The actor made this known in a statement on Friday when PUNCH Online quizzed him on his experience with the new series.
According to Ade Tiger, as he is fondly called among his peers and fans alike, transitioning from his role as a political thug in King of Boys to a local hunter in Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre shocked him beyond his imagination.
He said, “It was actually a huge shocker, bigger than I imagined, many of them come on my social media daily to verify if it truly was me in Anikulapo. The experience while filming was totally worth every sacrifice.
“The entire filming took about 87 days to shoot. I put the same level of commitment as I did for King of Boys (if not more this time), I was totally immersed in the character from day 1 and stayed there all through, I was Adigun when offset until the very end (I remember Taiwo Hassan, Ogogo’s reaction when we shot our first scene together in the palace, he said ‘I was worried for you initially, but I see you came ready.’
“There were lots of challenging points but we all stuck together like one family from start to finish, looking after one another. This is what we have to give every time as actors, surrendering ourselves to become different characters just to give the audience an experience. I will do it again anytime called. It’s a life of service.”
On how he got the role in the series, he said, “I did not audition for the role, but I did a reading to assess my local dialect as a hypothesis for the amount of work required and how long it might take. Kunle Afolayan was very intentional with me on this role, he had mentioned it to me three years ago, so when the call came, I was willing to surrender the same level of commitment to building the character and perfect my dialect in reciprocity for the weight of trust invested in me against all odds. Yes, there were those that might have discouraged him, that I won’t be able to pull it off.”
He added that since shooting the series, he has observed that the public’s reaction regarding his role in the movie has been that of shock and disbelief.
He said, “Total shock and disbelief, the makeover was incredible (great work from the special effects and make-up team), Adigun and Ade Tiger are also two extreme ends of opposite spectrums, nothing similar at all, two completely different types of films, and then there is the Yoruba thing with me speaking ancient dialect and all.
“I am not really sure which they find surprising the most or if it is all of it put together but the feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive and I am honoured to once again give the fans an experience.”
Since he starred in King of Boys 1 and 2, Ade Tiger has been on the steady rise in his quest for deserved fame.
King of Boys 2, an August 2021, seven-episode Netflix adapted series directed by Kemi Adetiba, shot the talented actor to prominence.
In a 2022 interview with The PUNCH, the actor explained how challenging his role in King of Boys was.
He said, “Very challenging, I must admit this here. Playing the character ‘Ade Tiger’ in the King of Boys was one of the most challenging roles I have ever played in acting but I am happy I took that role up because of my drive to take risks and sincerely I cannot believe some of the awesome reviews I have been receiving since the second season came out.
“Being on the same set with Sola Sobowale, Remilekun Safaru, Akin Lewis, Richard Mofe-Damijo and others brought the best out of me and I can tell you this. It makes me feel good and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your dream playing a top role in a big movie like King Of Boys.”
