Famous British Actor Rudolph Walker Replaces Joseph Marcell in Invasion 1897
Famous Caribbean born British Actor Rudolph Walker, OBE, has replaced St. Lucian-born English actor Joseph Marcell in Lancelot Imasuen’s historical epic film Invasion 1897.
“This afternoon we signed Rudolph Walker to play a role in Invasion 1897,” said Lancelot Imasuen Friday December 20, as we met in his busy Lagos studios to discuss the progress of the film and his short horror film for The ABCs of Death 2.
“Joseph Marcell couldn't make our new date for shooting in London, because of his other schedules. We will be filming in London before the end of the month. And Rudolph has always been my first choice to play a special role in Invasion 1897,” he added.
His London based associate producers Joe Ehigiamusoe and Julius Imabe of J2 Konsult Inc, in the UK manage the business of Lancelot Imasuen in Europe.
The British actor was the first black actor to appear in a major British TV series for his breakthrough role as Bill in the sitcom Love Thy Neighbour and currently popular for his role as Patrick Truman in the BBC One TV soap opera Eastenders, you can see on BBC1 and BBC3 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and the Sunday Omnibus.
Rudolph Walker is happily married to Dounne Alexander, MBE, an accomplished Caribbean born British spiritual herbalist, publisher, author, motivational speaker, health campaigner and award winning business pioneer, voted one of the 100 most influential black people in British history for the 2000 millennium (with her contribution was recorded by the BBC and is stored in the British National Library for posterity).
Mr. Walker is still very much agile even at 74. And he said: ‘An Actor's life for me is one which keeps you creative; forever developing, growing, flourishing and enriching, yourself and others. Therefore you cannot afford to become complacent or relaxed for too long… hence retirement is never a choice; you simply go on to ‘the end.’
Another popular English actor in the film is Charles "Chucky" Venn known for his roles as Curtis Alexander in Sky One's Dream Team, Tremaine Gidigbi in Footballers' Wives and Ray Dixon in EastEnders.
Invasion 1897 is the most anticipated film to celebrate the Nigeria Centenary in 2014 (modern day Nigeria came into being on January 1, 1914), and to mark the centenary of the death of the great King of Benin, Omo n’Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi in exile in Calabar on January 14, 1914, Lancelot Imasuen will host special guests from corporate Nigeria and leading journalists at his Lagos studios on January 14, 2014.
Top Nigerian actors playing lead roles in the epic movie include Charles Inojie, Paul Obazele, Segun arinze, Mac Omoriegbe as Oba Ovonrawmen and the late Justus Esiri in a cameo role.
Did you know that five years before the death of Omo n’Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, the British Consul-General Moor, who captured, deposed and sent him on exile in Calabar committed suicide in Barnes, Middlesex in 1909. The great Ovonramwen must have cursed him for no one commits such a great sacrilege and escapes the wrath of the Benin Kingdom.
Invasion 1897 is the untold story of the Benin Expedition of 1897 by the United Kingdom force of 1,200 under Admiral Sir Harry Rawson who captured, burned, and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
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