Titi Kuti: Why actors can’t eliminate possibility of typecasting

Titi Kuti, the Nollywood star, says actors will never be able to eliminate the possibility of typecasting.

The actor was speaking in an interview with Nancy Isime, TV host, about his role as Ade Tiger in ‘King of Boys’.

In the film industry, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups.

Kuti, who cited the case of Sylvester Stallone in ‘Rambo’, said knowing when to transition is what matters for him.

Making reference to the psychology of typecasting, the actor said it’s easier to connect with the part of a character that bears similarity to the personality traits of the actor than it is to embody the same traits from the scratch.

“When you act scenes that resonate with who you are, you will connect more to those scenes and it will reflect in your delivery. I’m sure there are places that Ade Tiger meets Titi Kuti as far as personality is concerned,” he said.

“It’s easier to plug into something that is in you than to build a character and then plug in. You cannot eliminate the possibility of typecasting. For the longest of time, Arnold Schwarzenegger was known as Commando.

“Same for Rambo, that’s Sylvester Stallone. But they knew when to transit. The next channel is to take on roles that allow you to exercise and develop muscles in areas that you’re yet to [explore].

“The closest I’ve seen to that is a film called ‘Mexico’, that is to be shot in Mexico, about a Mexican drug cartel. Although, I’m not in the cartel, just an unfortunate tourist. I also have a short film that I’ve just finished writing.

“It’s about ethnocentrism, cultural inclusion, and building a collaborative society as long as the west is concerned. I don’t want to say racism still exists but it’s a thing of the mind. We do what we do to keep the message going.”