Shugasuperstar: the first interview

After battling it out against hundreds of hopefuls in the Shuga auditions, Aigbodion Izien was put forward for the chance to win a walk-on part in Shuga 3.

He went on to win a place alongside Nnenna Udeh and within a week was on the set of Shuga playing the role of artist management to rapper Ice Prince. In a whirlwind week we caught up with Aigbodion to find out what it was like hanging out with one of the hottest rappers and how it feels to have won a starring role in the new series of Shuga.

Why were you drawn to audition for a part in Shuga?

Izien: I watched 2 episodes of Shuga and the neatness in the work really impressed me.

How was it going through auditions and the voting poll?

I stumbled on the Shuga auditions on twitter and thought I should go for it. I felt very positive about my first audition; like deep down I did well. I was so glad when I got the call back but after my second reading my positivity dropped. I didn’t like my performance at all and I was sincerely not expecting to be called for the role – to my surprise I got picked for the online voting poll and was really happy. I decided then and there to go all out and that’s exactly what I did. Coming from a large family it was easy to have a lot of people support me. My mom, brothers and sisters kept disturbing everyone they came across to vote for me. My twitter followers helped immensely as well, voting and campaigning like they were in the run themselves. I got scared a few times seeing as my views were 3rd but that didn’t deter me from staying positive. The entire audition and voting process had me scared but in all I had to stay positive, go all out and keep pushing.

How did it feel to be chosen for a role in Shuga?

It felt like a rare opportunity and I vowed to take it by the horns and do my best. I really, really loved my role. I felt like the entire spotlight was on me even though I was working alongside celebrities.

What was it like to work with Director Biyi Bandele?

I felt honoured. His first movie as a Director has so much acclaim both locally and internationally so being a part of this project with him was a rare honour. His calmness throughout is one enviable quality of his.

What were the things you learnt working on a production like Shuga?

Punctuality and organization are major factors in Shuga, they don’t joke with their time and they’re very organised from the beginning to end. Everything is managed properly.

What impact has acting in Shuga had for you?

The Shuga platform has put me out there and I know when it comes out I’ll get a lot of good reports and invites into other big movie makers jobs.

What was it like working with Ice Prince?

It was awesome working with Ice Prince, he’s quite a humble fellow and he gave me the freedom to do my thing. Definitely someone I’ll work with again if the opportunity comes.

How do you think Shuga will do in Nigeria?

Shuga’s going international; it’s awesome from the behind the camera crew to the on-set cast. It’s a highly anticipated show and has all it takes to do really well in Nigeria. There’s already a lot of pre-production buzz so once it comes out everyone is going to be hopping on it.

Why do you think Shuga appeals to young people?

Shuga is a show for young people by young people. It’s strong because it doesn’t criticise or beat people down. It shows people living with HIV/AIDS that they need love. Living with the disease doesn’t make you bad, it doesn’t stop you from making that impact in life and this is a very strong message Shuga is passing across.