Oriane has worked hard to create her own opportunities in the entertainment industry. Indeed, as well as producing them, she has also appeared as an actress in short films and a TV series - gaining her popularity and success. As she says in the interview, with every character Oriane has portrayed, she “created” herself and “grew as a young woman”. Also, notably, she feels that the time spent working in an advertising agency helped her gain a wide variety of experience and skills needed to become a successful and effective producer. With regards to her acting, Oriane never gave up and has gone on to play various roles in a number of films; much of her work has been widely recognised, leading her to be nominated for Best Actress on two occasions.
Here, Oriane tells us more about how her acting career has developed. She also talks us through her most successful projects to date and reveals more about her upcoming projects.
Acting beginnings
Sabina: Oriane, can you tell us about when you first started acting?
Oriane: We were living in Nigeria when I started acting at the French primary school’s drama club. Every four years, we would move countries - and sometimes continents, so from the age of seven my acting developed gradually where it was possible. That was the way until I moved to London when I was twenty-four years old. Working for an advertising agency, but still wanting to act, I would envy the cast in front of the camera on the commercial sets.
In between takes, I would strike up conversations about acting, and the advice I was given was always the same: act, get an agent, don't stop. I listened.
S: How did acting change your life?
O: Walt Whitman once said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - this is what acting represents to me.
With every character I portrayed, I created myself and grew as a young woman. Finding out what makes a character tick - how different or similar we are to them; I enjoy every bit of being a storyteller and taking the audience somewhere else. In real life, we have to be in check, suppress those emotions from our day-to-day lives and be our civilian self.
But how good and cathartic it is to lash out, express that anger, that sadness or that joy, in a super-reality your character lives in!
Best projects to date
S: What are your most successful projects to date?
O: 'Say Your Name' is a short psychological thriller that's now available on Amazon Prime. It was the first film that I produced and subsequently brought me two Best Actress nominations. That project was a major turning point in my career; it gave me the confidence to co-create, produce and star in my most ambitious project. 'Call It a Day' is a comedy/drama that engages us in the lives of two flawed and real modern women - which I'm very proud of. The first five episodes are currently available on YouTube, with the concluding season one episode premiering on the 23rd of January, 2020.
Reactions to the show have been really positive, and the channel has had nearly 16,000 views since its debut in November, 2019.
S: Can you tell us more about your role as a producer?
O: My interest in producing started when I joined the advertising world, and it only grew stronger when my career shifted to independent filmmaking and acting. As a producer, I oversee the creative execution of every single project I’m involved in, from script development to budgeting, scheduling, hiring crew and casting actors, as well as post-production, advertising and festival submissions. There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes behind the scenes before and after we shoot, and I learned how vital it is for the success of a project to have each department work hand in hand, bringing our stories to life.
As an actress, it gave me full ownership of my projects; what better way to bring to life the stories I had imagined in my head and the complex characters I’ve always wanted to portray in front of the camera?
Upcoming projects
S: Do you have any interesting Film or TV projects coming up?
O: Most definitely. 2020 will be a very busy year, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come! I’m currently developing a short drama that touches on mental illness, which I’ll be producing and playing the lead in. As well as that, I’ll be working on a play which should see the light at the end of the year.
