La Femme Anjola: Femi Jacobs reveals he lost the lead role to Nonso Bassey

Jacobs played the lead role in Okwo's 2012 hit comedy drama 'The Meeting'.

Nollywood actor, Femi Jacobs has opened up about starring in upcoming Mildred Okwo directed crime thriller, 'La Femme Anjola'.

The actor who interestingly played the lead role in Okwo's 2012 hit comedy feature 'The Meeting' disclosed he was invited by the director to also take on the lead role for 'La Femme Anjola'.

Shockingly, after testing for the role, a test he aced, Jacobs was offered a supporting role and the news that he had lost to fast rising actor, Nonso Bassey.

Reflecting on the role switch, Jacobs said: "Although I knew the role of Dejaré wasn't meant for me, I still mentally prepared for it. Why? Well, as an actor I am jealous of juicy roles. I secretly worked on it. I read about stockbrokers and tried to project myself into the lifestyle of Dejaré, with the lines. You just never know.

"When I was then told after ‘being tested’ that I was going to play the role of Kolapo, I found it dysfunctionally interesting. Because when I was reading about Dejaré, I had fallen in love with Kolapo, almost as a Stockolm Syndrome situation from Dejare’s perspective.

Femi Jacobs played the lead role in Mildred Okwo's 2012 hit comedy 'The Meeting'

"The things Kolapo seemed to get away with in this story were unbelievably oppressive from my then Dejaré’s perspective. So when I learned I was going to be him, I just took off the naivety of Dejaré and assumed the attitude of one sent by the gods to set naive souls straight!”

While describing the film's production process as "thoroughly professional", one he felt privileged to be part of, Jacobs also hinted on what film lovers can look out for when they finally meet his character.

ALSO READ: 5 highlights to know about 'La Femme Anjola' ahead of its March release

"I was like that bloke in the friend zone of a beautiful damsel — buying the food, doing the driving, running errands for my secret love interest, only to be hearing her talk about other guys and borrowing my shoulders to cry over them. Difficult something, fam."

Jacobs plays Kolapo, a naval officer and relative to Dejare (Nonso Bassey). The actor stars alongside Bassey, Rita Dominic, Chris Iheuwa, Ego Boyo, Mumbi Maina, Browny Igboegwu, Shawn Faqua, Bassey Ekpeyong, Paul Apel Papel and Adejumoke Aderounmu in the anticipated Audrey Silva Company production which premieres March 19, 2021.