2008 Woodie Awards
Staffer Reflects on His Journey as an Actor
Olga Ramaz
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Features
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During the time that Kemie was growing up in Lagos, he was exposed to the rich African culture through dance, music and the arts; however, he would never imagine that he would pursue a career in acting, even though film did play a role in his childhood.
"When we were younger, in Nigeria, my father bought five VHS [tapes]. One of them was Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon,'" he recalled.
He claims that up until today, he knows every single word in that film because he watched it "over and over again." When he would watch these films, Kemie would observe the actors, mimic them and then show off his impersonations to the family.
At the age of 6, Kemie's family relocated to Los Angeles and it was not until he was 16 that acting would enter his life for the first time.
Kemie and his younger brother auditioned for the same role in an HBO film titled "And the Band Played On," based on the book by the late author Randy Shilts. The two got the audition after Kemie's father was tipped off by a friend who encouraged him to take his sons to try out for the part.
"And the Band Played On" chronicled the discovery and spread of the HIV and AIDS viruses, and also placed an emphasis on the stereotypes surrounding the illness, like the misconception that AIDS and HIV were a so-called "gay disease."
Kemie snagged the role and wound up portraying Tallah, a Sudanese student whose biological parents died from the Ebola virus, another virus that along with AIDS, plagued Africa.
"I guess they thought I was talented enough to be in the film," said Kemie.
"And the Band Played On" gave Kemie the opportunity to share credits with lead Matthew Modine, Richard Gere and Anjelica Houston, among others.
"The sentiments of this character really hits home for me because of the level of AIDS cases in African countries, including Nigeria," he said.
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