FORMER METFILM School acting student, Erica Nlewedim is now a household name in Nigeria having found fame last year after her performance on a Nigerian reality TV show, Big Brother Naija
"Nlewedim", 27, has over 1.6M
followers on Instagram, over half a million followers on Twitter, over 1M views
on TikTok and a massive fan-base called Elites – she is a very busy woman.
Originally a Business graduate of Nigeria’s Covenant University, Erica enrolled at London’s MetFilm School in 2019 to complete the Acting course (Levels 1 & 2) .
She said: “I had already been working as an actor for four years before I started at MetFilm School.
“I knew that I needed to grow as an actor, I wanted to improve and I wanted to be able to act and fit in on any set, anywhere in the world, not just limit myself to Nigeria. So, I knew that the UK was the place to learn. And I wanted to go to a school where everyone speaks English."
“I chose MetFilm School London without even visiting the campus. I had spent time ‘Googling’ film schools and acting courses and I really liked the look of the school. So, I called them and had a really good phone call with them, they answered my questions, and gave me all of the details – it was a welcoming and friendly experience and that’s when I made my decision to enroll."
“I
had never visited the UK before, I’d visited other European countries like
France, Spain and Germany several times, but not the UK, not until I started
studying there. “I enjoyed living and studying in London, I knew quite a few
people from home who are studying and working there, so I had a network of
familiar faces from the start."
“And I soon made new friends. I’m still in contact with people I met while studying there, I learnt a lot, and I know that I’m a better actor because of my experience there. “I think learning about and being able to apply the Stanislavski Technique to my work has been really important. It helps me get into the mindset of the character – rather than just ‘acting’ the emotions, this technique has helped me understand the character, consider the character’s mindset and to ‘feel’ their emotions and draw on those for a more authentic performance."
“London is great, it’s expensive and the weather is sometimes
horrible – it was horrible when I was there, I’m sure it was the coldest summer
ever except for a few warm days! I had done a lot of research, so I knew what
to expect. Everyone was friendly, and it felt like home very quickly.”
"Nlewedim" travelled every day to the school based at the world-famous Ealing Studios from Colingdale, west London by London bus, she said: “I had the real London experience!”
Nlewedim didn’t waste any time when she got back to Nigeria and
started work immediately: “As soon as I had finished the courses, I was back
home and working. But then Covid hit and nothing much was happening. I was
stuck at home and that’s when I decided to apply to be a housemate for Big
Brother.
“I knew it would be safe, we would be tested and in lockdown
together, so I decided to give a go… and I was chosen! That’s when my career
really skyrocketed. I’ve been so busy.
“Last December I worked on a project with Netflix, it’s a
‘Netflix Original Series’, I don’t know when it’s out and I can’t say any more
about it. I’ve also shot two other movies this year and I’ve been working as a
brand ambassador.”
"Nlewedim", also known as ‘Star Girl’ is brand ambassador for
Nigerian brands including Kuku’s Hair, "Star Radler" and "Legend Beers", "Kuda Bank",
Partner Mobile and global brand, "Swarovski jewellery".
"But she is not resting on her laurels; she is ambitious for her
future: “I want to be the biggest star to have come out of Nigeria, I want to
be known across Africa, South Africa, Europe and the UK.”
“My advice for anyone thinking about working in the screen
industries is to work on improving yourself. Whether that’s through education
or research; and learn to be your best self every day".
“Build a positive mindset and tell yourself positive things daily – be your own self’s best friend and work on your confidence. You have to be confident in yourself because it will make you a better actor.”
"Erica also stars in Nollywood feature film, Devil in Agbada due to be released later this year."
This was a promo content.
Article source Voice-online
0 Comments