TONY TAMBI

ABOUT TONY TAMBI

Tony Tambi is a US based actor of African origin with an upward trajectory. He is talented, brilliant, bold - not afraid to take risks- yet humble and very well grounded. He is one of those guys who is so easy to root for. We had an opportunity to interview him... wait for it.

Tambi was born in Nigeria where he spent the first 7 years of his life, then his family relocated to Cameroon where he would spend the next 14 years of his life. Eventually he travelled to the US and settled in Minnesota, attended Collège and got a degree in Accounting. Tony made a bold move not long after graduation; he set off to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

Things did not happen for him right away, but he persevered until slowly the roles and credits started to come.

He received an NAACP Theatre Award Nomination for his role in 'The God Botherers.' Then followed 'Butterflies of Uganda.' He did 'A Providential Occurrence,' also 'The Fair Maid of the West,' and of course 'Saturday Night at The Palace'. He had a co-starring role in 'The Unit'.

Tony made appearances on 'Scrubs,' then 'NCIS Los Angeles' and was a regular on 'Nip Tuck.'

Tony produced, directed, co-wrote and starred in the short film 'Chapter One.' It won an Award of Merit (Best Shorts Competition). Then came the dark comedy, 'Oscar' and there was 'The Aspect Ratio' and also 'Lorala'

His screenwriting debut 'Letter From The President' was one of the few projects selected to join Forest Whitaker's JuntoBox Films (Inaugural Feature Film) Incubator Program in 2014.

He was in 'Bob Hearts Abishola' where he took on the role of the Pharmacist known as Chukwuemeka in the CBS hit sitcom .

Tony directed the pilot episode, the 4th and 5th Episodes and the Season Finale of ''Con$equences.''

JOURNEY TO HOLLYWOOD

(THE INTERVIEW)

BronzePage: ''Let's start from the beginning. You are from both Nigeria and Cameroon; please explain that to our readers. Which of your parents is Nigerian or Cameroonian?

Tony: ''I was born in Enugu, (in Nigeria) to a Nigerian mother and Cameroonian father. Our family moved to Cameroon when I was 7 years old and I spent the next 14 years of my life in Cameroon before moving to the United States. I call myself a 'high-breed hybrid', who is 'half-Nigerian and mostly Cameroonian' because that was where I spent my teenage and formative years.''

BronzePage: ''So it was a choice made for you?''

Tony: "My parents made the decision for us to live in both countries. I’m the third of five children; the first four children were born in Nigeria, while our last sibling was born in Cameroon. My parents met at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and moved to Nigeria for work when they finished medical school, with the ultimate goal of settling in Cameroon''.

BronzePage: 'Most African parents are very skeptical and unhappy when their children choose any career that is not Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacy, Nursing, Law.... did you get any push back when you informed them you were going to make a career out of acting?

Tony: ''Lots of push back, especially coming from two medical doctors like my parents. They weren’t happy and understandably so. I was a recent graduate, who had just quit my job as an accountant to pursue a dream.

However, I didn’t say that was what I was going to do. I just said I was moving to LA for work, and wanted to see what my career options were. I said acting was one of the options and if it didn’t work out in two years, I would focus my energy on something else. I tried my best to soften the blow, but yes...lots of push back from family and friends alike.''

BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA

BronzePage: ''You made a bold move to relocate to Los Angeles. How was that? Did you know anyone in that city and how difficult was that decision?''

Tony: ''I had just graduated from college, was struggling with work and not exactly doing a job that I found fulfilling. I figured if I was going to have job insecurity it might as well be with something I was passionate about. I had been bitten by the acting bug all the way in Nigeria but never had the guts to pursue it. Upon graduation, I felt I had fulfilled my contract with my parents, so it was okay for me to follow my dreams. It had to be New York or Los Angeles, and I didn’t know anyone in the former. One of my college roommates had relocated to LA a year prior. I moved in with him and his girlfriend and they made the transition quite comfortable. Moving was a simple decision for me, simply because I didn’t know any better. The difficult part was the actual journey. I drove from Minnesota, got into an accident where my car was totaled and I spent the night in the ER. I took a Greyhound bus from Sydney, Nebraska for the rest of the trip to LA. I still don’t regret my decision to move to LA''.

BronzePage: ''Not even an accident could stop your sheer determination. How long did it take before you were able to break into the movie business?'''

Tony: "It took four years before I got my first TV credit on a show called 'The Unit'. However, I did plays, documentaries, music videos, student films, short films, joined the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and even worked as a background performer in that four-year span.''

BronzePage: ''You were in 'Bob Hearts Abishola.' Many Americans saw some parts of the cultural makeup of the Nigerian/African community. Did it hit you that you

were working with one of the most prolific people in Hollywood....Chuck Lorre? The guy with the Midas touch; his work in Hollywood beyond amazing: 'Big Bang

Theory', 'Two and a Half Men',' Moms,' 'Mike and Molly,' 'Young Sheldon', 'Cybill'......how does it feel to work with such a genius and how did you get that role? How did Chuck know so much about Nigeria? Did he use Nigerian writers or he just rely on you guys?

Tony: 'Bob Hearts Abishola' was an amazing experience and definitely a career-defining moment for me. I was

already a huge Chuck Lorre fan, and when I realized that he was creating a show about Nigerian immigrants, I couldn’t be more excited; I wanted to watch it; I wanted to be in it! When my agent and manager informed me that I had an audition for the role of Chukwuemeka, I read the breakdown of the character and something just felt right. I knew I was Chukwuemeka. I knew the role was going to be mine. I did the work and prepped for the audition – with a little extra zest and confidence. After two auditions, I got the call, and the rest like they say is history.

Chuck Lorre was great to work with. In Season 1, he was very hands-on as the show-creator, and was there every time we were shooting. He was soft-spoken, friendly and gave me great notes a couple of times. This was always done in collaboration with the director. When I was done with (after shooting). my very first episode he came up to me, shook my hand and told me thanks for doing a great job. He said they were happy to have me and appreciated the job I had done. Needless to say that was the highlight of my time on set. In subsequent seasons, due to COVID restrictions, there was less interaction but he was always warm and gracious every time we met.

In terms of the Nigerian aspects of the show, most of that came from Gina Yashere who was initially hired as a consultant but ended up becoming one of the show- creators, producer, and a series regular. She was also one of the writers along with other Nigerian writers.''

BronzePage: ''Besides 'Bob Hearts Abishola,' you have done a few Hollywood movies such as: Hollowpoint, Blood Corral. Sugar babies, Acceleration, even shows like

Scrubs....you most likely saw some of these actors on the big screen while growing up in Africa. How does it feel to see them up close and personal and work with them?''

Tony: ''My career so far has been nothing short of amazing. It feels great to have worked with some legends of industry and every single one of them has been a class act. I remain eternally grateful for the kindness of Gina Yashere, the wisdom of Vernee Watson, the knowledge of Barry Shabaka Henley... just to name a few. Every single time I’ve met actors I knew and respected, the meeting was pleasurable and memorable. I feel I’m lucky in that aspect and I pray it continues that way.''

NOLLYWOOD & HOLLYWOOD

BronzePage: ''Would you work in Nollywood and collaborate with many actors in Africa or are you restricting yourself to just Hollywood? There are many African actors and actresses in Hollywood: Constance Ejuma, Folake Olowofoyeku....and many more. Have you ever thought about collaborating with Nollywood? Vivica

A. Fox has done Nollywood movies. Why not pull from African Americans like Vivica A. Fox, Mike Epps who was in 'Love jacked' and collaborate with Nollywood actors? Or do you think that would not work?''

Tony: ''I’m a huge admirer of the work of Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Dakore Akande, Genevieve Nnaji and I would love the opportunity to work in Nollywood and collaborate with the many talented actors across the African continent. One of my goals as a filmmaker is to

have more of these Nollywood/African/Hollywood collaborations. I think stories about Africa and the diaspora would be amazing in how they show some of our differences, but more importantly, highlight our similarities. There’s an unspoken tension and distrust

that exists between the two communities and I believe working together will go a long way to remedying such issues.''

BronzePage: ''What advice do you have for Nollywood; and after seeing Hollywood, what would you do differently in Nollywood? Some people have complained that a few of the actors are trying too hard to be like Hollywood actors, hence losing their originality. You are very original and authentic. What are your thoughts regarding this?''

Tony: "First, thank you for the kind words about (my) originality. I believe it’s important to embrace our uniqueness because no one can be a better you than you. At the same time, we must constantly evolve and strive for ways to grow and get better. Nollywood is a thriving industry with thousands of super talented artists and if some of them feel like there’s something they can emulate from their Hollywood contemporaries, we should encourage them to do so. Hollywood is the standard for a reason and there will be best practices that can and should be duplicated. As humans, we are merely a collection and expression of our historical and current influences. I don’t think striving to maintain one’s originality should be a deterrent to creative progress.''

BronzePage: ''Very well said. Is there anyone in Hollywood you would really like to work with? Maybe Denzel Washington?"

Tony: ''I have a long list of folks I’ll love to work with and learn from. Denzel Washington and Regina King are at the top of my list. Spike Lee, Tom Hardy, Viola Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ryan Coogler, Quentin Tarantino, Tina Fey, Issa Rae round out my Top Ten of favs and folks I’ll like to collaborate with. This list goes into the hundreds I am a fan of the industry, lol.''

BronzePage: ''There is always a particular work of Art that resonates more with an Artist. Of all the movies that you have made, which one has had more impact on you and why?''

Tony: ''I would say the TV show 'Bob Hearts Abishola' has had the biggest impact on my career. It’s always been important for me to show a different perspective of the African immigrant experience as opposed to what we usually see on mainstream media. Representation, especially proper and responsible representation, is paramount, and 'Bob Hearts Abishola' does a great job of representing African immigrants as fully formed three-

dimensional individuals. In addition, it wasn’t just an amazing learning experience on a groundbreaking show,

but it also gave me the opportunity to meet some of the legends I mentioned earlier. I booked 'Bob Hearts Abishola' after almost 10 years of not booking any work on TV, so that was definitely a great feeling as well.

However, from an accomplishment perspective, my web series 'Con$equences' is my most important project to date. When you create, write, produce, direct and star in a project it really becomes your baby.''

CON$EQUENCES

BronzePage: ''Have you thought about producing or directing? This way you can have more creative control and say-so in movie productions, redirect your movies to create specific narratives and also be able to employ actors.''

Tony: ''As a matter of fact, writing, producing and directing have been the natural next steps in my progression as a filmmaker. I’ve been writing for the last 10 years. I co-wrote, produced and starred in the short film 'Chapter One.' It played at various festivals nationwide, culminating in multiple airings on PBS as part of its Shorts Showcase Festival. 'Chapter One' was the basis for 'Con$equences' a web series that I created based on a TV pilot I wrote.

In 'Consequences' reformed internet scammers get a team together to reinvent their old business, this time only targeting immoral people. It’s a modern-day serialized drama that follows the lives of culturally diverse con-artists; but unlike other similarly themed shows and movies, this one is anchored by adult Yahoo Boys. Seasons 1 & 2 are available on YouTube, Amazon, Tubi and various VOD and streaming platforms''.

(Other cast members include Constance Ejuma, Bambadjan Bamba, Dele Ogundiran, Eboni Adams, Kofi Boakye, Sahlima.....and many more}.

BronzePage: ''Tony, do you have an organization that is very dear to your heart? Let's give them a shout-out"

Tony: ''Thanks so much for your interest. I have an organization that is important to me because it serves to bridge the gap between Africa, the African diaspora and Hollywood. It is the African Artists Association (3As). The 3As is based in Los Angeles. Any new artists in town should endeavor to join.

You can follow me on Instagram to stay updated with my work: @tonytambi

Please check out both seasons of 'Con$equences'on YouTube.''

BronzePage: ''Thanks for taking this time out of your very busy schedule. You have an open door here when you have any new projects''.

(FOLKS, THAT'S A WRAP).