Tola Odunsi’s The Men’s Club: New Gen kicks off with a twist! The hit series follows four friends—Aminu (Pere Egbi replaced Ayoola Ayolola in Season 4), Louis (Baaj Adebule), Lanre (Daniel Etim-Effiong), and Tayo (Efa Iwara)—dealing with love, family, and career problems. But this new season shakes things up with the addition of fresh characters: Kashope (Saga Deolu), Francis (Chuks Joseph), Tokini (Paul Nnadiekwe), and Obinna (David Eyo), who form a men’s club of their own. In an exclusive interview with What Kept Me Up, the New Gen cast shares their experiences on set.
“The first interaction between all four of us —Saga, Paul, David and I—was at the table read,” Chuks Joseph (Madam Koi Koi) begins. “There was a lot of laughter, we had discussions, and we just sort of knew what we were about to do. Our chemistry was really nice, and Tola Odunsi, our director, really helped make everything work. I think it’s easier when you work with friends. Like sometimes, when you’re on set, you first try to build a rapport with your co-stars. But with Paul, the rapport was already there. Thankfully, my first set on the show was with him and it was really a beautiful thing.”
In a series where bromance is key, it helps when the cast has a good synergy. Although viewers are meeting Chuks’ Francis “The Plug” Jones and Nnadiekwe’s Tokini “Business Enthusiast” Diepreye-Briggs for the first time in the TMC universe, the actors have previously worked together on projects like Afamefuna (2023) and NdaniTV’s Schooled (2022). “Chuks and I have known each other for years. And yes, we were really excited to work together again. But to be honest, I feel like it was another day at the office,” Paul Nnadiekwe adds.
For David Eyo (The Counsellor), top 10 finalist of Mr. World Nigeria 2024, the process of stepping into character took a slightly different route. “Yeah, we did bond, and it was really easy because we all came with an open mind. But it also helped that I actually studied theatre arts at the University of Calabar, and since then, I’ve been flying on God’s wings. Then, I borrowed attributes from people I’ve met to give life to Obinna the Tech Bro, with the help of the director.”
Saga Deolu (Not the Plan), who portrays Kashope “Kash” Makanjuola—a celebrity multibillionaire—also drew on personal relationships to mold his character. “I got inspiration for my character from my rich friends, like Sheggz Olusemo. I also picked some vibes from Bruce Wayne (Batman) on a supernatural level, and people like Davido in my 1000 km radius,” he admits. “But reality TV was the trigger that got me into entertainment in the first place. Naturally, I’m an engineer. I trained as an electrical engineer and practiced as a well completions engineer. So, I would say reality TV exposed me to being comfortable in front of the camera and, you know, being able to express myself authentically. It also gave me a platform and helped me learn how to curate what I want people to see. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today acting with actors like Paul, Chuks, and David on TMC.”
On reuniting with his fellow BBNaija housemate, Pere Egbi, on set, Saga adds. “It was nice. Honestly, because Pere is somebody I would say I look up to when it comes to acting. He’s been doing this long before I even considered it. Even when I was in the Big Brother house, I always said I would love to act with him one day, and I’m proud of myself for being able to share that experience with him on a big platform like this.”
Following the mention of Egbi and the original cast members, Nnadiekwe states, “I just want to put it out there that, as far as the story is concerned, we are a set of entirely different men. Like there’s been no Francis in the former seasons, or Tokini or Obinna. ‘Cause people have been making this mistake that I am Pere’s younger version. Or maybe Saga is another person’s younger version. If we tell you what the real relationship with the older characters is, we’ll be giving spoilers. But The Men’s Club has always been about a set of men who go through several experiences in life and then come together to share.
In a way, our characters are part of an entirely new universe. They don’t really know that there’s another group of older men’s club in the bar, who have conversations that mirror each other. We’d like the fans to be open-minded about this new storyline and enjoy the show.”
Chuks further clarifies what fans should expect in the brand new season, “One thing I like about TMC is that it touches each person, but at the same time, you’ll see us have relationships across the board. My character, Francis, will deal with some personal things in his life. He is pretty young, and he’s just like your everyday club promoter trying to get on to the next party. Sometimes, he doesn’t make the best choices. But, at the same time, we can see other personal things that are going on in the lives of Kashope, Tokini, and Obinna. Then, they come together and talk about their lives and their backstories.”
“You see those roundtable meetups, ehn?” Eyo chips in. “They are super therapeutic, and honestly you will find answers to a lot of problems there. After all, a tree cannot make a forest. So in the end, The Men’s Club is quite relatable because men need men to sometimes understand this life. And personally, I think each of our characters adds something unique to this season.”
“Well, the thing is the show itself is designed to really highlight a lot of emotional moments that pertain to men,” Saga states. “All the betrayals, struggles, trust issues, love, and pain that make up the full spectrum of a man’s emotions are fully captured in the series. So, on a whole, I think this new season does justice to the idea of The Men’s Club.”
“I don’t want to box anybody in by saying, ‘We come with XYZ,’ ‘We’re bringing the fire,’
‘Oh, you’re going to be intrigued,’ ‘You’re going to hate Francis,’ or ‘You’re going to love Saga’s character,’” Paul concludes. “But basically, the show has already established a tone with the idea of men coming together to talk freely in a safe space. It’s just that the challenges and experiences are on another level this time around, because there are new people with a new set of dilemmas and tantrums. Honestly, I feel like the New Gen members are bringing so many things in this season. But at the end of the day, it’s the audience that will decide what they want to take away when they watch the show.”
During the rest of the lively conversation with the young actors, we discuss more of their experiences on the set of The Men’s Club: New Gen and what fans can look forward to this season.
The club scenes in TMC are a fan favorite, and a number of them pop up in the trailer. Are you really drinking during those scenes, or is it all movie magic?
David: (laughs)
Paul: Do people drink at all when they’re filming? (In shock).
Saga: Absolutely. Yes, we were.
Chuks: (Stunned silence) Damn!
Alright, alright. I’m guessing that was sarcasm… moving on… What would you like your viewers and fans to look forward to if they haven’t watched the new season (on Prime Video)?
David: Fresh and cool chaotic energy!
Saga: I would like my viewers and everybody to look forward to a new vibe and new relationships. We’re bringing something you’ve never seen before in the world of TMC: fashion, style, the whole nine yards.
Chuks: Yeah, a lot of us are stylish. Shout-out to Modish, the costume designer on set; she really did her thing. Maybe not really for me. But it was awesome.
Paul: You were broke naw…
Chuks: Yeah (laughs). Francis is broke. Or supposedly was broke.
Paul: And Saga showed his body a lot. I think they might have to censor some of those parts, just inform them anyway.
Uh… I’m not sure I can write that, but I’ll try to rephrase it in a very editorial way.
Paul: You could just say, ‘Saga gets strapped.’
Saga: Or ‘Saga was himself.’
The Men’s Club: New Gen is now streaming on Prime Video!
Share your thoughts in the comments section or on our social media accounts.
Keep track of upcoming films and TV shows on your Google calendar.
