The opening scene in the official trailer of Diiche shows a woman abruptly waking up from a nightmare of her drowning. Her misery continues as she gets news that her new boyfriend-turned-fiance has been murdered, and she is the prime suspect. What happens when an A-list actress gets embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation of her fiance with his mother breathing vengeance down her neck?
This is the story of Odiiche (Diiche for short) in Showmax’s first Nigerian Original limited series. The six-part crime thriller features an impressive cast, ranging from Nollywood veterans and upcoming talents, including the lead actress, Uzoamaka Onuoha, who takes on the titular character of Diiche.
In this interview, we get to learn more about her role and how this stands out from previous productions she’s worked on. Excerpts from the interview:
Q: What was your reaction when you found out you were going to play the lead role ‘Diiche’ in ‘Diiche’?
A: I’m not going to lie, honestly. It was a freezing moment when I found out I was going to be Diiche. They told me over the phone, and I was like, “okay, that’s cool, that’s cool”. Then immediately, I didn’t know how to feel. I wasn’t like, ‘oh my God!’. But moments after the call, I went on my knees and said a prayer to God. I told Him, I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, but thank you that I got this.
Q: How would you describe Diiche in three words?
A: It isn’t very clear. When you watch to the end, you will get a picture of the character Diiche. So, I’d say confused, herself, and emotional.
Q: What was it like embodying the character of Diiche?
A: I want to say, “oh my God, it wasn’t easy”. Reading the scripts, you could see a particular vision, but then having to embody this character – without giving so much away – playing the character Diiche, I could summarize it to blood, sweat, and actual tears. Emphasis on tears.
I don’t mean tears that the character might have had to cry during the filming, but it’s not surface-level. It’s something that you had to draw from something. Every actor prays for challenging roles, but when I was done, I was like, careful what you wish for because it really took a lot.
But it was beautiful, and I’m thankful for it. It made me have to cross a particular level than I’m used to, and now that I’m there, I can be comfortable.
Q: Without giving too much away, what do you think the viewers will find fascinating about Diiche The Series?
A: Watching from the audience’s perspective, the first picture you might see is, ‘I don’t know if I can read this girl. I don’t understand the emotions behind this girl. Is she not real? She’s confused, and she has conflicting emotions. But you know, watch to the end, then you’d understand what she’s going through.
Q: What was the most challenging thing about working on Diiche?
A: I’m telling you that working on Diiche on its own was challenging. When I was done calming down the day we finished filming, I just said, “Yo! Blood, sweat, and tears.” It was a big challenge, and I remember praying to God, I need to be challenged; then comes Diiche. There comes a challenge. All in all, I hope everything turns out well. So that the effort, the sweat everybody brought in, plus their A-game, their blood, sweat, and tears translate.
Watch the full interview here:
Go on an emotional ride with Diiche from as low as ₦1,200 on Showmax. Visit www.showmax.com to get started. For MTN subscribers, Sign up for Showmax using your airtime by dialing *447*2*2# and following the prompts.
