OLAF GROWALD
Nene Kwoko
Portrait of Nene
Nene Nwoko knew she wanted to become an actress ever since she watched “The Sound of Music.” But when Nwoko, a native of Nigeria, came to the U.S., she found herself working as an e-commerce marketing manager at ACE Cash Express, pregnant — and laid off three weeks before her due date.
So, after taking a maternity leave when her daughter was born, she decided to return to her first love — acting. Today, it’s her full-time job.
She’s done a lot in the past seven years she’s spent as a full-time actress, lending her talents to everything from independent films to audiobooks. And, naturally, she has plenty of stories to share — from her small role in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” to her audition for “Black Panther.”
But that’s not all Nwoko has up her ruffled sleeves.
Q. You were born in Nigeria. What brought you to Fort Worth?
A. My brother and sister-in-law live here in Fort Worth. I [had] never heard of Fort Worth until I moved here, really … I love Fort Worth. I call it my “sane zone.”
Q. What projects are you working onright now?
A. I’m actually producing a film on a local Fort Worth doctor. His name is Alan Johns. He is a gynecologist here at Baylor [Scott & White] All Saints in Fort Worth. He’s a guy, obviously — and he ends up having breast cancer. I didn’t know men could have breast cancer until I read his book, The Lump. He encounters pretty much everything his patients have encountered for years. It freaked him out.
So, I’m trying to tell that story with the same humor that he wrote the book, because he’s a really funny guy if you meet him in person. We’re still in the script stage. After that, we’re going to go for funding. It’s really a matter of how quickly we can get the funding for it. I’m going to put this out there, being positive — I want Bryan Cranston to play him because they look so much alike.
Q. Is producing films something you’d like to do more of, alongside acting?
A. That’s why I got into producing, because I got tired of waiting for the phone to ring. I hunted this audition for “Black Panther.” I knew they needed Africans [with] African accents, so I hunted and hunted, and I finally got it. Then two weeks go by, I’m like, “Why are they taking so long to make a decision?” I call my agent, and he’s like, “Yeah, sorry. They went with someone local.” I was crushed. I was walking around at home moping, crying. I’m like, “I quit. I am done. This is too much.”
After that, I was like, “Okay, I’ve got to start telling my own stories … Well, what story?” Then I remembered Dr. Johns’ book. So, I went to him, and he said yes.
Q. You had a small role in “Batman v Superman,” playing a mourner. What was it like being on that set?
A. Oh my goodness. I met a casting director a few years prior in Dallas at a workshop. For the first time, I didn’t hear the “oh, you’ve got to work on your accent” or “you’re too tall” or all the things that we hear. She just loved my work. She ended up being the one who cast “Batman” about two or three years later. They needed Africans, so she brought me in for the audition. I ended up booking it. It was a small role, but it was such a great experience.
Everything is usually so hush-hush, secretive. I didn’t know who would be there. They didn’t even tell us it was “Batman v Superman.” They had a code name. It was called “Sage and Milo” throughout the whole thing.
And then, they ended up cutting our scene from the theatrical release, [but] it made it into the extended cut version. The trailer for the extended version came out, and we were in the trailer. I was like, “Okay, yes, I was in ‘Batman.’ Thank you very much.”
Q. Being an African-born actress, what are the challenges to landing a role in the U.S.?
A. For a good while, it was tough because there weren’t stories being told about Africa, but I have seen a significant shift in opportunities since “Black Panther” came out. I’ve auditioned for roles either needing an African accent or requiring me to speak the actual language that I grew up with. So, all of a sudden, it’s like, “Don’t lose your accent,” when all the while, it was, “You’ve got to work on your accent.”
Q. Becoming an actress isn’t an easy career to obtain. What’s the secret to taking your passion and turning it into a full-time job?
A. Support, support, support. My husband is — how do I put it without sounding gushy and mushy? — he is my backbone.
Q. As an actress, why callFort Worth home? Why not L.A. or New York?
A. It’s calm. No stress. People are nice. Plus, my daughter, I want her to grow up as close to how I grew up as possible. And Fort Worth is that.
Q. What types of roles would you like to be considered for in the future?
A. First of all, I would love to work with Danai Gurira [known for her roles as Michonne in “The Walking Dead” and Okoye in “Black Panther”]. But I mean, I’d like to play a lawyer or doctor or even the woman who’s depressed about whatever’s going on with her son back in Africa — not a glamorized role. It could be something very raw. And I would like to do some comedy.
There’s also a book, Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi. There’s a female general in that book that I would love to play.
Q. Still, I mean, they’re bound to make “Black Panther 2” one day, right?
A. That’s what everybody keeps telling me. I’m like, “Yeah, but there’s nothing like the first.” But you never know.
