Nollywood actor Ebisan Arayi has shed light on the intricate mental discipline involved in acting, particularly the necessity for actors to detach themselves from the characters they portray. In a recent episode of the Conversations With Kenni podcast, Arayi elaborated on his approach to selecting roles and the impact of character depth on his decision-making process.

Arayi stated that the character is the foremost consideration when he is approached for a role. He explained, "The character is very important because an actor’s character is how social media shapes society or culture these days." He emphasized the need for characters to resonate with his own personality or require him to develop a new persona, which he finds essential for authenticity in his performances.

The actor also highlighted the significance of the story's quality and depth in his choice of projects. He prefers engaging narratives that challenge him rather than those that are predictable. "Is it heavy enough? Does it have depth? Or is it just the predictable type of film?" he questioned, expressing gratitude for the emerging storytellers in Nigeria who are contributing to richer narratives in the film industry.

However, Arayi cautioned that an actor's responsibilities extend beyond character creation; the ability to let go of a role is equally crucial. He remarked, "It is an actor’s job to create characters and undo them because if you don’t undo your characters, your characters can undo you." This statement underscores the potential psychological impact that deeply immersive roles can have on actors.

Reflecting on his personal experiences, Arayi recounted a period after his return to Nollywood in 2011, following a break for education. He experienced an inexplicable resentment towards an actress due to a subconscious association with a character she had previously portrayed. "I had to remind myself that I was an actor and this was a new character here in front of me," he explained, emphasizing the importance of separating past roles from current interactions.

He warned that failing to detach from a character could negatively affect an actor's relationships with colleagues and hinder their performances. "If you don’t undo a character you build for a particular movie, you’ll find out that it’ll start to undo you," he cautioned.

Describing acting as a deeply immersive process, Arayi noted that actors often tap into their own experiences to convincingly embody fictional characters. He concluded by reiterating the necessity for actors to step away from their roles, stating, "So yes, you have to get out of characters because they can be really deep. I don’t know about other actors, but for me, characters are very deep." His insights shed light on the complex interplay between an actor's craft and their mental well-being, a topic that is increasingly relevant in the demanding world of Nollywood.