Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Angelo Dizzi
We got to chat with actress Yetide Badaki, who can currently be seen in the film Rise on Disney+. Rise tells the incredible true story of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family. Badaki talked to NYOTA about getting into character to play Veronica, and the important conversations she hopes are started because of the film.
How did you discover your passion for acting?
My love for storytelling goes back as far as I can remember. There were often power outages in Nigeria, and though we had a generator at home, some of my fondest memories were of the family taking a moment to slow down, going into the backyard, and telling stories round a fire. My father still is one of the best storytellers I know. The way he would weave a tale in such a powerful manner, sweeping us along for the storytelling journey, made me say to myself, “I want to do THAT.”
Before joining the cast of Rise, how aware were you of the Antetokounmpo family’s story?
I have to say that that has been one of the greatest gifts of this experience. Though I had heard the name Antetokounmpo, I was completely unaware of the struggles the family went through before achieving such amazing heights. I remember reading the script and being in tears by the end. Soon after I was done reading, I just had to go down that rabbit hole of learning as much of the family’s story as possible and was astounded to learn that the script, as incredible as it was, actually did reflect their lived experience. My mind is still continually blown by what it took for this inspiring family to get to where they are today.
What was your process like to prepare to play Veronica?
We have such an incredible team in Rise. Preparation was very much a result of collaboration with like-minded artists. The script by Arash Amel was the starting place. I read it over and over, looking for clues about character and for playable thematic elements. Then discussions with Akin Omotoso, our director, further deepened the discovery process, which also included the incredible luxury of rehearsals. Getting to rehearse with Uche, Ral, Jaden, Elijah, and all the boys was such a privilege. Akin would share his vision, and we would send each other any video clips of interviews or articles that we found. Thanks to Akin, I also had the extreme privilege of being able to chat on the phone with the queen herself, Veronica. This threw me deep into the research phase, finding out about the family, about migration in Greece at the time, and the political climate the family would have lived through. Then came in-depth discussions with Mobolaji on costumes, Joyce on hair, and Dolly on makeup, as we discussed how to bring the truth of Veronica’s brilliant style and essence to life. Before filming, I used to explore Athens on foot, visiting places the family would have gone, buying things at Monistaraki, as Veronica would have done, and letting the ache of hours of walking fill my body, so I didn’t have to manufacture the sensation once the camera rolled. It was a really exciting discovery process. One that couldn’t have been fostered without our wonderful producers, Bernie and Jenny.
Is there any pressure in playing a real person versus someone fictional?
Playing a real person definitely comes with the added weight of wanting to do justice to sharing that individual’s story. Of course, you want to make sure every character you play receives the due diligence they deserve, but there is definitely an added feeling of responsibility when you are playing a real person. Akin made it clear to us from the beginning that what was most important was capturing the essence of the characters. Veronica and the Antetokounmpo family were incredibly generous in offering us the artistic freedom to explore their story, and their vocal approval after viewing was the absolute cherry on top.
Are there certain lessons you hope audiences take away after watching Rise?
Rather than lessons, I would hope that there would be some important conversations started by Rise. The plight of the migrant, the immigrant, as well as refugees would be one such discussion that I’d hope audiences would have. What are we doing as individuals in our communities to be more welcoming to our family across the globe? I would also hope that viewers, after seeing Rise, will give themselves permission to dream as largely and vibrantly as possible. If there is one thing the Antetokounmpo’s have modeled for us, it is the wonderfully inspiring idea that dreams do actually come true.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
I hesitate to give advice to anyone as everyone’s circumstances and paths are so uniquely different. Any individual could be facing something I couldn’t even imagine and vice versa. I guess perhaps that uniqueness itself is something that I can actually speak on. Lean into what makes you uniquely you. Be wonderfully weird, awkward, excitable, passionate, goofy, if that is the sum of who you are. The road can be long and hard at times, but it will never cease to astound you how much the traits you found less “cool” or mainstream will actually be the things that boost you to unforeseen heights. Celebrate the one in a billion speck of stardust that you are.