"Portable Inspired Me": Tobi Makinde Speaks on Hairstyle in A Tribe Called Judah, Other Issues

• Actor Tobi Makinde has made a name for himself in the industry over the years, and he further stamped his feet with his role in 'A Tribe Called Judah'
• Speaking in an interview with Legit.ng, he said the role in the movie stretched him creatively, and he had to draw inspiration from singer Portable
• He also revealed how some people perceived him while he was grooming his hair for the role and other issues

Nollywood actor Tobi Makinde is not new in the entertainment industry. Having started out as a child actor in the TV series Kamson and Neighbours, he has done other works before bagging a role as Shina in the blockbuster movie A Tribe Called Judah.

He had never played a gangster role before, so he needed to discover ways to navigate through the character. The person that came to his mind was controversial singer Habeeb Okikiola, aka Portable.

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In an interview with Legit.ng, he said he had to draw inspiration from the "Zazoo Zehh" crooner to play his role as Shina very well.

On the creative process he followed to portray the character of Shina in A Tribe Called Judah, he stated:

"The character Shina stretched me creatively in the sense that I had to enter another realm, a realm that I had never been before. Actors draw inspiration from so many things. Some draw from past experiences, and some draw from experiences of other people."

Tobi had to follow Portable on social media to learn more about his personality.

"For me, I had to pick a reference and it was singer Portable because when I saw the character that was being created, I felt that he was the best reference to use to interpret the role. I had to do to follow Portable on social media to watch his videos. He actually makes me laugh and I learnt a lot from watching him do his thing. I also had to pull a lot of street language to bring the character to life."

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How people felt about Tobi's hairstyle

The actor made his hair in the movie, which was unusual for him. He spoke on the perception he got from people who saw him in that look, and if he was harassed at any point for his hairstyle. He said:

"Making my hair is not my nature. That was created specifically for the character. It was to give the character a certain kind of look. It was to change my Tobi Makinde look to a typical Shina look. I was never harassed because of my hair. Not at any point."

He noted that some people curious about the hairstyle he adorned asked why, and he explained to them.

"For people who know me and what I do, it wasn't much of a shock to them. They know I am an actor and I am at liberty to impersonate whichever character I please that comes my way. For others who do not know me that much, it was quite surprising, knowing that I am not the type to groom my hair. But those who cared to know and asked questions, I explained to them that I was grooming it for a character."

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What is Tobi's personality in real life?

The actor noted that Shina's character is entirely different from who he is in real life.

"I would refer to myself as not exactly an extrovert and not an introvert. I am somewhere in-between. I can choose to be outspoken and be an extrovert, and I can keep to myself and be an introvert."

Some people wondered if he could play the rascal character of Shina, but he did it to the surprise of many.

"Some people have told me that I have a calm personality. This was why many people were surprised I could take on the role of Shina Judah because they know I am soft spoken because Shina was the absolute opposite."

A Tribe Called Judah grosses over N1bn

Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerian filmmaker Funke Akindele had continued to bask in the glow of her remarkable achievement in the history of Nollywood.

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In an exclusive media interview, the screen goddess spoke extensively on the sacrifices made towards the success of her film A Tribe Called Judah, as it grossed over N1bn recently.

In addition, the Nollywood superstar touched on how she has been able to assimilate the massive recognition she has received in the past few days.

Source: Legit.ng