I am proud of my roots, says Kaluuya

Mar 02, 2018

My mum came through to the Black Panther premiere in L.A and showed me all the love coming in from Uganda. I feel proud to represent my culture and I can’t wait to come back home.

THE 90th Academy Awards (OSCARS) ceremony to honour the best films of 2017 are set to take place this Sunday at 5:00PM (monday at 4:00am in Uganda) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, Us. 

The excitement is palpable for many Ugandan movie buffs because for the first time in history, a ‘Ugandan' is up for the prestigious awards. Steven Odeke spoke to Daniel Kaluuya from Los Angeles on phone.

Kaluuya is a young British actor of Ugandan descent and one of Hollywood's rising stars, who is up for a best actor award for his role in the movie Get out. He discusses his Ugandan roots, favourite Ugandan music, spectacular rise to the top of his craft and the OSCARS

HI DANIEL, GOOD TO FINALLY GET YOU.

I am proud to be in touch with (the motherland). It is an honour to know you have always sought to talk to me. It has been a tight schedule for me.

LET US GET STRAIGHT TO ONE OF THE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES BACK HERE AT HOME; ARE YOU PROUD OF YOUR UGANDAN ROOTS AND HAVE YOU BEEN TO UGANDA BEFORE?

(Sounding more amused than shocked) Ha, ha ha ha…I have been to Uganda so many times!

Who is asking if I have been to Uganda? Bro, I am proud of my roots and Uganda is my home. I have come to Uganda and lived there so many times for even up to six weeks at a time. I must tell you; the best Christmas I have had in my life was in Uganda in 2011. I have been home, bro.

HOW COME WE NEVER NOTICED? DID YOU COME AND LOCK YOURSELF UP IN HOTELS AND GO BACK SECRETLY?

No, I have never stayed in hotels in Uganda. I have family in Uganda. My uncles and aunties live in Makindye Division, Kampala and that is where I stay whenever I come to Uganda.

My mum has always ensured I visit my family back home. I have always stayed in touch with my people.

IN BUSOGA REGION OR BUGANDA?

No, they are Baganda and they live in Makindye Division, Kampala.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OSCARS. YOU ARE THE FIRST ACTOR OF UGANDAN DESCENT TO BE NOMINATED FOR THE OSCARS. HOW DO YOU FEEL? WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?

It feels good, bro. It reflects the hard work I have put in and the journey I have taken to reach here. From the time my mum came all the way from Uganda to the UK and raising me up to get to the top, it has been a background of real hard work.

It is an honour to be nominated but that does not mean it is the end. The question now is; what next? You have to keep working. You do not have to stop. Because being nominated here means more jobs are coming and I have to be ready for them, not just relax.

YOU ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS GREAT ACTORS SUCH AS DENZEL WASHINGTON AND DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WILL FARE AGAINST THEM?

It is an honour to be nominated alongside great actors like Denzel Washington and

Daniel Day- Lewis. These are people I have  watched over the years so; to be honest, I have no idea how I will fare but we will see. Let us just go to L.A and see what comes out. Again, I say; for me, it is an honour, bro.

IN ONE OF YOUR INTERVIEWS YOU SAID DENZEL WASHINGTON CAME UP TO YOU AT THE RECENT GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS AND TALKED TO YOU, HOW DID YOU FEEL BEING SOUGHT OUT BY SUCH A GREAT ACTOR?

Bro, this is someone I grew up watching and admiring. To know that he sat down and watched my work and admired it is a big deal for me. This is someone I did not expect to be watching my work, but he told me he watched my work. I think it is an honour and I felt honoured.

YOU ARE NOMINATED IN THE OSCARS BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK IN ‘GET OUT', WE CAN SAY THE BEST MOVIE OF 2017. WE LOVED IT IN UGANDA. HOW DID YOU PULL OFF YOUR PERFORMANCE?

You never know what you can pull off. But before Get Out I had been in this business for 10 to 11 years. So, I did what I had to do in an honest way. The movie turned out to be a good film and I am glad my people in Uganda loved it.

As you read the ‘Get Out' script for the first time did you relate with the story?

Yeah, yeah, I grew up in London and witnessed a lot of racism. It kind of hits you hard. It can be visceral. But no one has talked about it. So, Get Out, talks about it and I related with most of it. 

(AMERICAN ACTOR) SAMUEL. L. JACKSON WAS LESS IMPRESSED WITH HAVING YOU IN THE LEAD ROLE OF THE FILM BECAUSE, HE CLAIMED, YOU WERE AN ‘OUTSIDER' WHO COULD NOT REALLY RELATE WITH RACISM IN AMERICA. HOW DID YOU TAKE THIS; AN ACTOR OF HIS STATURE COMES OUT TO OPPOSE YOUR ROLE?

Everyone can have an opinion of you or your work. Steven, tell me, haven't you had people have an opinion of your work?

YEAH, SO MANY TIMES…

Great, everyone can say what they can say or even pretend to be concerned but you have to keep grounded. He affected me in terms of reaction. He got everyone asking more questions. The reaction around it is what affected me not necessarily his opinion.

 YOU ALSO PLAY A VITAL CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE ‘BLACK PANT HER' WHICH HAS CURRENTLY SET THE WORLD ON FIRE, BREAKING ALL IMAGINABLE RECORDS AND RAKING IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AT THE BOX OFFICE THE WORLD OVER. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?

It is a great film that depicts the continent and African values like no other film has ever before. I am proud to have been part of it and I appreciate the love coming in from Ugandans who are watching this film.

BUT YOU ARE NOT ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE UGANDANS ARE SHOWING THEIR LOVE, HOW WOULD THEY KNOW YOU APPRECIATE IT?

I am not sure if that is the way I should interact with everyone that follows me. I understand people want to follow me but I do not really find it natural. I actually prefer meeting someone on streets and we say "hello" to each other and we express ourselves. For me, that is real. That is natural. The best way I prefer to interact with my fans or followers is through my work. I want to let my work do the talking for me. I think you have to keep grounded. Work comes first. I do not think I should be idolised in anyway because I am a human being. I am still me.

SO, HOW SHOULD YOUR UGANDAN FANS KEEP TABS ON YOU?

Like I said bro, through my work. I have relatives in Uganda and I am returning soon to Uganda but again, I am still me. The people that follow my work deserve all the love than me being seen on Instagram. For me that is not real, bro.

WHEN SHOULD YOUR UGANDAN FANS EXPECT TO SEE YOU?

Uganda is in my blood. But I want to give them that attention when I am 100% able. I do not want to give them anything less. The priority should not really be about seeing me because I think I touch base with all my fans through my work. We recently had a premiere in L.A of Black Panther and sometime back we had Get Out, so there has been a lot going on. I want to break away from that and then give my Ugandan people 100% attention. That is when I will come home.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM UGANDA RECENTLY?

There is an old school song that I grew up listening to and I still have it on my phone.

Let me play it for you [He plays Philly Lutaaya's Entebbe Wala, a nostalgic and wistful take on working and staying away from home by a Ugandan in the diaspora]. I love that song man. I listen to it almost every day.

LET US TALK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. YOUR DAD HAS TRIED TO LOOK FOR YOU…(INTERJECTS BRISKLY)

Man, let us focus on my work. Let it be about my work, bro.

*********************

aluuya in et ut e is up for the best actor award at the scars this weekend for this role Kaluuya in Get Out. He is up for the best actor award at the Oscars this weekend for this role

 
KALUUYA ON UGANDAN ACTORS

WHAT SHOULD A UGANDAN ACTOR ASPIRING TO REACH YOUR LEVEL OF SUCCESS DO?

I feel like; everything is possible. I think everything is clear now. If you perceive it, you can live it. My way of studying might be different from Ugandan actors but you have to study it. You want something? Go study it.

Keep working and give it your all. I have given mine 13 years of work.

So, it was not smooth all the way. 

AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED IN BIGGER MOVIE INDUSTRIES LIKE UK'S AND HOLLYWOOD, WHAT SHOULD THE UGAN DAN MOVIE INDUSTRY DO TO REACH THAT LEVEL?

Technology. They have to move with technology. Steven, do you have an iPhone?

I HAVE HELD A COUPLE OF IPHONES…

A film can be told through an iPhone, you know. Two; Ugandans must learn to accept who they are and tell their own stories. Everything is possible and it is very possible for a whole Ugandan film industry to make it big.

WHAT FINAL WORD DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR UGANDAN FANS BACK HOME?

Thank you for all the love, I appreciate it.

My mum came through to the Black Panther premiere in L.A and showed me all the love coming in from Uganda.

I feel proud to represent my culture and I can't wait to come back home.

THANK YOU DANIEL, AND GOOD LUCK AT THE OSCARS.

Webale Nyo ssebo (Thank you very much).

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