By Rita Okoye
At 53, Julius Agwu remains a towering figure within the Nigerian entertainment landscape. Widely celebrated as the “Grand Master of Comedy,” Agwu has left an indelible mark on the industry through his sharp wit, mentorship of emerging talent, and the pioneering entrepreneurial spirit that helped shape the modern comedy circuit.
In this interview with Saturday Sun, the veteran entertainer opens up on his return to the limelight following an extended hiatus.
He also shares insights into his upcoming milestone: celebrating an illustrious 35-year career on stage. Enjoy!
You are back in the movie industry after a long break. What are the changes you have met now that you are back?
I feel great being back to what I love doing and among great talented colleagues. On the changes I have seen, obviously, the technology for making movies has changed. It has improved. Change is inevitable. As I was coming here a man wanted me to buy his music CD. I was like, “ What age is this man living in? Nobody plays DVDs anymore, let alone CDs. I don’t think I have seen a DVD player in a long time now. Those are changes. There was a time when it was only the Nigerian Television Authority on TV back when I started in the movie industr, but now, there are severaltelevisionn stations. Then, you must buy a movie VHR to watch movies but now, everybody has a phone and you can watch everything just by clicking. Now there’s ROK TV, unlike back then when it was only DSTV that could screen your movies. Now YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon are here. You can even have your own TV platform tomorrow. Technology has advanced and we are all global now. There are changes everywhere.
Now that you are back in the movie industry, are you ready for all the movie roles or are you picky?
Not all movie roles. I select the movies I want to star in. I love acting. I love every aspect of the entertainment industry. Not that I am making too much money from the industry, but because it’s my field of endeavour with a lot of passion. I read Theater at the University of Port Harcourt. Theater Arts involve everything in entertainment. I don’t do acting just to make ends meet. I do acting for the love of acting and the passion. The movie roles are the ones looking for me now, not the other way round. They give me movie roles based on who I am in the industry.
What kind of movie roles will be a turn-off now?
I don’t look out for any particular character. Yes, I will agree that there are certain characters I will not agree to play, but you have to show me before I can tell you which.
You are one of the pioneers in stand-up comedy in the Nigerian entertainment industry. Would you say your humorous part is due to nature or part of the Theatre arts training?
I am a grandfather when it comes to comedy. In fact, I am an ancestor when it comes to comedy. They call me Master in the industry, that’s because I have paid my dues in comedy. When I attend comedy shows, they remix my jokes. They change the names but the originality is mine. Some of the things I say as jokes are proper things that happen, but people find them very funny. I could be saying what happened to me on my way to somewhere and people are laughing, rolling on the floor with laughter. So the hilarious part is natural. It’s in the blood.
Did you cut off doing stand-up comedy completely?
I have not stopped comedy completely. I had my comedy show in Port Harcourt. ‘Crack Ya Ribs’, it was held on Christmas Day. I always return to my roots, Rivers State every December and the comedy show is my way of celebrating with my people and giving back. The Crack Ya Ribs show is like a Homecoming show that happens in Port Harcourt. The next Crack Ya Ribs show will be happening soon because I am planning to celebrate my 35 years on stage.
After 35 years on stage, you have mentored many. How do you feel coming this far?
They are many, and I cannot count. Some people are proud that they would not want to mention that you mentored them. So I cannot mention names. Back in those days, doing the things I love most. Hosting shows here and there, people are being motivated and mentored without you knowing. I am super excited for the milestone. I am happy with all that I have accomplished.
Your music back then was fun and catchy. Would we ever get to hear Julius Agwu sing again?
One step at a time. It will happen. I took a break from music, comedy, and acting. I am glad I took that break. If not, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now. God did a lot for me. It’s good to take a break when your body is asking for it. I am grateful I took that step.
You mentioned that you are not in the movie industry because you want to make ends meet. What other businesses do you do that complement the acting?
I do other things but I would not like to mention them. I will tell you something, way back, I used to say everything. I never knew you shouldn’t reveal certain things. When I go for an interview, I say everything. I reveal my plans. The media will write it the way I said it, and some people will just use that to block businesses for me. Some will go do the plans I said I have before I even start. Maybe I was planning to help someone, they will rush and go help the person, take all the glory, take pictures and I am like how did they know? Nollywood has grown, the comedy industry has done well too, but is there an area you feel that still needs improvement?
There should be a standard in every sector in Nigeria. Not speaking about Nollywood alone. A working-class graduate should be able to afford a car, basic things like upgrading to the latest phones or gadgets to help their work. Some places need improvement, especially on our movie sets. We should improve on safety measures. It is wrong that there is no ambulance at a movie location. What if there is a medical emergency? It will shock you that at some movie sets, there is no first aid. Keep Nollywood aside, ask every state in Nigeria if they have a working emergency number. When we call the police in an emergency, do they show up? And how fast? A lot of things are not right in the country. Many citizens have died just because they rushed them to the hospital on an emergency and they are asked to pay before anything is done. They won’t even check as small as Blood Pressure or sugar level because you have not paid.
Back when you started building a career in the industry, passion was the force behind most of our A-list actors who are veterans and legends now. Presently, people believe money and fame are the driving forces behind many younger artistes, what are your thoughts?
Mine will always be the passion. Passion is what is still keeping me in the industry. I looked up to actors like Sam Loco Efe, may he rest in peace. He was my elder friend. I looked up to so many actors who are late now. I started acting before John Okafor. I mean it’s all passion that kept us. When I talk, they say I’m old but passion takes and keeps you where money and fame can’t but hey what do I know. Most of them are driven by money. They say they are content creators. It’s all the money. Money is good, don’t get me wrong but you see passion, you need it in the industry too. Some are very good and talented, I must say. When you see those, you will know they are there for the work.
People used to think you started comedy before acting. Which came first?
My first movie came out in 1993, ‘Rattle Snake’ part 1. Then ‘End of the River’ followed. That movie birthed the ‘Odeshi’ slang.
You spoke Igbo fluently in those movies, that is why many believe you are Igbo and not from Rivers. Where exactly are you from?
People think I am from Owerri in Imo State. Igbo and Ikwere are related. My grandmother is Igbo, from Ikeduru in Imo State. Ikwere in Rivers State hears Igbo. Igbos understand the Ikwere language as well.
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