After My First Smoking Experience, I can’t Try It Again For Anything – Actor

Stage stunning comic stunt, Opara Stanley Chinagorom, popularly known by his stage name, Santos O Santos, has bounced back to the entertainment industry after eight years. The dude who disappeared from screen after featuring in the movie, Royal mystery, is back to the industry.
Speaking with EDITH CHUKU in an exclusive interview, the movie script writer, skit producer and comedian narrated the reasons he left the entertainment industry since 2012 and why he came back.

Excerpts:
After your role in Royal mystery, you disappeared. What chased you?
Eh! Chasing me? (laughs), Hmm, I didn’t disappear, you just didn’t look for me, if you did, you would have known that I didn’t disappear, I only took a brief bow, and again, Royal Mystery was not really the last movie I featured in before I pulled out of the industry briefly.
You call eight years, briefly?
(Laughs) I’m sorry; actually, what I am saying is that after Royal Mystery, I was featured in other movies like, Ways of the gods, Clash of law and grace, Eyeing the Top and some others. These are the ones I can remember, the ones I know their name.
So, why did you leave the industry that long?
I was frustrated.
Frustrated, how do you mean?
Yes, I was frustrated in the industry. That whole period of striving to meet up through the industry seemed not working. Most frustrating issue of all then was that a lot of money was required and I didn’t have even close to little not to talk of enough. At that time, they asked us to pay before we can act. So, I was so frustrated, so angry because I had no money.
I met a producer then with my story, he said I should bring 20k to convert it, that was around 2010, 2012. I was so tired of everything. So I took a bow to go and look for money
Now you are back, do you have enough money or has that changed?
I didn’t find fulfilment. I returned to find fulfilment, doing what I love to do. What I have passion for, what I am passionate about means a lot to me, that’s all. And of course, outside acting, I now have a comedy skit, a brand called Jollof Comedy, you can check it out on youtube. So, no matter the challenge, my mind is made up to start and continue pushing it little by little, just to keep going and get to that point where I can pull people, upcoming actors, actresses, comedians, those young ones in the entertainment industry. I want to get up so I can pull them up too, I don’t wish anyone to go through what I went through and worse of it is staying away from your calling for years because of challenges you can’t face or solve because you are handicapped. I will get there; there is only one way to the top, that’s the ground.
Did you regret leaving?
Yes, eight whole years is no joke. I did, I would have just stayed and pressed on, it would have been much better by now.
So, what new things did you learn while away that will add a plus to your passion?
First, to think outside the box, what are comedians not doing, what are they not talking about, what are they ignoring, what exactly are my audience itching to hear? Watch, how will I stand out because it’s competitive and people go for the best. How do I create a big family from entertainment, outside acting, comedy. What else, if added, can give me a plus, make me stand out, much of that, plus my brand.
Your name; Santos O Santos, how did it come about?
Santos means Saint. I was answering Santos before, but I found out that a lot of people have the name. So I went inside my secret room to modify it for myself.
To Santos Santos, meaning Saint Saint?
Yes, the name is Santos O Santos, that O is my surname.
How has the experience been so far in the entertainment industry?
Well, it has been good and bad.
Can you tell us little about each, the good and the bad?
Well, I joined the industry through a man called T Jay, may his soul rest in peace. He took me then to his production house where I was taught some skills in acting; there I learnt how to write scripts. From there, I was called and featured in different movies before I took a break out of frustration.
Of all the movies you featured in, which was your best and what role did you play?
Eyeing the top. I played the role of a capon, a bad guy; that role was crazy, for the very first and of course last time in my life I smoked, as in real smoking in a movie.
That’s serious, which means you can do things like go nude and even make real love in a movie?
Nooooooo. I am yet to get over the one I did, getting to ten years now. You are talking about worse, I can’t do any of that, for real, I can’t, not even smoking again, I can’t, nooooo, I Can’t do that.
There is a particular fair lady, she is very consistent in your skit, is she the one we are expecting or we should be expecting another person?
(Laughs) this one shock me ooo, na John to Jesus question be this. While, she is part of the company, we are growing together, that’s it.
What has been your happiest moment as an entertainer?
My happiest moment is whenever people commend and correct my role after acting, it makes me feel valued, it hypes my morale, it encourages me to do more, I feel they are interested in what I am doing and how I am doing it. I have the hunger to do more and better because it’s more about my fans.
Can you also share your saddest moment as an entertainer?
My saddest moment was when I lost my boss.
What should fans expect from you this 2020?
A lot, more of what they are expecting, I have a lot of comedies lined up for them, the Santos family is a brand new work coming up soon.