get in. This is a profession and a business, although talent, skills and to some extent experience is preferred. Often it will come down to what a producer, director, writer or other pertinent personal in the profession is looking for. There have been many discoveries of actors that were plucked from the streets or discovered at various venues. But I personally feel that through dedication of the craft and the continuance of your dreams, coupled with determination, perseverance, and raw attitude one may achieve, if not stardom, then a decent living from this profession.
Who is your favourite actor? Adisa Bankole (AB): If I have to choose one or two then Morgan Freeman Jr. and Angela Basset come to mind.
Why is this actor your favourite actor? Adisa Bankole (AB): Morgan and Angela are natural in their skins and come to the character with a certain quality and lend their own voices to the roles they portray. They enjoy what they are doing and no matter what character they embrace, you tend to empathize with them.
What advice do you give actors around the world? Adisa Bankole (AB): Dream, dream, dream, study, study study but most of all get out there and do it. Remember, although this is a creative and wonderful profession, where we get to play and dawn many caps in portraying many characters, this is still and I emphasize a business. So while you are on this fantastic journey into creativity, be ever mindful that there are rules that one should abide by though there have been and are rare occasions where the rules are tossed, never the less this is a business.
Briefly write about your career? Adisa Bankole (AB): This has and still is a wonderful, exciting, exuberant journey that I am on. I am forever learning and re-learning, taking and giving inspiration to many who seek to travel on this creative journey. From my first play ‘No Exit’ to my last film to date ‘Feliz Complanoes’, with such characters like Eyore from ‘Winnie the Pooh’ a traveling children’s theater production, to portraying James in the silent film with music by Ralph Vaughan Williams in ‘Williamstowne’, with many productions I have directed from ‘Huzzy’ by Mars Hill to my one man show ‘Voices from Black Poet-Warriors’ a choro-poetry piece I wrote, this creative venture into the world of make believe, the acting world of illumination, is still a great adventure for me.
All pieces I have mentioned above have enriched me in many ways, to understanding schizophrenia by portraying Donovan in ‘Life With Episodes’ to having empathy for those who are homeless with the portrayal of Richard a homeless professor in ‘Marcus Story’, to seeing what a father goes through in ‘The Green Duck’ a play where I played Joe Nelson. These plays and films keep me wanting to do more, to experience playing diverse and various roles. It continues to make me strive to do more on this creative journey. Please visit my website at www.Thepotentialartistinyou.com you will find more information about me.
I am a screenwriter and filmmaker. I am pre-production for my first feature film, Maya. I made four short films, sometime ago: Muti (2013), A Terrible Mistake (2011), Passion (2007) and Stuff-It (2007) - http://bit.ly/2H9nP3G
