Life after Top Actor Africa – Interview with Ifeanyi Dike Jr

Shugafam, we’ve reached the final of Top Actor Africa!

It’s been a roller coaster to watch. There have been tears and tantrums (and that’s just from the guys ), as well as lots of great moments in between. It’s definitely been one of the best shows on TV, so we’ll be sad when it comes to an end.
Two weeks ago we said goodbye to our MTV Shuga star, Ifeanyi Dike Jr, who made it to the final five.
We caught up with him to find out what it was really like being on Top Actor Africa and what he plans to do next!

Can you summarise your experience on Top Actor Africa?
Being on the show was great. I loved it –  and in retrospect –  I loved the hard times too. The best thing was meeting and sharing a creative space with the other contestants. They never really made it feel like a competition. It was just a bunch of people who were passionate about acting and doing their best to survive, to be better.

What was the most challenging task for you?
The most challenging times for me were the music video task – as it was the first episode, so it was quite tough – and the commercial episode week, because that didn’t make any sense to me, it wasn’t really acting. I also won the first sub-challenge and had to play the lead, which meant there was tremendous pressure to do well.

“I kept saying ‘thank you for giving me another chance to do this thing that I love to do so much’.”

What was your finest moment?
The best compliment I had on the show was during the crime drama elimination. I had all the directors and producer telling me what I had to do to hit my marks and it was tough. I had the most lines and I was the only actor on the scene that had to move around so it was very physically exhausting as well as mentally and emotionally.

On elimination day when the host said ‘Ifeanyi, you work hard and we see that.’ That warmed my heart. Her comment was enough. I kept saying ‘thank you for giving me another chance to do this thing that I love to do so much.’ But it sounded like I was begging for a second chance, which quite simply was not the case. It bothered me for a bit, but then I thought, so what? It didn’t matter if I was begging for a second chance. It was okay.

What was it like filming in South Africa?
South Africa is an exciting country. I think what set it apart for me was, unlike the other countries I have been, I felt drawn to the culture, the dance, the food (chakalaka), the music and the people. Filming was seamless because I felt very at home and accepted. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and I’m looking forward to returning in a more relaxed state.

So what next for you?
Future plans include going right back to work – I know how challenging it is to get jobs, so I do not take for granted how lucky I am. I begin my Master degree programme in acting at University of California, Los Angeles, which I’m super excited about. I’m also working on a sitcom that will potentially be shoot in South Africa sometime in the summer. As well as working on features, shorts and a web series.  Honestly, I’m just excited about learning and living!