Iretiola Doyle is an actress, entertainer, TV presenter, writer, and public speaker. The native of Ondo State spent her early years with her family in Boston, United States. After returning to Nigeria, she attended Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti. She is a holder of a Diploma in Mass Communication and a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Jos.
Doyle produced and presented her own fashion and lifestyle show titled Oge With Iretiola for a decade and also anchored several television shows. She has been featured in films, including Fifty, The Arbitration, The Wedding Party, Dinner, and Madam President. With almost three decades in the industry, she recently made her debut as an executive producer in The Hidden, an Africa Magic Original Series. She speaks to IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA on her new role, amongst other issues.
Tell us about your role in the creation of The Hidden
I created the Africa Magic original, The Hidden. It is a 13-part TV series that airs on Africa Magic Channel 151 every Sunday and I doubled as the Executive Producer, Head Writer, and Lead Act. Writing and producing/presenting are skills I acquired and honed, starting out as an actor. For many years, those were the skills that not only paid my bills, but also made me a household name. As soon as I became established as an actor, I simply set them aside (to focus on acting) with the knowledge that they would still be put to good use in the future. So, I had to be first, confident that I was ready. The capacity was always there. It was the confidence that was lacking. Perhaps it would have taken even longer had Africa Magic not taken a chance on me. While I have been with them for over a decade, and they recognise my work as an actor and a producer, up until that point, nothing in my CV guaranteed that I could handle a project of this magnitude. They took a gamble not only did they provide the perfect opportunity, but the support required to succeed.
How did you come about the storyline?
The inspiration was to create a central figure that represents hope and redemption – a safe space. The story is character-driven. The Hidden touches on subjects like rape, underage marriage, and other aspects of our culture that are not so pretty. It gets tensed and dark sometimes, but in the end, there is redemption. First of all, I hope the audience will be entertained and actually enjoy the show, I hope they get bowled over by the performances of our actors – most of them, relatively unknown. I hope they become invested in their stories and eager to find out “what next”. The subliminal feeling, I want to leave them with is that of hope – that things do get better, matters do get resolved no matter how seemingly tangled, and that life does offer second chances.
How challenging is it for you transiting to being an executive producer?
I’ll say I’ve had a relatively easy transition thus far. One project does not accomplish that. You have to do again and again, getting better each time. To be honest, one would have to work extra hard to get an Africa Magic Original. Reason being that once you’re commissioned to produce for the channel, every resource required to make a successful show is put at your disposal. So that kind of support plus a production team made up of highly creative professionals ensured that this particular ride was smooth. In essence, it was always only a matter of time and opportunity. What this has essentially done is that it heralds the next phase of my career. I am looking to doing this again. It also affords me the opportunity to continue to do what I love to do, but now more on my own terms.
Going down memory lane, how have you been able to stay motivated through the years?
I have stayed motivated through the years because this is what I love to do. I would do it every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I genuinely enjoy my career. To get paid handsomely for it alongside other perks of the job is an added bonus.
How do you think the Nigerian film industry has evolved since you first started acting?
We have evolved in leaps and bounds. I am so proud of our journey thus far. I am so proud of how far we have come, what has been accomplished, and the kind of collaborations that we are now involved in. I am so proud of all the front liners, especially the women doing great things. It is a wonderful time to be involved. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. There will always be, but there is no denying the fact that we have come a long way and there is so much to be proud of. If we weren’t on the right track, we wouldn’t have the big streamers here. Everybody is here; this is a huge market. Our production values have grown exponentially and I am looking forward to the time when the artistic end of things like storytelling and the scripts will get even better. But we have evolved tremendously and the only people who cannot see it or hear it are the blind and deaf.
In your view, what sets Nollywood apart?
I think because we are not afraid to navigate the global industry as one combined. When we are navigating, we navigate as Nigerians. We are not ashamed of our ‘Nigerianess’. It shows in our stories, it shows in the way we tell the stories, the way we present the stories, and the way we build these stories to the world. We carry the best of the Naija spirit with pride. I think that is what gives us a unique flavour. Is all of that good all the time? Maybe not. But there is no denying the fact that it sets us apart. When the Nigerians arrive, you will know. So, I think the fact that we carry that identity with us around with pride is one of the things that set us apart.
The Guardian
