Actress Nancy Isime has revealed that she isolated herself before and during the filming of Blood Sisters 2 to fully immerse herself in her role as Kemi Sanya, a process she says left her unable to take on new projects for about two months after production ended.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the 34-year-old reflected on her performance in the Netflix series, which climbed to the number one spot on the platform’s Top 10 chart within 24 hours of release.
According to Nancy, she had to completely set aside her own personality to embody the character.
She said, “Becoming KEMI SANYA 2.0 !! First, I just want to say the biggest thank you for all the feedback on my performance in Blood Sisters 2, which went to Number 1 on the Top 10 chart in less than 24hours!
“One question I’ve gotten a lot is in Slide 4…”Where did I have to dig from”…The answer? I had to evacuate Nancy Isime for Kemi SANYA to take over completely. The result is what you’re currently watching.”
She described the process as a major risk for actors, noting that some struggle to return to themselves after such deep immersion.
“This is an enormous risk for an actor, as some of us never return to it. To achieve this, I isolated for about a week before the shoot and also isolated a lot during the shoot. Sometimes, after rehearsing a scene, the director will yell “action,” Kemi will do something, and we’ll all look at each other like, “WTF?” After wrapping Kemi, I physically couldn’t take on any other projects for about 2 months because I truly had nothing to give anyone else. I was empty,” she added.
Nancy also stressed that acting is far more than a source of income for her.
The actress added, “Acting isn’t a hobby to me. It’s not a money-making scheme to me. It is my Life! I’m just blessed to earn a good living from it.”
She said she owes it to her fans, her creators and the production team to give her best performance whenever she takes on a role.
Nancy said, “My Fanbase, who happen to be some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever encountered, deserve nothing but the best; they deserve to be inspired and motivated every time they watch me.
“It’ll be an insult to my creator to put in all this talent in me, and I repeatedly downplay it because I’m worried about doing too much or looking stupīd. Lastly, but most importantly, it’ll be cruel to the amazing people who have given me this incredible opportunity to become Kemi if I just deliver a lacklustre performance because it feels safe.”
The actress went on to thank Netflix, EbonyLife Studios and members of the cast and crew for helping her bring the character to life.
She said, “From Netflix, to EbonyLife Studios, to the Creator, Writers, Directors, Producers, Costumiers, Makeup artists, Sound engineers, Editors, my incredible Co-stars who brought alllll of their Game to set! It was toooo easy to trust and truly become KEMI SANYA 2.0!
“Blood Sisters 2 is a performer’s dream, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity! The calls, texts, posts, comments and yes, I’m crying happy tears on my bed in my dark room. Cheers to more roles and productions that truly ignite”.
Blood Sisters premiered on Netflix on May 5, 2022 as the streaming platform’s first Nigerian original series. Created by Temidayo Makanjuola and produced by Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Studios, the crime thriller follows best friends Sarah and Kemi whose lives are upended after the disappearance of a groom on the eve of his wedding.
The first instalment starred Nancy Isime, Ini Dima Okojie, Kate Henshaw, Ramsey Nouah, Deyemi Okanlawon, Gabriel Afolayan, Kehinde Bankole and Wale Ojo. The second season which premiered last week Friday features returning cast members alongside new additions including Uche Jombo, Segun Arinze, Michelle Dede, Mike Afolarin and Bolaji Ogunmola.
