‘The Last King’ not big time Hollywood

Jun 08, 2005

<b>ENTERTAINMENT: </b>Acclaimed Hollywood actor Forest Whitaker does not look a lot like Idi Amin.

By Kalungi Kabuye
Acclaimed Hollywood actor Forest Whitaker does not look a lot like Idi Amin.
At only six feet,two inches and just above 200 pounds, he is much smaller than the late Ugandan dictator.
He is also much lighter, and speaks with a distinct American accent.
But that is what Kevin McDonald, director of the film The Last King of Scotland, pointed out on Saturday; he is an actor, not a mimic.
“What an actor, like Forest, does is to enter the spirit of the character he is playing,” McDonald told the press at the Sheraton. “An actor interprets the character, and portrays him the way he understands him. Of course, Forest will not be the real Idi Amin, but he will interpret what he understands of the man, and, of course, according to the script.”
To the gathered press corps, especially presidential media advisor John Nagenda, that was the first of many balloons burst at the press conference.
It has become something of a routine for stand-up comics to imitate Amin and that was what Nagenda was expecting. But no, Whitaker will not be imitating Amin in the film.

So how exactly will he be portraying Amin? The bumbling idiot that ruined a country? The bloodthirsty dictator that put more than 300,000 of his countrymen to death? Or the self-acclaimed fighter against imperialism?
Whitaker would not say, but admitted that he had studied the character of Amin and done a lot of research, which should help him play the part.
And of course being Hollywood, everybody was expecting a lot of money. But not from this film. No sir!
According to Charles Steele, one of the producers, this is a small outfit doing a low-budget film, with production costs not more than $6m (about sh10.5b). Not exactly big time Hollywood, as compared with regular big budgets movies that routinely cost more than $100m.
By comparison, the Mira Nair directed Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon, had a budget of $25m, while her acclaimed Monsoon Wedding cost barely $1m.
So, Ugandans should not expect to be paid a lot of money, Nagenda said. And he quashed talk going around town that white people are getting paid more than the local actors.
“All extras are being paid the same rate,” Steele said, adding, “However, if you have a speaking part you get paid more.”
And the rates are not that bad, Ndere Troupe’s Stephen Rwangyezi, who acts as a high-ranking Government minister, said. “We are really in no position to demand for a lot of money; we should be proud of being part of this film and glad that it is being filmed here,” Rwangyezi said adding, “Of course if the pay was ridiculously low, we would not be part of it.”
“We should thank Idi Amin,” said Sam Okello, another Ugandan with a major part in the film. “If Amin had not done what he did, we would not get the chance to have a major film made here.”
Abbey Mukiibi, who will be cast as Amin’s right hand man, said he hoped they will not quake taking part in this film.

There will be a lot of Ugandans involved in the movie. According to casting director Joanita Bewulira-Wandera, as many as 6,000 Ugandans will be needed to act as extras. These will include people acting as crowds, and even as dead bodies. In some cases casting will be done on the scene, especially up-country.
After the press conference, we all got to mix with the actors and pose for photographs with them. For an actor, Whitaker seemed almost shy and does not talk much, except to answer questions.
Kerry Washington, who we last saw starring as Bela Bea Robinson, Ray Charles’ wife in the film Ray and whose last film was Mr. & Mrs. Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, seemed downright flirtatious.
Even though her luggage had not yet arrived and was wearing somebody else’s clothes, she was ready to mix.
Why do all film actors turn out to be smaller than we thought?
Ends

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