Buchi Franklin, landing the role of Oboz in Kemi Adetiba’s ‘To Kill a Monkey‘, was only the beginning. What followed was months of spiritual preparation, character immersion, and personal transformation all before the script even arrived.
“I sent my audition tape in February,” Buchi says. “We didn’t start filming until August, but from the moment I hit ‘send,’ I was already Oboz.”
Even before receiving confirmation that he got the part, Buchi texted director Kemi Adetiba to say: “I’m already in character.” That declaration was more than a confidence boost; it marked the start of a six-month journey into the world of a man he hadn’t fully met yet.
With just a monologue to work from, an intense, nine-minute scene, Buchi began constructing Oboz’s entire backstory from scratch.
“All a character needs is a foundation,” he explains. “That monologue was enough to start asking the questions: Where’s Oboz from? Is he an orphan? Was he heartbroken? Did he grow up rich or poor? Has he ever spent a night in jail for a crime he didn’t commit? What was his childhood like?”
These weren’t just idle musings. Buchi spent months visualizing Oboz’s life and persona. Long before he got the full script, he dove deep into Edo culture, studying its language, listening to Edo music, and spending time around people such as Rema and Shallipopi from the region to embody the character more authentically.
“I even started manifesting Edo energy. I’d meet women and ask, ‘Where are you from?’ and when they’d say Edo, they’d smile like I was flirting. But really, it was Oboz talking,” he laughs.
For Buchi, becoming Oboz wasn’t just physical; it was deeply spiritual.
“After submitting my monologue, the Holy Spirit told me not to cut my nails or shave,” he says. “I usually like to stay clean-shaven, but I obeyed. I grew out my body hair. That was part of the transformation.”
This commitment stayed with him until filming wrapped in October. Buchi describes his method as a blend of spiritual discipline, research, and intuition rooted in faith and reverence.
“When Kemi finally called to say the role was mine, she told me, ‘Buchi, I want a character people will hate to love.’ I said, ‘Good. I’ve been hating to love myself since February.’”
Even after filming wrapped, Buchi says the transition out of the character wasn’t easy. Just one day after finishing To Kill a Monkey, he jumped straight into another project, this time with Bolanle Austen-Peters.
“I didn’t have time to detox Oboz from my spirit,” he says. “So I just prayed, ‘God, thank you for this access. We’re moving on now.’ And honestly, I never saw Oboz again.”
For Buchi, acting is more than performance; it’s a purpose. “This isn’t just entertainment,” he says. “This is evangelism. Every role I take, every word I say, it’s to the glory of God.”
