I NEED SMART NIGERIAN GIRL AS WIFE - ERIC MONJOIN, HEINEKEN TVC STAR

Eric Monjoin
He is Heineken Man of the World and actor in The Entrance, the world acclaimed Heineken television commercial. Apart from playing a cameo role in the Heineken TVC, Eric Monjoin had acted in a couple flicks. The young and handsome actor came to Lagos recently and was a star attraction at the Hat Trick event organised by the Nigerian Breweries Plc. Shortly after the occasion, Eric opened up to Blockbuster. Excerpt:

Nothing like 'The Entrance'
In a way, it was my first because it was a very huge budget and creative commercial with amazing people on board. The director, Frederick Bon, is amazing. He is the kind of director that gives a lot and also requires a lot of energy from those he is working with. So, it is very exhausting to work with him because he wants a lot of work. But his vision is amazing and I think we did something great together. I did some commercials in the past but nothing like The Entrance.

The rehearsals
The rehearsals for The Entrance was more tasking because what you don't see when you watch the TV commercial is all the hard work and time that goes into getting the choreography accurately. It is a dance on itself and it is very technical. It was technical for me. It was technical for the camera man, the actors, for the lights, for the photography. When you look at it, it seems very easy but it's actually a lot of work behind it. We all worked with one hand, and we all worked with great energy and creativity and we all had a great sense of humour about it and not take ourselves too seriously and that's why this commercial is good because it is powerful and dynamic.

Challenging moments
It was a different challenge every time. The Chinese guy was amazing. He is a real martial arts expert and when he was doing all this stuff and his kicks, in the beginning, the idea was that I would respond with some kicks but I was not fast enough so we had to take a different direction, which was funny as you can see. But every character I met was a challenge in itself.

Monetary rewards
What I was paid for the job is none of anybody's business. It is unprofessional to disclose what I got for doing the commercial.

Career benefits
Yes, The Entrance has brought me a lot of benefits. The Entrance won three Gold Lions at the Cannes Film Festival and became second best commercial of the year among 24 commercials in competition. It was released in 17 countries and they played it during the big events. Oh yeah, people have seen me and I have been approached for commercial and acting jobs. After the Heineken TVC, I can say that my career has changed.

Heineken and I
I don't drink a lot of alcohol but I had a couple of Heineken during the shoot. I was in Rio de Janeiro during the shoot and I was drinking Heineken. Actually, I drink when I meet people because I see drinking as a social thing. I try to have a healthy lifestyle so, I don't drink too much. I just drink on occasions with good friends and family.

How I cope with fame
For me us, everybody is equal. I never think that somebody is better than another or more famous. When we wake up in the morning, we all go to toilet. So, I' m not really impressed by famous people. I just want people to know that I am genuine and approachable, nice and respectful to all because it's just fun, we don't need to take ourselves too seriously. Just enjoy yourself and follow your dreams.

Relationship with women
I am still single. When do I intend to get married? That's complicated. I want to have a family. I want to have children. Marriage, I don't know because to me, it is not as important as having children. I want to have a family. If you ask a girl what is more important to you, to get married or to have children? If she says to get married, then she is not for me. I want a girl who wants to have a family.

My kind of woman
I like women who are simple, smart, funny and feminine. When you are in a relationship, it has to be a team. I don't want to fight too much. I want a woman who would support me and I want to support her. I want us to be a team. I want her to be a good mother for my children.

It's not easy to find that kind of woman but I'm working on it. Maybe I will find such a girl who meets these qualities in Nigeria.

Future plans
I don't know what the future holds for me. You know, I go with the flow and I don't take anything for granted. I have been raised by my parents to always keep my feet on the ground and I just want to enjoy and make the most of it and take my chances. I†stay very close to my family and just go with the flow and try to work hard and to continue in this way.