Meet Oris Erhuero – The Actor. The Jeweller. The Man. The Brand

Born in London England birth sign Virgo, the oldest of 7 children of a much loved and respected Nigerian (Urohbo) family, in his childhood, Oris Erhuero, was accustomed to tagging along with his mother to her job at the National Theatre of London, where he was first intrigued to pursue the craft of the performing arts. In his early days, he was further inspired to follow a career in lights when he was attending the Beaufoy School, in Kennington Park, London, (later renamed Lilian Baylis School) where he not only successfully excelled academically, but also discovered his passion for acting. His parents were pleasantly pleased that his drama mentors were very encouraging, having been impressed by his presence and quickly developing skill, even as a youth.

From that first spark, throughout his primary & secondary school days, on to University and beyond, he has used and continues to employ, his life experiences, classical Shakespearean training, natural athleticism and endless energy to further develop his love for and contribution to the arts, into a rewarding career encompassing many genres of the entertainment industry.

Being a self-proclaimed “citizen of the world, emboldened by strong roots,” he has been blessed to have lived and traveled all over the world, cultivating a life’s-riches of experiences from which to draw upon. He is a natural storyteller and sometimes, court jester, at heart, who always has a courteous charming word or humorous tale to tell.

The wide range of roles that he has played have demonstrated his diversity as a performer from the stage of the west end in London to TV and big screen ,as is evidenced by his affinity for and ability with various dialects (American, British, African, European) as well as, his chameleon-like visual transformations, from incarnations such as “Rongar” to his portrayal of “Honore in the critically Aclaimed HBO film ” sometimes In April ” and his very recent most talked about project” The cursed ones” Along with his numerous film credits, Oris has appeared in international Fashion campaigns and Runways in London, Newyork, Milan and Paris for the highest esteemed clients such as Etro, Armani, Gian Franco Ferre, Dior and Versachi as well as he just recently launched his luxury Jewellery and accessories Brand “Oris Erhuero Couture”. Oris is a proud, single-father of a beautiful daughter. On June 16, 2004, Oris was named father of the year by the National Fatherhood Inititive at the “Golden Dad” Awards held in Los Angeles.

Being grounded from a spiritual perspective, Oris thoroughly enjoys and believes in “giving back” to the world community, and thus, is often involved in local community based or international humanitarian projects. Oris is a Martial Arts practitioner as well as a Buddhist in his personal life, and enjoys living and promoting a healthy & well-balanced lifestyle.

Oris will be in Nigeria next week for the shooting of a new movie with Genevieve Nnaji.

PHOTO CREDIT: Wilson Ortiz Photography | Oris

Check out the full and very detailed interview with Oris below:

When did you start acting?

Well I started out Acting professionally in 1994 where I played one of the lead characters of a TV series called the “The Adventures sinbad” as it so happened, this was actually my very first professional acting audition too. I was excited and thrilled to have booked it as the old saying goes- “if after drama school you book your first audition or even one out of your first 10 auditions, then you are definitely on the right track”. Well I have not looked back ever since, and for me? Well my ‘Journey’ has only just begun.

For how long have you been acting?

I have been acting (professionally) for the last 20 years, from TV commercials, TV series films, to stage and screen plays.

What motivates you to act?

One of the things that really motivates me to act within a professional capacity, is my passion and drive to truly inspire others; as well as many of my personal life experiences. It is of great importance to me to be of inspiration to others, throughout my career as an Actor and as I grow older in this Arena. I have often received a wealth of correspondence, over the years, and I have never failed to empathise and show my understanding, on numerous levels and in various capacities, with all those who have chosen to reach out to me and or share their own personal stories and experiences. Fans of whom have come from all parts of the world and walks of life that have let me know, via a range of multimedia and modern technological mediums, of just how much my acting work, on both stage and screen has impacted their lives. I can honestly say that such feedback from fans is what truly touches my heart and makes me feel proud of what I do, giving me the incentive and drive thus, to keep on the path to relish and do what I do, in each and every project that I undertake, with the genuine desire to bring people entertainment and sheer happiness.

Which Hollywood celebrity inspires you the most and why?

I would have to say at the moment Angelina Jolie hands down, simply because she seems to connect with everyday people on an interpersonal level. For example her humanitarian work with the UN really allows her to reach far and wide and she touches upon issues that others turn away from. She gets right down to the dirt and grapples with things that many others choose to so easily overlook and her life, to me just clearly speaks for itself…

Name your top ten movies of all time?

My Top Ten movies of all time: The God father, Coming to America, Once Upon a Time in America, Raging bull, Rocky , Platoon, Glory, Forest Gump, Blood Diamond and Casino.

How do you overcome rejection of an Audition?

Well I am grateful to say that these days I am been approached and offered roles, but that’s after years and years of auditions and endless heart breaking experiences. I have to say it   has not been all Bunnies and rainbows! I have had some very painful disappointing moment’s and rejections where I have walked into the room and everything is going so well you get the call that you are in the running and they love you and then boom! All of a sudden it just goes silent for months and then you hear that they are already shooting the movie and with someone else. Or in another case in Los Angeles, a couple of years ago, contracts were being sent out for a film that I had auditioned for on about five occasions. They had called on a Friday night saying “have a great weekend you got the role”. As I was about to celebrate and get my friends to go to Las Vegas and party; They called back saying “sorry”, that the one actor they had originally offered the part to in the beginning (before the audition process had even started) had changed his mind at the last minute, and wanted to do the film after all!

When I look back I am grateful for all the rejection that I faced because it has only made me a stronger person, immune to rejection; but most importantly these experiences have humbled me and have brought me down to earth. As an Actor I am fully aware of just how easy it is for one to develop an ego that can over shadow their talent “in a heart- beat” and destroy us. To put it bluntly, no one wants to work with any person who presents such traits in their behaviour; as I have seen time and time again, and it’s sad. Also When I look back and even now, occasionally it still happens. I just thank my lucky stars instead of being bitter. My experiences here have also put me in a position, whereby I am more of a business minded individual as I am also producer too. So when you call me or mention my name, it better be that the deal is on the table and I need to be the one deciding if I want to do the film/

TV screen-play or not.

I sincerely believe however, that all In all rejection is good for the soul as it keeps you on your toes and gives you the ‘hunger’ to aspire for achieving greater goals. I believe that it’s really how one deals with rejection that determines the kind of person they will ultimately become. You can you use rejection as a fuel to ‘skyrocket’ and become the most profound individual that any one would ever hope to meet, or you can just ‘hit rock bottom’, quit and regret it later in life; causing you to subsequently become a very destructive individual to yourself as well as all those around you.

Tell me about a time where you had difficulty turning yourself into a character? What was the character? And why was it challenging?

I have just WRAPED shooting a major film in Ghana (West Africa) where I was for almost 3 months, called “The Cursed Ones ” Directed by Nana Obiri Yeboah. Who in my opinion is one of the finest most intelligent men I have ever come across in the business in a very long time. The movie, written by a very young talented and upcoming writer hailing from Germany, via New York named MaximiIian Claussen, and an award winning Cinematographer, out of London England called Nicholas K Lory. I have to say it was the most challenging role that I have ever encountered to date!

Simply because for the first time in my life I played a lead character, who had to carry the whole story of the film, from his initial point of view, in the beginning to the very end as well; as being one of the Executive Producers of the film itself. So for me every step I made during this screen production thus, mattered. Simply because I felt at the time, my entire life depended on it. I was to pay attention to every detail, every breath, every movement and every thought process carried out, from start to finish. The film is a true and very thought provoking depiction of exactly what’s happening in Africa at present, in this our very modern/liberal day and age. The storyline underpins what has for a very long time, clearly been something that has followed and haunting most Africans in to the West today, on a very alarming scale; causing such irreversible physical, spiritual and emotional damage to so many, on a level beyond anything a world-wide audience would ever encounter and or comprehend in their wildest of dreams; in the entire history of African Film Production and the entire African Cinematic Community, period. The plot centres closely around an innocent, unassuming child being accused of performing and participating in acts of Witch Craft, to an extent, which I believe is just completely and utterly out of this world! Without giving too much away, I played a journalist, a ‘physically’ strong man, and a very frustrated individual of who had very little hope, confidence or self-belief. A man who had lost all hope in life, in himself and in humanity. A journalist whose life has resulted to writing about birthdays, funerals, and weddings because even his own employer has no confidence in him telling or writing any story of major importance.

And now, spontaneously he has been sent on an assignment to a small village, in the middle of Africa to cover an upcoming festival; only for things to take a whole different course of events. I embody a very different character in this role, from the kinds I have played in the past, and a very challenging one at that! I had to really destroy any form or ounce of ego that lay deep within me for that period of time, as well as to burry all my pre-conceived ideas and notions of the given environment and circumstances that I was to encounter, having been born, raised and cultured in Western Civilization, until this production ‘wrapped’!

The Leading Men characters I have played in Hollywood have been very ego driven characters, even some of the smallest of my past roles involved me, having to grapple with letting go of everything at its highest purest level, one part I played in particular required me to gain a great deal of body weight, as this character was a very depressed individual. I had to do something I had never saw coming or experienced at all before in my life; as I am a very health conscious individual, and anyone who knows me, knows of how active and physically fit I am! As well as just

how much I also love to work out, as I am also a martial artist at heart, so I guess, that speaks for itself!

The second thing that I needed to consider was the fact that I also had to do a lot of drinking beyond ‘the norm’, as this character drank a great deal and not just any drinking, firstly I am not the ‘drink one beer and am-out’ kind of guy that would hold on to a glass of wine and sip it slowly for hours as if making love to it, or even a good glass of brandy! As I cherish and respect these things and don’t believe in the abuse of alcohol consumption. I did however have to undergo a ‘using and abusing’ of alcohol period however; we all know the dark path, down which alcohol abuse has led many people in history to also. I deeply struggle therefore, with the fact that my character was heavily indulging in this vice and using it as a clutch. I had to research the medical and scientific background behind the kind of alcohol consumed on the market that leads to depression and sadness of such a magnitude scale, because I found that my assigned character suffered depression to such great depths and on such a magnitude scale. A character that if in reality existed, I believe that I would honestly would ‘struggle’ to get along, or associate myself with. Please don’t t get me wrong, I would try my best too, as I don’t believe in stereotyping or passing judgement on others in any capacity; but let’s keep in mind I am only human and so, I am not perfect in any respect of the word.

I also had to develop a big stomach literally, in this particular character role; as the director knew of my modelling past and the action ‘tough guy roles’ Hollywood wants the likes of me to play these days, as of course it’s the business I am in! The director knew that I am known for flaunting that more ‘macho’ side of myself in the media and knew I was a model in the past as well as other charters I have played shirtless. He insisted in spite of these factors however, that I lost ‘the six pack’ immediately, as he wanted a complete mega-transformation, from any of the character roles I had played previously in my acting career. This was not something that I had anticipated or experienced prior; nor have I ever been expected to make such a vast and drastic transformation, in the process of conditioning both my body and mind set, over such a short duration of time; to the extent where even my sister, who is a Medical Doctor, expressed her concerns for my physical health. But although she knew I was more than capable of doing what I needed to do for the role, she kept a close eye on things from a distance.

I had to eat in excess, which proved to be very challenging for me. I have never had a big stomach; I also needed to cease taking part in all forms of physical exercise. I was fortunate to have been working under the care and guidance of a director of whom had the best interests of the entire cast at heart; both on a personable and psychological level. As he always appeared to be ten steps ahead of us all. I found that the professional relationship that he maintained with us all, as individual cast members was second to none; for he possessed the innate ability to understand the ability and meet the individual needs of each cast member. It was deep and beyond anything psychologically or any of us, even the writers and or those watching on the side lines had ever seen. As filming proceeded, the director would from time mentally challenge each and every one of us to deeply justify why we would make a certain creative decisions or actions, till you could prove him wrong or he wasn’t having it any other way! To be honest, in my opinion he was the perfect director.

I feel that I needed in my life, to experience going down that road and trusting his direction because in so doing, he made it clear that this will be the hardest character role I have ever played to date! Also that if I can trust him, we will walk through this safe and sound. The Director knew also, that I am a natural born Method Actor and saw that from the first time we meet, I am the kind of actor that is willing to go the distance and to extreme lengths to get to the bottom of ‘that character’ by any means necessary!

He had to psychologically ‘break me down’ so badly, in order to get me to lose all of my inhibitions. I subsequently became a ‘broken down individual’; so much so, to the point where I would cry for days and hated him and at one point they couldn’t even get me out of the hotel room! I can honestly say, whole heartedly, that I became ‘this monstrous man’ and was ‘living’ as him 24/7! I never spoke to my family or any friends, for the almost 2 to 3 months. I spoke to absolutely nobody whatsoever. I literary cut off all ties and forms of communication with everyone in the West and I became a pure and true, deep reclusive soul from that world. I came to a place in my mind where, I didn’t want to know what was going on in the world or the news and nor did I care! I ‘switched’ my soul, lost it and traded it willingly; burying it in a place that was just so far, far away from anyone’s comprehension. I wanted to be able to resurrect this ‘dead’ character’s soul, before bringing it to life to the best of my ability. Trust me when I say it was hell and incredibly difficult as the truth is, one can cross that line and never return if not careful! I have been to this kind of place in the past, when Idris Elba and I played very pivotal, dominant characters in the critically acclaimed, most talked about African movie of all time, By HBO films called “Sometimes in April”. The same company behind “Game of Thrones”; it was a film about the Ruwandan Genocide of 1994, filmed in the actual locations where these atrocities took place, and I didn’t work or function properly after that film for a while because I was so fully immersed in the characterisation of my then role. But thanks to my Buddhist faith and spiritual path which I have been treading on for the last 8 or so years, that I am able to safely and confidently say that I can ‘swing’ back into reality without any break downs. This is sometimes the price I believe I have to pay as a method actor, as the technique works for me, and I swear by it, as it’s never let me down!

I must advise any young actor however, or anyone thinking of just jumping out there wanting to play with this technique to really think twice about wanting to use it and go ‘deeply’ into any character; for I would not advise any actor to go into it unless trained, and I mean well trained beyond humility in a very safe, sound and confined environment, under the guidance of a very good, caring and trusting teacher, as well as them being someone, that will ‘catch you’ when you cross that line mentally, and in good time enough to restore, nurture and reserve the best of you, in order that you can continue in the pursuit of mastering your craft and still fully function as a human being in your daily life, as well as also for the purpose of performing other artistic roles as a Professional Actor. I took this part willingly and knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, and also for what the content of the film was about and was deeply concerned about these innocent children being accused unnecessarily, constantly persecuted for nothing, out of sheer ignorance and the lack of education and understanding of others. I therefore wanted to be the one that will tell the story and bring it greatly to the attention of everyone breathing on this planet earth. I had this vision when I was initially offered the script, that this film and story will be seen by the 7 to 8, billion people supposedly living on this planet earth. I sincerely want to ensure that everyone is fully aware of this ignorance and determine this nonsense stops period. I believe that I was born to do what I do as an Actor and I am incredibly grateful for my platform and I very much respect it, as well as I am aware of the price and responsibility that comes with this kind of role as an actor. I also want to make explicitly clear that throughout this time, I was protected and in one of the safest and most beautiful environments any actor who knows their craft could have asked to be placed. The director and I went into Ghana early, ahead of all the other cast members, as I felt that I first needed to get accustomed to the land, the people, culture, customs, traditional dialects and atmosphere; in order for me to best fulfil the requirements of my role. I very much wanted to become one with that part of Africa, as to be able to get into the swing of things, as it were.

The Director was always monitoring me, at all times and had the key to my room and ‘that cave’ I would return to, when I wanted to be left alone and he was incredibly good at bringing me in and out of it when he felt I was losing grasp of any concepts or was on the verge of crossing ‘that line’!

It was our little secret, I also mind you, could not be drunk at any time all, because it was so important I maintained the human elements as an artist, as well as my full composure and discipline as a professional, in order for me to also avoid the suffering and the hellish state of the character’s mind-set and many demons that he regularly had to deal with.

Now, not too many actors or directors would agree with the approach and journey my Director and I take, and I respect their opinions, but for me it’s very important to be true and honest with every character I play, and I am willing to cross that line if needs be to get to the goal of what the director wants in order to tell that story especially this kind of story , it’s bad enough people spend their hard earned cash to go and see actors and a bunch of us and our big fat egos on the screen every day.

Only to then feel cheated and ripped-off, so I feel in my heart of hearts it’s very important I at least try my very best to give them my absolute best performance to the best of my abilities at that when called upon, that I deliver period. Now let’s be very clear about this for anyone reading this; I never drank on set as is not something I would

recommend at all, as also it was not allowed at all, but I did back in the hotel as to absorb the pain and what was commanded of the character. Nothing else!

l am grateful to say, that despite all the odds against us prior to going out to Africa at the height of this so called fear of an Ebola epidemic, we all pulled through and bonded in the most phenomenal way, with the locals and crew from all over the world, because our families and friends in the west feared the worst as it was during the time that they were literally almost grounding all flights in and out of West Africa.

The only fear I deeply had in my heart was that we may not have been able to shoot this film because of the fact that we couldn’t fly, simply due to the fact that reports became so twisted in the media that ‘the whole of Africa was infected’ with Ebola, and Africa suddenly became a ‘no-go’ zone, especially being out there and actually seeing things for myself, up close and in person. I think that it was ridiculously sad to see how people on the plane where in genuine fear, it was just insane! I think I would have just lost my patience and made my way in to Africa regardless,

come hell or high tide if they stopped me from going to do it, out of fear of being infected by the virus. The truth is, I am an African myself, born in the west but have very strong roots and ties to Africa, and to be honest, it goes without saying, that there are more dangerous diseases in the west right now at this moment, not talked about and one of them is ‘Fear’ and the other is ‘Ignorance’, and trust me as funny as it all seems they are a serious disease!

Name A few tips on how to memorise lines faster?

Well I have to be honest there is no magic-trick or ‘short-cut’ to memorising lines quickly, the only way for one to memorise any lines in a script, is to first of all study the script from A to Z; always do your research and investigation(s) into the associated themes and contexts. For example in my case, I had to spend time in London with an award winning journalist, in order to allow me to just understand my purpose, from the perspective of a journalist, affording me thus, the opportunity to truly understand the mind of a journalist and the pros and cons of what their profession ensues. It was this kind of research that better helped the lines flow smoothly for me, as well as the preparation, in other areas of the character’s life.

Anyone can sit and recite lines night and day very easily, and memorise them, but the reality is you will just be saying the lines with no feeling behind them. I don’t think that film would ever make it to the cinema or even on line at all, if this was the case!

So it’s not about just trying to get the lines memorised faster but, I also think that it is equally as important to really get into the heart of the story as well as the soul of the character, behind the actual lines. I would suggest that you ask yourself ‘why am I here?’, ‘Where am I going?’ And ‘how can I get there?’, In so doing, the lines will come to life organically and will feel more natural, because we always need to remember that the character is also a human being like you too, and depending on how committed and immersed you, as an actor are within the rehearsals process, will also help in a big way.

Why do you love acting?

I love acting simply for the fact that I can experience so many everyday characters in life and wear and live in their shoes for a short period of time, seeing the world from so many different perspectives. I also truly relish the thrill and ride of the journey, if directed in safe hands, is the most incredible feeling one could ever encounter; when you connect deeply with the character on a deeper level.

What sort of acting roles do you hope to take on in the future?

At this point in my life I would love to do more true powerful and or Biographical stories, that would create value, touch and inspire so many people from all walks of life to have hope and to dream big! Because I have watched a lot of incredible performances and seen great stories over the years that have truly inspired me and shaped my life on so many levels. I want to follow that path and make sure I end mine that way too, as to inspire somebody, somewhere to say ‘wow…If he can do it, so too can I’. As for me, it’s the most incredible feeling to have kids who are now approaching adulthood, approaching me from all walks of life, with their inspirational testimonials; even some via Facebook saying how they use to rush home from school to watch my TV series and how they just couldn’t wait every week/evening to watch it. For me, that is the most incredible and rewarding feeling in the world for one to awake to and I am so grateful for that. I get the people approaching me to date, on a daily basis; still talking about the film “Sometimes in April” and you can see how they say things like, “thanks for that movie” and “the performance you gave”, as they never knew such a thing was happening in the world.

There has been a lot of talk of the likes of Idris Elba, someone you have worked with up close and in person, and you not to mention a lot of other black actors; to play the coveted role of the next 007 especially since you are also British. What’s your take on that?

Well as far as am concerned am grateful and honoured that the fans and the public would even see me or even imagine me in ‘that’ tuxedo! I have to say, I love and am a huge fan of Daniel Craig’s professional body of work. I don’t know him personally however; he is on the list of one of my favourite actors in the world! And to be honest, he has taken the James Bond franchise to such incredible heights financially, creatively and quality-wise and I thank him for doing such an amazing job, on behalf of such an incredibly, iconic figure.

And from a business prospective, the producers are very happy as well, with the fact that he has also signed on for one or two more series I believe.

I won’t be too quick to jump the Gun, and scream yet and have sleepless nights over it! But if I am offered the role and the chance at it tomorrow, you can rest assured and trust me I would jump on it in a heart-beat and give it everything that I have within me, without a doubt, and I will have the world screaming for the next one thereafter! On that note I would leave that to the God’s and deities that follow and guide me in this life to decide, as they have been very good to me in life thus far, and as we know life is full of surprises, you just never know what you are going to find!

If you had to choose between Acting, Dj-ing or Design, which would be the best one for you and why? And how did all these things come about what’s the connection?

It’s funny I was one of those and still am a very active individual as I had said before I was very deeply involved with the hip-hop and Break Dancing Scene, in London during the 80s, which took me in to Dj-ing automatically and then provided me with a great platform from which to transition into the New York and U.S. rap scene, where at one point I wanted to work for Def. Jam Records, this was when the likes of Rick Robin was one of the owners as well as Russell Simons. I even went as far as appearing on Public Enemy s second or third album. I believe my voice was on the chorus you hear on the track “She Watch Chanel Zero”. I hung out with the producers; I even appeared on a number of rap albums.

I always felt like the oddest guy in that world, then before you knew it, I was collecting records and buying so many records, it started to cost me a lot to travel with them as well as my turn tables it got really expensive; but anyway, as time went on, a lot of people in New York begged me to carry on pursuing acting, as they felt it’s where I belong.

So that died a little in a very strange and ironic way. As one evening I was car jacked and shot 7 times and left for dead. After coming out of a comma and 6 months later of recovery and healing, I meet a photographer in Miami called Azarbra from Canada, who talked me back in to Acting, and said he will set me up with a couple of agencies in Milan, London, Paris and South Africa, to get a break from America and travel the world a bit, and make extra money modelling and give me time to save money and move to Los Angeles. At that time there were barely any black guys modelling, and we are talking, in the early 90s, and before I knew it I was doing endless modelling jobs and shooting with every photographer from Nike to You name it! It was just crazy.

Mind you, almost a year prior I would have been dead and buried somewhere in New York City. I was doing almost every run way show in Milan, Paris and Germany, doing all these major catalogues, and even then, I had been told to go in to acting buy everyone I was working with, and fast forward 1994…I landed my first acting role on a TV series via a commercial shoot in south Africa which took me on for Five years and the rest is history! In those years I ran into one of the finest Award winning top African Designers, Adebayor Jones who in turn introduced me to one of the finest top jewellery designers, also a fellow African and country man in Los Angeles called Chrisaire who is one of the biggest high fashion jewellery designers and stylist to all, and every star from the who? is who? To Presidents around the world. He said I was most welcome to come and work with him behind the scenes selling for him if I wasn’t busy with acting work and needed to make extra money.

I took him up on that offer in a heartbeat, as he knew I had lived in Europe and had been around some of the finest designers and understood the business. That’s where the whole ‘jewellery thing’ came about because he thought me so much! It’s crazy; so if I had to choose and stick with one thing I don’t think it will be possible, as they all have a significant and meaningful role to play in who I am right now. Even now, I am in to playing Deep Tribal House Music, and getting requests to play all over the world, that’s if of course I can find the time, and honestly they all

complement each other in such a beautiful way as every one of these paths have opened doors in a way beyond my wildest dreams. It’s like I went from a very dark moment and time in my life, and within the blink of an eye, branch into a world of all and everything I have ever desired and I truly owe that to the a God’s cause I am grateful and very blessed.

What advice would you give to any young man or woman such as your daughter that wants to act?

Pretty face? Retouched pictures? And the size of your breasts and how much cleavage you want to show is not, and I repeat not going to get you through the doors in this game, or make you famous any sooner! Because many have tried that and it isn’t and will never work. It might work for a minute or two, but it still requires one to work hard, hustle, pray and have a deep faith in whatever it is you choose to believe in. And of course it’s imperative that one lives a healthy and well balanced lifestyle with a serious love, respect and the willingness to give back and help as

many others possible in society.

I believe that is the key to success and where you will win not just in acting, but also in anything you put your heart and mind towards accomplishing, in this life time. I would also recommend the importance of finding a mentor and someone you deeply trust to guide you at the time of need because, take it from me, as a young, new and inexperienced actor, you will be thankful for and need all the help, genuine guidance and professional support you can get.

So do you have a mentor? And if so, what is his or her name? And what words of wisdom would you like to share with all of us readers?

Yes I do have a mentor and it’s someone that’s been of a great help and assistance to me the last 8 years I call him Sensei, he is from Japan where he lives, and his name is Diasaku Ikeda he is 87 years of age and still, until this very

moment connects with me and many others, just like me.

This setting of late, he shared with me and I will sincerely like to share with every one of you as I read it from time, in order to keep myself grounded and centred on what is most important to me in this life. I thank you all sincerely for reading and for your loyal support. “FAME does not equal happiness, nor does it equal ability. Those who talk the supreme path of happiness known as faith are great artists of life. Compared to this distinction, fame and popularity are mere illusions; they are as fleeting as the images on a TV screen, which disappear when you turn off the set. There is absolutely no reason for you to let your happiness be governed by popularity and fame. Ordinary people are an example of those who have no fame but are the most noble of all.” By my mentor #Daisaku #Ikeada. (2015)

So what is next?

Obviously I am still heavily involved with Acting and Producing. But currently, I am dedicating a lot of my time with my business partner Andrew to my Oris Erhuero Couture business. This year is one where we are building the Brand,

the website and I am designing new pieces for both the Women and Mens lines. We will have lines redesigned every year, plus of course bespoke couture items. We will also be expanding into the accessories market. It is a very exciting time seeing the business grow in to something that will really add to the whole Oris Erhuero Brand identity.

PHOTO CREDIT: Wilson Ortiz Photography | Oris