Although
a popular actor in Ghana, Van Vicker is also loved by movie lovers in Nigeria. The
Ghanaian Actor is known for his lover boy roles in movies. In this interview
with Tribune, he talks about his life as an actor, his marriage and
other issues. Excerpts:
What
projects have you been up to lately?
I
have been producing movies. The most recent one is about school children who go
on a field trip. Eventually, one of them takes to crime.
What
were you doing before you started acting?
I
was into showbiz, TV presentation and radio.
You
are known for your lover boy roles. Where did you get your good looks from?
I
don’t know. I can’t really say if it was my mum or my dad. I would say it was a
blend of both of them, because if my mum had been married to someone else or my
dad had been married to someone else, the result would probably have been
different.
We
all know how intense the sun in Ghana is, yet you have remained fair in
complexion. Do you have any beauty regimen?
I
do get sun-burnt sometimes, not only in Ghana, in Nigeria as well; it depends
on the location of the movie I am shooting. But I drink a lot of water and I
eat in bits. That’s it.
We
have heard so many rumours about you? How do you feel when you hear rumours
about yourself?
Many
times, I don’t bother about it, because I know it’s one of those things.
Sometimes if I can counter or debunk them through my social networks, I do; but
people will continue to say such stuff anyway.
What
differentiates you from other actors?
I
think I have got a lot going for me that is beyond acting. I love to act,
direct, produce and generally, I love showbiz. For example, I still present on
radio. I enjoy the base of the show and not just the show. I think I have the
whole embodiment of showbiz.
How
do you handle being a father, husband and an actor?
I
don’t think it’s such a big deal. I lead a normal life; I just go about
(performing) those roles. When I’m at home, I am at home; and when I am at
work, I don’t joke with it. I do things that a normal dad would do. It’s the
same with you. I don’t know if you are married, but any person who is married,
works and has kids would go home after work and cater for the family. And
that’s the same thing I do; there’s nothing extra-crazy about it. When I’m at
home, I play with my kids when I’m supposed to.
But
when you have to leave home for days and go on set, how do you make up for
those times you are away?
Well,
usually, when I get back, I try to spend a lot more time with them. We go to
the beach or the pool, watch movies, or take a long drive; or we stay at home
and play games. I try to make up for so many things.
Who
are your best Nigerian actors and actresses?
(Laughs)
You are not going to put me on the spot with that. I have enjoyed working with
all my colleagues.
You
have a huge fan base in Nigeria. How have you been able to maintain it?
I
don’t think I could have achieved it on my own. Everything that I am today, I
couldn’t have achieved by my power. It’s work of God. There have been lots of
stumbling blocks, backbiting and negativity in the industry. If not for God, I
don’t think I would have been able to survive so far for 10 years. It’s His
blessings.
Do
you sometimes regret being an actor?
Not
really, but there was a time it got really annoying. It was not that I was
regretting being an actor, but I was regretting being in the limelight. My Twitter
account, Facebook, and WhatsApp were all flooded.
There
was a time Genevieve said you weren’t a good actor. How did you react to that?
I
read the article but I wasn’t bothered about it because that was her opinion,
and she is entitled to it. I never responded to it, and I don’t think I will.
Nevertheless, I don’t have any ill feelings towards her. Now, whether her
opinion has changed or is still the same, it doesn’t make much of a difference
to me, because I know I am a fantastic actor and I am doing what I am doing
with passion. I am enjoying it and I am making the best I can of it.
Having
said that, if I am given a job to do and she is involved, I would do the job. I
won’t say because she said this, I won’t do the job.
But
if you have the urge to confront her, won’t you?
If
I meet her at a function or on a movie shoot, I’ll ask her; but I won’t do it
through the media. Some of these things people write in the papers or on the
blogs are not even true; it’s possible they twisted her words. They do it to me
all the time, so it’s possible they did that to her. But when I meet her
personally, I will ask her if she did say that. And if she did, the
conversation will continue, as to why she said it and how she said it.
You
have an accent. What is your background like?
Well,
I am a mixture of Dutch, Liberian and Ghanaian.
What
was growing up like?
I
grew up with two women in my life – my mum and my sister; and we always moved
from place to place. I lost my dad when I was six, so I did not really have a
father around. My mother taught me how to be strong, do the right thing and
made sure I became a good breed – unlike what many people say about
light-skinned guys...
What
do people say about light-skinned guys
You
know what they say; I don’t need to tell you.
I
don’t know what they say. I’m also light-skinned, so tell me.
Okay,
let me not say light-skinned, but the ‘half castes’. People usually say they
are bad boys.
And
you are not a bad boy?
No,
I am not.
You
got married quite young. How do you overcome temptations from your close female
friends and colleagues?
Well,
I mentioned earlier it’s my mindset: keep it professional. I try to be as
professional as possible, and you know sometimes, you have to be in a romantic
scene with an actress and still keep it professional because that is the beauty
of the job. You can actually be romantic and get the viewers to understand that
you are actually in love with a particular lady but at the same time, when they
say ‘Cut!’ you don’t have any feelings for her.
Have
you ever got attracted to any actress you have been on set with?
I
don’t think so. The only one I have ever read about was when they said that I
broke up Chika Ike’s marriage. I don’t see how that makes sense; but they said
I helped to break her marriage.
What
about your female fans? How often do they disturb you?
What
do you mean by ‘disturb’?
How
often do you get calls, mails and tweets from your female fans?
I
wouldn’t call it disturbance; they are people who enjoy my work and want to get
to know me personally. Yes, I do get calls often, but I try to adjust. I can’t
keep up with all of them, so sometimes I just ignore while sometimes, I try to
answer their questions and enquiries.
How
does your wife handle your female fans?
She
is very cool with them. She understands the nature of my job and she is totally
in support of what I do. She has the same mind that I have – which is to keep
it professional.
Do
you have any weakness?
I find it difficult to get angry, even with
respect to acting. It is quite difficult for me to get angry while acting
because naturally, it takes a lot to get me angry. And when I have to get angry
in a movie, it drains me. But in the past three years, I have been able to work
on that.
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