Chinaza Clara Ezeani’s love affair with acting ignited at a tender age when she was captivated by the on-screen magic of Ini Edo and Jim Iyke in The Cat. Inspired by these actors, she embarked on a creative journey, crafting elaborate sketches that mirrored her favourite characters and movies. Beyond her Nollywood-inspired skits, she quickly stood out for effortlessly taking on different characters, from lover boys to brides and princes, as she revived the nostalgia of the movies we grew up on.
Years later, fate intervened. The young dreamer’s aspirations materialised when she landed her debut acting role in James Omokwe’s Showmax original, Cheta’M. This epic drama series provided the perfect platform for the one-woman production crew to showcase her range, as she brought two distinct characters to life—the shy, feminine Adaugo and strong, feisty Urenna. With this promising start, Ezeani is ready to keep honing her craft and become your favourite actor.
In this conversation, Miss Ezeani opens up about falling in love with Nollywood, making her acting debut with two characters, and her future aspirations.
Most of your sketches are deeply inspired by Nollywood movies; what was the first Nollywood movie you saw or the one that left an impression?
I think the first Nollywood movie I saw was Dog of War or Dog at War. Before that, my parents didn’t allow me to see Nollywood movies. I only saw it because they sold it in our church, promoting it as a family movie, and my parents bought it. It had Desmond Elliot, Ini Edo, and a rottweiler. But the first one that made an impression and made me catch the acting bug was The Cat. Funny enough, Ini Edo was also in this, but this time with Jim Iyke doing the whole campus thing. I have made a couple of iterations from it in my skits.
How did you transition from creating skits to landing your first acting role in Cheta’M?
I saw the audition notice sometime in March or May last year. At the time, I had braces on, so I was also reluctant to apply for auditions because of previous failed attempts and thought they wouldn’t take me seriously with my braces. Still, I bookmarked it to apply later.
Then my friend sent me the same flyer, not realising I had already seen and saved it. I told him my concerns, but he advised me to apply and keep pushing. So, I applied, and to my surprise, I got a callback. Then, I was invited for a second reading, a closed audition. During the interview, they asked if I would be willing to remove my braces if I got the role.’ I said yes because it was almost time for me to remove them. That was it. I got the role.
How did you manage the jitters that often accompany a first performance?
At first, I was shocked, then excited, which gave way to scepticism because I was worried about taking on the role. I had gone through the happy phase of landing a role on a Showmax series, but when it was time to do the actual thing, I would read the script and wonder if I had enough fire to take on the character.
I remember asking my close friends if they thought I was feisty, and they said yes, which surprised me because I see myself as a sweetheart. I spoke to a couple of mentors. I also reached out to James Omokwe, the executive producer, and he told me they wouldn’t have hired me if they hadn’t seen it in me. I mean, if everybody around believes that I have it, then I shouldn’t hold myself back.
So, I started researching; I read everything I could find about acting to improve. I consumed everything online on acting, from reading articles to watching acting coaches on YouTube. I created a mental picture of what I wanted my character, Urenna, to look like, so I decided to bulk up for her.
I also played another character, Adaugo, briefly on the show. Shooting began in September 2023, but they had to focus more on the first part because of the time jump. That’s when I went to play Adaugo, a short-lived character. Then, I stayed away for a month before returning to play Urenna from October to December.
Playing two characters right off the bat is impressive. How much did your sketch background prepare you for this challenge, and how did you differentiate the roles?
Playing multiple characters in my content certainly helped, but this was different because I had never played anyone like Urenna before. I knew I wanted them to be poles apart, so I made Adaugo speak differently and made her sashay. She was more feminine. She is also shy, so everything about her is laid back.
But everything about Urenna is energetic. She moved differently, spoke with bass, and had more strength in her voice. I also stopped using sunscreen because I wanted her to be darker since she is a warrior. As a warrior, she has no business with skincare. I played them a month apart, so I spent a lot of time at the gym for Urenna because they are quite different.
I would go to the gym by four and leave by eight. I got a personal instructor. He asked me what my goal was, and I told him, ‘As ripped as I can get in a month and a half.’ I got protein supplements and everything. I went all in. The first week was terrible because I went in with that ‘I don’t have time’ mindset, which meant I was training everything at once instead of doing arms today and legs tomorrow. Then, I would get home and feel like a dead man.
I’m grateful I had a friend over at the time because she was supportive, helping with food and hot water therapy. I went all out for one month and a half for my physical preparation. I also zoned in on the Woman King and Cara Mason, the Mord-Sith in The Legend of the Seeker. I had to find a way to blend it because Cara is quite Eurocentric, and this is an epic. So, I took a few things from her and a lot more from Woman King since that’s closer to us.
I also took things from my day-to-day life. I remember being annoyed at a keke guy, but I held it in and decided to use it for her character later. I just took mental notes of everything I felt, including the places in my body that felt tense, so when the time came, I had something to refer to.
Can you draw parallels between content creation and acting? What sets them apart, and did your experience in content creation influence your approach to acting?
My approach to my content helps because when I first started with skits, it was mostly about exaggerated movements; the subtleties and nuances were not very important. However, as I progressed into content creation, I wanted more substance, so I started acting my characters more realistically.
When I got Urenna, I already had an idea of what to do, but I also realised that talent is good, but not always enough. When I got on set, things were different. I realised it was not just me anymore. If you’re making a skit, nobody cares if you act right or not as long as you get the laughs or the appropriate emotion, but it’s different with movies. I decided to go to film school on set.
Tell us about your time at EbonyLife Creative Academy. How has that training helped you grow as an actor?
It was refreshing. I was excited to go to school for the first time in my life. I would wake up early, happy to go to school. Our coach was a blessing, teaching us everything we needed to know as actors, so my acting has improved. Before the acting classes, I would deal with internal conflict from doing things based on instinct because I was unsure, but now I know it’s the right thing to do, so I am more comfortable being there.
For instance, I knew that changing my breathing pattern affected my body. If I want to get angry, I have to breathe hard a lot. But before going to film school, I thought I looked ridiculous doing this. Then I got into film school and learnt that breathing techniques exist for every emotion you want to access. So, now I don’t care who sees me doing them on set because I know I am doing the right thing. I also learnt about subtleties and a lot more.
Reflecting on the experience making Cheta’M, what were the most rewarding parts of embodying these roles and being part of this project?
I love that my character made me explore new areas in acting because Urenna is different from who I am. She challenged me physically because of the stunts, thanks to our stunts director. The first day was crazy. We spent hours learning the choreography of the fight scenes. Our choreographer was kind, putting our safety first. There was this particular scene where I jumped on the bandit’s neck. We worked together to make that scene happen. I couldn’t believe I pulled it off when I saw it on TV.
So, the character challenged me and made me want to work on myself more as an actor. I am blessed to have worked on this set as my debut because the producers, directors, and everybody were nice. They would encourage me and help me get more comfortable. I have to give credit to Lota Chukwu, one of the directors. She helped me dig deep into my character, Urenna, and explore the character’s motivations. Working with her helped me develop a detailed analysis of my character, making it easier to find the motives and emotions I needed to play her.
The executive producer, Mr. James, was ever so supportive. He helped to clear my doubts whenever they came up. My co-actors were all so nice; they made it easy to bond and connect off the screen, which helped with our characters once the camera started rolling. Outside the set, we had fun. We felt like a small family; we hung out and had parties. It was a good time. Cheta’M is magic; the writers did their thing. Everyone on set brought their A-game. I was constantly in awe of everyone’s talents and skills. The actors bared their soul for the show. The story is beautiful, and everyone from the actors to the production crew put in 100%.
There’s a growing opinion that content creators and influencers are negatively impacting the industry. What’s your perspective on this?
I completely understand why producers and directors seek out content creators or influencers. But I think being a good actor is important if you will be onscreen. That’s what I did. You must consistently work on yourself and ensure you deliver your best whenever you are in front of that camera. I think that’s where the problem lies because if an influencer or content creator gets there but is not doing well, the people who have put in the work, from studying theatre arts to acting for many years, feel cheated. If you are not there yet, you can always work on it. You can take classes, and do what you must to hone your craft.
What’s next?
I am still focused on my content, but I’m also trying to get into movies and the actual big screen. The plan is to better myself as a creator, creative, and actor. I still intend to explore directing and producing, but I just want to act now. I want to embody as many characters as possible. I want people to see me as someone who can become anyone and embody that character.
All 60 episodes of season 1 of Cheta’M are currently streaming on Showmax.
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