RMD

Entertainment

RMD shares grass to grace story as he turns 56


Veteran Nollywood actor Richard Mofe-Damijo turned 56 today. He however took to his Instagram page to share his grass to grace story; from obscurity to limelight  and from Warri to the silver screen.

“Patoranking’s “Nobody wey nor fit to make am o” is the apt theme song for my life as I celebrate my 56th birthday today.
From Welfare Road Warri, Delta State to the Silver Screen, it’s been an often times surreal experience that anyone who has made it from a similar place of obscurity can relate to.
I believe my journey, like most journeys to greatness usually start from self belief. It’s hard for me to believe I have done 34 years post graduation. There’s been struggles, uncertainties, living abroad seeking greener pastures, returning home, businesses have risen, flourished and some fallen.
There’s been a marriage, a painful death, another blessed marriage, joyous births and more academic pursuits and degrees. There’s been my sojourn in government for 8 years, the birth of my precious grandchildren and the return that was first scary till I felt the overwhelming love and support of my ever growing fan base.
What a journey. What a packed 56 years. I am indeed grateful and thankful. No, I didn’t wake up like this (as RMD), No, I didn’t always know that I would “make it”. It’s been Faith, Hard work, Self development and more work. But above all I have been more graced than my efforts could ever have done which is why in this journey, God is my ride or die and today I return all the glory to Him.”

 

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Entertainment

"You don't need a man to fulfil your dreams" – RMD counsels daughters

Veteran Nollywood actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo has penned an awe-inspiring message to the little women in his life; his daughters and grand daughter. The 55 year-old counselled his girls to be comfortable with themselves and never succumb to the society’s standards of beauty adding that all the need to achieve greatness is inside of them.
“Dear girl-child,
irrespective of your age, pedigree, social status, race, tribe, faith and/or
appearance, you have the ability to be who or what you wish to be. Everything
you need is on the inside of you, so all you need is to look within.

You don’t have to be skinny to look good in a dress. You don’t have to be tall
to be gorgeous, you don’t have to have long curly hair to be fabulous, no
matter your skin colour, YOU-ARE-BEAUTIFUL!!! You don’t need a man to fulfil
your dreams, you don’t need a foreign accent to “be all that”… You just chin
out, square out, keep your head up, take a deep breath and take the world by
storm.
Again, EVERYTHING-YOU-NEED-IS-INSIDE-OF-YOU, never, forget it.
And to those of you who think it’s too late or think you did not start on time,
-nah baby, it is NEVER too late to start so start today.
As a proud father and grandfather, I say Happy International Day of THE GIRL
CHILD to all of you amazing girls

 Love,
Pa/Grandpa”.

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Entertainment

RMD reflects on acting career as he receives AMAA honour

Distinguished actor, Richard Mofe Damijo has reflected on his journey in the make-believe world. There is no doubt the Delta State indigene has enjoyed massive success in a career that spans about 3 decades. Even when he took a break from the silverscreen to pursue another passion, his influence never waned. He continued to be a force to reckon with in the industry. 

It however came as no surprise when he was honoured with a Life Time Achievement Award alongside Nollywood’s biggest power couple Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva at the just concluded AMAA Awards.  
Reacting to the honour, the 54 year-old said
“So in just 33 years as a “pro-actor” I get a life time achievement award. I am humbled, thrilled and super-grateful. I want to thank all my Directors. Producers. Teachers. Colleagues… I want to particularly acknowledge Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan. Dr Mike Adenuga. My fans who continue to authenticate me. My wife who is my solid rock and safe place. And everyone that has made it with me on this incredible journey. It was an amazing night and who better to be on hand to do it for me than Ebubedike himself. The lion… Pete Edochie. I was also blessed to be in the distinguished company of 2 of my favourite people who are not just actors to me Mr and Mrs olu Jacobs. Thanks #AMAA Dreams do come true if u hold on tight. This Warri boy has made good. It just tells me, everybody else can once they believe. God’s grace has indeed been more than sufficient for me. I am blessed beyond words. #RMDSaysSo#GodsSon #Blessed #AMAA2016#Actor #WorkingActor #Graced

Full list of AMAA 2016 Winners
EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
Encounter – Nigeria
Le Chemin – Cote De Voire
 Blood Taxi – Nigeria
Meet The Parents – Nigeria/Canada –WINNER
Nourah The Holy Light – Burkina Faso
Ireti – Nigeria
Life of Nigerian Couple – Nigeria

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION

The Pencil – Burkina Faso – WINNER
The Peculiar Life of a Spider – Ghana
Funsie Fast Fingers – Nigeria
Lazare Sie Pale – Burkina Faso

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
1, My Fathers Funeral – Cameroon
2. Nollywood – Nigeria
3. Tchindas- Cape Verde
4. The Fruitless Tree – Niger – WINNER
5. Runs ‘I too Seek The Horizon’ – Nigeria/UK
6. Camera/Woman – Morocco

OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

Brotherhood Eye – Mali
Bala Bala Sese – Uganda
Missing God – Nigeria – WINNER
Cursed Treasure – Ghana
Wako – Uganda
Daggers of Life (Agbe Fe Akumehewo) – Ghana

MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD

Lambadina – Ethiopia/USA – WINNER
Skinned – Liberia/USA
LAPD African Cop – USA/Nigeria
Boxing Day – USA/Nigeria
MONA – Nigeria/UK

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT

Lines – USA
Raptors – USA
Across The Track – USA – WINNER

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY


Can You Dig This- USA
America’s Blues – USA
Spirits of Rebellion – USA – WINNER

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA FEATURE


America Is Still the Place – USA
Ben & Ara – USA – WINNER
Luv Don’t Live Here – USA

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN


The Cursed One – Ghana – WINNER
Soldiers Story – Nigeria
Ayanda- South Africa
Missing God – Nigeria
Out of Luck- Nigeria

AMAA 2016 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN


Eye of the storm (Burkina Faso) –WINNER
Oshimiri
The Cursed One
Ayanda
Soldiers Story

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP

Oshimiri
The Cursed One
Missing God
Soldiers Story – WINNER

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK


O-Town – Nigeria – WINNER
Tell Me Sweet Something – South Africa
The Cursed One – Ghana
Hear me Move – South Africa
Le Pagne- Niger

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT


Hear me Move – South Africa
Oshimiri – Nigeria – WINNER
Stupid Movie – Nigeria
House Arrest – Uganda
Soldiers Story – Nigeria

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND


Eye of the Storm- Burkina Faso
Fifty – Nigeria – WINNER
The Cursed One – Ghana
Behind Closed Doors – Morocco
Falling – Nigeria
Rebecca- Ghana

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY


The Cursed One (Ghana) – WINNER
Eye of the Storm
Ayanda
Tell me Sweet Something
Fifty

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

Behind Closed Doors
Rebecca
The Cursed One
Eye of the Storm
Hear me Move (South Africa) –WINNER

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY


The Cursed One
Tell me Sweet Something (South Africa) –WINNER
The Visit
Eye of the Storm
Beyond Blood

AMAA 2016- RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT ENDOWED AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM


Beyond Blood
Dry – WINNER
Fifty
Missing God
Falling
O’Town

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR


Nyanso Dzedze – Hear Me Move
Ophelia Klenam Dzidzornu – The Cursed One
Zubaidat Ibrahim Fagge – Dry (WINNER)
Ifu Ennada – O’Town
Eve Esin – Oshimiri

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Joseph Otsiman – The Cursed One
Uti Nwachukwu – Breathless
Abidine Dioari – Eye of the Storm (Burkina Faso) – WINNER
Adeolu Adekola – Taxi Driver
Kenneth Nkosi – Ayanda
Thomas Gumede- Tell Me Sweet Something

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE


Thishiwe Ziqubu – Tell me Sweet Something –WINNER
Maureen Okpoko – Missing God
Ijeoma Grace Agu – Jimi Bendel/ Taxi Driver
Bontte Modiselle – Hear Me Move
Nthati Moshesh – Ayanda
Linda Ejiofor– Out of Luck

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE


Oris Erhuero – The Cursed One
OC Ukeje – Ayanda
Fragass Assande – Eye of the Storm
Masego ‘Maps’ Maponyane – Tell me Sweet Something
Daniel k. Daniel – Soldiers Story –WINNER
Biuferi Yakoubi – La Pagne

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE


Zineb Odeib – Behind Closed Doors
Adesua Etomi- Falling
Fulu Mugovhani – Ayanda – WINNER
Maimouna N’Daiye – Eye of the Storm
Iretiola Doyle, Dakore Egbuson, Nse Ikpe Etim, Omoni Oboli – Fifty
Nomzamo Mbatha – Tell me Sweet Something

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR


MONA – Anthony Abuah
Beyond Blood – Greg Odutayo –WINNER
8 Bars and a Clef- Chioma Onyenwe

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

Nana Obiri-Yeboah – The Cursed One (Ghana) –WINNER
Biyi Bandele- Fifty
Sekou Toure- Eye of the Storm
Sara Blecher- Ayanda
Moussa Hamadou Djingarey- La Pagne
Stephanie Linus – Dry
Akin Omotoso – Tell me Sweet Something
Mohammed Ahed Bensouda – Behind Closed Doors

AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM

The Cursed One – Ghana
Fifty – Nigeria
Eye of the Storm – Burkina Faso –WINNER
Ayanda – South Africa
La Pagne- Niger
Dry – Nigeria
Tell me Sweet Something- South AfricaBehind Closed Doors- Morocco

WINNERS OF LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Joke Silva and Olu Jacobs
Tony Akposhore
Richard Mofe Damijo
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Entertainment

Photos: Richard Mofe-Damijo proves that ageing with grace isn't hard.

‎At 53, seasoned actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo still makes hearts beat faster. The Nollywood icon in this recent photo shoot proved that ageing with grace shouldn’t, as a matter of fact isn’t that hard. 
RMD as fondly called took more than 4 years break from the camera to concentrate on politics. Now he’s back to his illustrious career.

‎Asked how he manages to look this good, the Delta-indigene said, “You know, I have to keep up with the younger generation now, they are taking over, so.. one has to sit up and you all better don’t count us out yet. I had no choice but to get in shape to stay on top of my game. and you know, I never left the movie industry, people always‎ think i’m done.. and all i say is don’t count me out, once an actor, I will always be an actor, that is who i am.”

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Entertainment

RMD is now a grandpa!

‎Actor cum politician, Richard Mofe-Damijo is now a grandfather. RMD’s son, Oghenekome Mofe-Damijo and wife, Eniola welcomed their bouncing baby boy few days back. The couple tied the knot December 2013.
Congrats to them.

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Entertainment

Richard Mofe-Damijo to be honoured with Nollywood chieftancy title

I can hear all your queries, When did Nollywood start giving out chieftaincy titles? I am just as surprised as you are. For his immense contributions to the Nigerian movie industry christened Nollywood, actor, Richard Mofe-Damijo, fondly called RMD, is set to be honoured with a chieftaincy title – “Dike Oha na Nollywood.”
The honour will be bestowed on the Delta State Commissioner for Arts and Culture during the three-day Nollywood Igbo Film Festival which will take place in Asaba, Delta state from August 27th to August 30th. Nze Harris Chuma, founder of the festival hinted.
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Entertainment

Awww! Comedian Bovi narrates his experience as Richard Mofe-Damijo's Personal Assistant

Wow! It is really good to be good! Stand-up Comedian Bovi narrates his experience as Personal Assistant to actor-turned-politician Richard Mofe Damijo, for two years (2004 – 2006) as the latter turns a year older today. He wrote on his instagram page.

“Fresh out of school via NYSC, I had come to Lagos with just a bag. Squatting with my uncle who was a squatter, I dusted my scripts and headed to my appointment with nolywood icon, RMD. He leaned back on his swivel chair and crossed his legs on his table. It was the cleanest pair of mokasin shoes I had ever seen. In my mind I was before a “god”. Tell me about yourself, he said. I mumbled my family history unfluently. Any hopes of selling my scripts to him fizzled when he pointed to a corner in his office that had about a hundred scripts. I wasn’t the only one trying to sell scripts. He promised to read mine and that he did. To fulfill all righteousness he took me to meet potential buyers on movie sets. One of such buyers, a director, ripped my story and made a movie years down d line.


After four weeks of escorting RMD on set, he said “I’m looking to hire a PA. If you think you fit the profile go home and think about it and let me know on Monday.” My answer was immediate, “I don’t need to go think. I can do it” “then resume on Monday”. And PA I was for two years and six months but what I came out with, the things I learned from his direct teachings is what u describe as d polishing of diamond. He have me a book and said “Bovistus, if you read this book it would seem like you have a masters without d certificate.” And that book was ” the 22 immutable laws of branding”. And it was true.

Once I asked him, how do you cope with the attention and the fame? He replied ” ignore it. Or you will just die”. Once I asked him “when does one cement his status as an entertainer” and he said ” you are only as good as your last performance. There is no holiday on this job. If you flop in your next outing, that’s the one people will remember”. Once I asked him why a favorite big brother Nigeria character had been shockingly evicted, he smiled, looked me in the eyes and said “whenever you start from the top, there’s only one place to go; down”.
These are few of the very many life changing advice that where handed down to me. More than silver and gold. And I appreciate them forever. Well, all I’ve been trying to say is ” happy birthday to the legend, Richard Mofe-Damijo.
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Entertainment

" I just decided to change my lifestyle." RMD speaks on his weight loss

Contrary to reports that veteran Nollywood actor turned political appointee, Richard Mofe-Damijo is nursing a life-threatening ailment, the Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism is hale and hearty. Tongues started wagging when he appeared at a recent function looking slim and many quickly concluded that all is not well with his health. RMD as fondly called in a recent interview with Sunday Sun debunked the tales; he disclosed that his new look has nothing to do with ill-health, rather he decided to shed off some weight and live a healthier life.
“I woke up one morning, to be precise May 9th last year, and I weighed 120kg. I said this cannot go on. Neither of my parents crossed 60kg. I thought it would be sinful for me to keep eating and putting on weight and living an unhealthy life. I decided to just change my lifestyle. I didn’t diet, what I’m doing now is not dieting. I hate to use the word diet because when you say you are dieting you have to stop at one point. What I did was to change my lifestyle.
“What I did was to get somebody who knows about food. A lot of people don’t succeed when they diet because they don’t understand food. They diet, they drink a lot of shakes, tablets and all of that and after a month they become bigger than they were. What I did was very simple. It’s all about knowing the kind of food you eat and what it contains. I have a daughter (Onome) from my late wife, who is obsessed with calories, weight gain and weight loss. She was with me all through Christmas and New Year. She’s 26. I love what I do now; I just eat well and exercise.

“I feel lighter, but there are lots of people who feel I am too slim now. It’s about how I feel inside. I’m at my best physically. I have never felt better. I feel lighter, I don’t suffer indigestion. Now I weigh about 97kilos.” He affirmed.
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Entertainment

Amaka Igwe is not dead. |By: Charles Novia

Amaka Igwe lives. The tears we shed for her are futile. She lives. The shock we express over her passing on is carthatic. She lives. Amaka Igwe did not die. She just built her loving ‘house of commotion’ in our hearts. Commotion with co-relation; commotion with emotions.
The brilliant lady who could unarguably be credited as the progenitor of Nollywood as we know it today still lives. Immortalised in our hearts. If there was no ‘Checkmate’, that superb soap opera which had a chart-topping five year run on national television, there would have been no Nollywood. For the tested and trusted actors from ‘Checkmate’ were mostly cast in the trend-setting ‘Living in Bondage’.
Amaka had groomed a new generation of Nigerian actors through ‘Checkmate’, she had prepared our minds for something explosive with her creation. There is yet to emerge a soap opera since then which has all the thrills and frills and popular appeal like ‘Checkmate’. Forget all these tin imitations. Amaka’s soap was solid steel. Unbreakable. Unbeatable. And you say she is dead? But Amaka lives!
She created characters which blew our minds. Anne Harthrope, Segun Kadiri, Chief Fuji, Peaceful Peace, Alika, Akpan, Barry Hughes, Nduka, Bennie etc. She held the nation spell-bound for five years every Thursday 8pm on the network service and gave people gossip points for the next week before the next episode. ‘Checkmate’ was her creation. ‘Checkmate’ was her success. She brilliantly wrote all the episodes, over 500 of them and produced carefully. She was far ahead of her time. The most intriguing thing about her concerning ‘Checkmate’ was that she knew when to pull the plugs. She broke our hearts by resolving the plots and finishing the soap opera on one Thursday evening in 1995.
The country was shocked and mourned. But Amaka was done with the soap. She had checkmated our expectations to see the soap opera run forever. She just knew when to stop. And that last episode of ‘Checkmate’? The best ending I have ever seen in Nigeria for any serial and come to think of it anywhere in the world. It was so brilliant. Amaka ended the plots and sub-plots and showed us all why the serial was titled ‘Checkmate’. Anne Harthrope (played by Ego Boyo who was replaced by someone else for a few months while she was on ‘maternity leave’) married Segun Kadiri ( played by RMD who gave the character a brilliant interpretation with a raspy voice and finger-on-the-cheek affectation) and just as we all sighed that at last the two enemies had fallen in love and tied the knots, Amaka gave us a twist. Anne cleverly ‘divorced’ Segun Kadiri, warning him that she only married him to give her baby a father but that she would never sell or hand over her company to him! The last scene ended with a stupefied Kadiri laughing in shock, knowing he had been ‘checkmated’.
So classic. And that was not all. She brilliantly had the cast talk to the viewers before the end credits in scripted lines about how the soap opera made its run. That episode was so good and popular that NTA Network had a re-run of it the next week. On the set of ‘Violated’ in 1996 ( her post-‘Checkmate’ opus in which I was cast as Jide, the banker) she told me how agonising it was to write that final episode. ‘I was pregnant then and I would write and discard. I can’t count how many scripts of that final episode I wrote and tore. The denouement just was not clicking. Then, finally I got the muse. And I just kept scribbling on my bed. When I finished I was so happy and screamed out to Charles (her husband) ‘Honey, I got it!’ and we both screamed and hugged ourselves!’ That piece of information stuck on my mind.
But Amaka is not dead. With enduring works such as ‘Violated’ (which re-defined and triggered the romantic drama genre in Nollywood) ‘Rattlesnake’, ‘To live again’, ‘Forever’ and ‘Fuji House of Commotion’ , how could she be dead? This lady who has been the subject of various dissertations and academic theses changed our creative landscape. Her contributions to the creative industry cannot be quantified. She was an advocate for professionalism. She was a stickler for excellence. A cerebral contributor to Nollywood’s trudge of progress. She wanted what was best for the industry. She was behind the founding of the Movie Practitioners Council of Nigeria bill (MOPICON) which has been gathering dust at the National Assembly for years.
That bill is supposed to be to Nollywood what NBA is to the Lawyers and NMA to the Doctors. Amaka wanted this bill passed. Could our fractured Nollywood please unite to ensure that this is done if only to honour and immortalise her? Thank God she got a National Honour from President Jonathan a couple of years back. An MFR. A well-deserved national honour for an Amazon of Nollywood. She believed in young talents and had an open door policy for any talent who came to her office. She had an academy too, where young and ambitious filmmakers were trained.
What about her film and television bi-ennial festival in Abuja; Best of the Best (BOB) TV? Or her radio station, Top FM? Or her painstaking contributions to the committee set up to give guidelines for the 3 billion naira grant given to Nollywood by the President? She fought tirelessly for the industry to maximally benefit from the grant. And with all these achievements, you say Amaka Igwe is dead? No, she lives. Her footprints on the sands of achievement on the beaches of our creative economy are there for all to see. Too large to fill.
Credit: Charlesnoviadaily.com
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