He is humble, very humble. He is also behind many charitable causes. Van Vicker is his name and he is insatiable. He believes he cannot be fulfilled until death. For him there is still much to be done and can be done to improve life. Viker, apart from producing films is into advertising and promotions, a feat he achieved through dint of hard work and persistence. He loves his family, but craves to spend more time with them. Read all about him. Excerpts:Van VickerWe learnt that before you do any movie in Nigeria you insist that you get the distribution right in the US. Is this true?It is not true. I don’t insist on being in the movie before I distribute. If I’m doing any movie and I think it will be a hit movie I will discuss with the producer or the EP… my guy, I want to buy this movie after we are done and he either says yes and then we negotiate or no I already have my own distributor. I have been in several movies and I didn’t get the right to distribute them in the US.Again I have distributed some that I featured in and I distributed them in the US. But me insisting that before I’m in your movie, I must have the distribution right, that is so natural. I do not say give me the movie. I pay for them.... I pay cash, so if they are going to charge me whatever the figure is, I pay. So it is not free. I don’t act for free. I never insist that if I don’t get the right in that movie I won’t feature in it. I will just be stifling my own career if I do. So, that’s not the way it works, its negotiable. We talk.We learnt that you are not just an actor… you are beginning to venture into movie production and directing as well?I don’t know if branch will be the very right word. I think it’s more of an addition. I have always had the passion for being behind the cameras. Actually that’s where my career began. I worked with a TV station for so many years and I was trained as a production assistant and then I went as far as being the assistant head of entertainment. I very much know how TV works and how camera works.When I started acting, it didn’t take away that passion, it was just more of something I wanted to explore so I decided to direct and produce. I did my first in 2007, my second production in 2008 and I am doing my third and fourth this year. It’s more of a passion… like the way acting is to me and that way it gives me control of the product I’m putting out there, who I want to be in the movie, what message I want to send out there and not be at the beck and call of the producer all the time. I want to have my own say in what people see and how they are entertained.Does that mean we will see more of you as a producer this year?Yes. I will produce two for a start and probably the last quarter of this year I might just do another one. Let it not be that Van only produces and directs his movies. I will direct anybody’s movie too, if I’m given the opportunity. I have already had two requests and I know with time we will get it done.What is the big deal about RAJ The dancer?I think it’s an excellent movie. Some of the love stories we do are not just about them being love stories. They become a little bit monotonous, the same old crap; get married to this person, don’t get married to that person, mother says this, father says that. I think it’s over flogged. It’s easier for us to shoot love stories, because of lack of equipment and budget. If we are doing a love story, I think we should add some extra spice. I was in a movie titled Beyouncé, a name that I created myself but it is not my production and a lot of people started calling me Raj. After that, I decided to capitalize on the popularity of that name and I want to do sequel to it.When is it coming up, who are the stars in it, why is it different?It will be coming out in Africa by March and in the US and Europe in February . We have Kofi Ajolo from Ghana and the other person is Nana. She is a new actress. The movie is about wife battering but the spice again is the dancing part. So it’s not just the usual thing. I think this movie will be better than my first which was Friday night; the movie I did with Nana Amama. I want to believe that this will be a step-up and I know the future ones will also be something to cheer.Does that make you a dancer?I was trained. I did weeks of training to do that part. I don’t dance but I have got a professional, a choreographer and everything and in my basic schedule I got it done, so I tried.So we see a lot of dancing from Raj?I wouldn’t say a lot of dancing. The first dancing was in the gym where I was competing with someone. The second dancing was the steatites I did for the girl in the movie and the third dancing was the saucer dance that the girl and I performed. So we‘ve got three dances i.e one at the beginning, the next in the middle and the last one at the end.Who wrote the story?I wrote the story. I screen-played the story and I directed it alongside a Nigerian director, Kalou Aryan and I produced it. I was the executive producer. My production company Sky Orange Production was quite involved.People say you are becoming bigger in the Ghanaian movie industry because you are the biggest star… how true is this?I think if you know me, you will realize that I’m a really humble person. I don’t think it is wise for any human being to think that he or she is the ultimate. You know you might have been able to achieve so much people have not been able to attain. It doesn’t make you the ultimate. I think one of the best things in life is for you to have everything and still be very humble. Still be down to earth. For me it is the most important venture that I cherish. Them saying Van is acting like he’s big, that is a terrible perception. Some people try to be mischievous, some because of bad belle. Any how you want to put it … but I totally disagree with that. Whoever knows me will testify that Van is a very humble person.So what happened between you and Abudulsalam?I keep saying that nothing happened between me and Abudulshalam, the CEO of Venus. It’s just a little misunderstanding that has do with scheduling. As a matter of fact he called me up and said he wanted to do a production. He asked if I was in Ghana. I said no and asked him when he was coming down. He said “I’m not too sure yet I will let you know anyway what it is about. I want to shoot a film”. I said Salam don’t tell me you want to shoot next week. He said “yes I want to shoot next week”.Then I said it’s not possible because you need to get real, get used to the idea that people grow in life, they have more responsibilities, their schedule gets tighter. You need to understand that and stop this child’s play. You called me up today and you want to shoot a movie next week, 4, 5 years ago I could afford to do that because I was working for myself and I wasn’t shooting a lot of films, now I can’t do that because I have schedules. I have commitments. I can’t disappoint another man to satisfy you that won’t be fair. That’s bad for business. So he said “okay fine, so when is your schedule” and I said it has to be around the 3rd week or 4th week in March.Then he said “ Ah that is too far… well then you can go ahead and shoot when you are ready we can schedule something, you know I shoot every month”. I said fair enough. But are we going to shoot in March, is it confirmed with you that we will shoot in March because you will wait one week till you shoot and call me up. It still will not work even though you did tell me you will shoot in March because you are not confirming it now. By the time we are in March my bookings would have moved to May, so you need to tell me now.He couldn’t give me a confirmation date and you know two things come to play. I need to see the script to know if I want to do the job for whatever reason. After I’ve seen the script we need to negotiate, then we confirm a date then I know we are in business. Yes! Because he has disappointed me three times. It was all over the papers. Whatever they said ... he came to my office and then he said Van let’s talk this thing out and I said okay.Is it true that Van is the most expensive actor in Ghana ?I wish. Well I don’t know. I think I get what I am worth. I don’t know about the others but I get what I am worth. If I’m the most expensive I thank God for that. I think it is a blessing but I can’t agree because I don’t know what my colleagues earn. They can be earning far more than I do but I am contented with what I have because I know I am getting my worth.So you are saying you are not too big for your industry?Impossible. I am not too big for my industry and I think I love my industry and I know there are lots of people out there who love and support what I do. I am sure a lot of people know that Van is not big… he is just maybe busy, maybe producers are not meeting the protocol to get him to be in their films. Period.How close are you to other Ghanaian stars?I am close to all Ghanaian stars. There is something I have noticed; it has nothing really to do with Van. It seems a lot more guys are closer to the ladies and the ladies are closer to the guys. It is not common to see two, three, four artistes that are of the same sex close. So as it is, I’m closer to more ladies than to the guys and I think the reason is because we almost every time get paired up with the opposite sex so we tend to spend more time together than with the guys and the same thing goes for the ladies.You are close to Nadia?Yes I am close to NadiaJackie?Yes.What about Mama Brown?Yes. We did a movie; she did my first movie for me.What about Majid?You know something? I know Majid, I was going to do a series, before I was directing that series. I actually shot some scenes and Majid was in my movie but I have never released it and he was in that series. Yes Majid is my friend .Let’s talk about Nollywood. Is it true you put yourself in the same class with RMD and Ramsey Noah?That will be a very annoying thing to do. Hollywood’s Brad Pitt is a good actor, Clooney is a good actor but there’s no way Brad Pitt will put himself on the same level as Clooney because Clooney has been there for a while or Albert Ino because they’ve been there. You just have to acknowledge the fact that this person has been there… you need to give them credit, you need to acknowledge them, you need to give them due respect. So if anybody said Van said it, it’s even annoying to the ears… it is ridiculous.Honestly. It is not like we had a beef, I don’t have a beef for any of them.. Maybe if we had a beef, you might say probably he said it, I don’t have a beef with any of them. I met RMD for the first time at Solo Amaku’s birthday party in Asaba.... I think almost two years ago and I said cool dude. We sat, we talked, we laughed and I never met him again. As for Ramsey, before we met, I called him four, five times because I wanted him to do a movie as a brother with him in Liberia. So I spoke to him several times more and not only about the production; there was a time I was in the US and I called him on some other issues I have forgotten. But we have met twice in Abuja. The first meeting was at the location of Reloaded. The second movie we did was when Stephanie called me for Izu Ojukwu’s movie. We had two or three scenes together in the movie..What happened on that set?I got a call from Stephanie when I was on my way to Ghana from Lagos. Stephanie told me that a producer, Izu , would call me for a job and I said fine. So he called me a few minutes later and he wanted me to do a job and I said I am already on my way to Ghana. He told me later that Ramsey could have been on that set but there was a little issue they needed to trash out. I think it was a monetary stuff so I think Ramsey didn’t have the time and he had already been paid and they were already on set.They needed to move on. So that was how they fell back on me. Then I was like let’s do it. I dropped everything and I went to Abuja the next morning .Then I was told Ramsey was coming. So they said there was this other role they wanted me to play, but I said that was not why you called me, somebody must have misread the situation and said I didn’t want to act under Ramsey. But they don’t know the story, you get what I am saying? So I said but I have already been told that he wasn’t showing up that I should come. I’m actually your savior right now and now you want me to look bad.So I went back to him and said my guy I don’t want to play this particular role; but after so much talk I eventually played the role. I thought about this same thing as in if I no do am they go say I no wan play under Ramsey. We spoke on that set for over 40 minutes and it didn’t seem that we had any problem.. I think he is a cool dude, so there is no way that I would ever say that I’m better than even the worst actor.So what happened to Desmond?Concerning this story, I called him after I received your call. I said Desmond, what’s up? He said, fine. I told him how they alleged that I said I won’t play under him and he said no, that is a lie. And I told him that a Journalist was going to call him to clarify the issue, and he said, okay, make dem call. That was it. Honestly, until I read the story, I didn’t remember the incident but I do remember that I have done two movies with him.I don’t remember having such issue with him because for me, it wasn’t an issue. I was given a role like Ikechukwu rightly said and Desmond was also given the same role. Until I got on set I didn’t realize we were given the same role. I don’t know if he got the role then or earlier but I was given the role earlier. I told them that I was already prepared for that role, how are you going to go about it? If I can’t play this role, then you just carry your thing because I don’t want to strain myself and read something new.Let’s just forget it. So, whether they decided to compromise or whether it was a lie, I won’t freaky know; but until I read it, I didn’t remember that particular incident. The story made me look like I intentionally didn’t remember but Ikechukwu remembered. That is the way it was interpreted. The way Ikechukwu’s line was written, If Van no remember, person remember. That was the way it came out. If only you told me about the incident, I would have confirmed it, that yes, I remember something like that but this is what happened but like I said, I didn’t see it as an issue anyway.So, Van is not arrogant?At all, that is impossible. I think I am a very jovial person and as much as I am jovial, I am also quite blunt. I know it is bad sometimes to be blunt but it is also good in a way, so that you don’t look like you are deceiving somebody or being an hypocrite. It has got its negative side and sometimes, it has helped me as an individual to be blunt. So, I have been able to control how blunt I can be, but I don’t think I am arrogant. I don’t think I blow my trumpet, that to me is ridiculous.How have you been maintaining a silent family?It is amazing how strong my wife is because I know many African women might not be able to hold this down. Divorce is everywhere even in Hollywood but the African marriage is way different. I am so proud of her …every time I go home she’s there. I am sure she’s had sad moments and terrible days and nights especially when her friends call her and say, have you seen this movie? Did you this girl kissing Van? Not did you see them kissing?. I know she’s had terrible times over rumors in the papers...Van is doing this to a person, actresses wanting Van in their beds and all sorts of crap. I appreciate her so much. God knew what my destiny was so He gave me the right person to marry. Having said that, juggling family life and my traveling is crazy. On her birthday I wasn’t there. I called her up at midnight because I told her that if anybody calls you before I do, please don’t answer it. I wanted to be the first to say happy birthday. I called her around 10:00 PM . Last year, I wasn’t there, this year I am not there.I know she’s making a lot of sacrifices. So am I, but we must make sacrifices to get what we want in life sometimes and I know it will pay off. My kids, they miss dad, every time I call home, they ask “when are you coming home”, “I want you to come home now”. Those are some of their lines and it breaks my heart. But, I think I am doing it for their future and they will understand.How long have you been married?I have been married for six years. This year, precisely October 17th will be my seventh year of marriage but I have been dating my wife for sixteen years. We have been together since 1994.Do you get scared when you read about and see celebrities breaking-up?I don’t think it bothers me because for me, my wife is not just a wife. I think she’s more of a friend to me than a wife. So, I am not frightened by what I read in the papers . I am not bothered about all these break-ups and make-ups. I am comfortable knowing that everything is going to be well and I know she believes that I am her husband and I am going to be there for life in good times and bad times.So, you are doing all these things to make your marriage work?Yes. I do all I can, and that is why I seem not to be very social because I spend every little time I have with my family. I either go out with my family or go out with my wife and spend quality time with them because I am not always there. People call me and say, Van, I don’t see you at occasions, what’s up? The longest time I spent with my family the whole of last year was 14 days... I mean at a stretch. Before that, 2 days, a day, 3 days, hours.What’s her occupation?She is a Human Resource Manager at Camelot Ghana Limited where they print checks.How many actresses have you dated?None.What happened?Nothing happened. We might be good friends but that does not give room for any intimacy.What happened with you and Nadia?We never dated. As at 1999, we were close, now we are not so close and that is the truth. We were close because we started acting together way back in Ghana and we were paired up a lot of times. I think for the first five movies I did, she was there and so, we became close. I didn’t get close to Jackie like that because Jackie was always on the other side of the film.You know it was usually Nadia and I that were having the love thing going, but until she got involved with ACN, she started traveling a lot and doing other stuff. So that bond was lost because she is on a different level now. At a point in time, she wanted to stop acting, whether it’s true I don’t know.But for me, she just disappeared at a point in time. I didn’t know what was happening and now, we have never been able to get back so close because everybody is getting busier and busier.So, you never dated Nadia?No, we never dated. Several websites said that we went for the Fifth Continent Awards in US and that I was acting as a body guard to Nadia that I wasn’t wearing my ring or hiding my ring. Why would I be hiding my wedding ring when the whole world knows I’m married? Some people even said, Tonto and I were caught in bed. Actually they cut the picture off a movie and pasted it and they said we were dating. People just like to be mischievous and I don’t know why.Does this things get at your wife?If I were her, it will get to me.So, it doesn’t get to her?It does…. it definitely does but if it were me, I would have done worse than she does. She’s human, she’s feminine and that is why I said if I were in her shoes, I would have done worse.What does she do when she sees stuffs like that?I am not going into details of what she does but I am saying that she’s human and she flips sometimes.But does she believe you every time you say it’s not true?Well, my wife trusts me. It is not about believing, it is about how true people want to make it seem that becomes a question.Are you saying that Van is a faithful husband?Yes. I am a faithful husband.How did it all start?It started way back in 1997 when I went for an audition for the post of a presenter in a newly opened T.V. station, TV3 Network, still TV3 Network till date. She saw the advert in the newspaper and told me about it. I did the first audition, the second, the third and I was hired. That was the genesis. I did presentation and production work. Then I resigned and moved on to a radio station, Groove FM. . I was hired to do the drive time program.. That TV station was changed to a local station and because I don’t speak the local language, I had to move on. Then I went to another TV station, Metropolitan Television, MTV for short where I started producing and presenting programs. As a staff, I did uncountable programs, from live to recorded, what have you.I presented and produced a lot. That was where I rose to be the assistant head of entertainment. And while I was there, I went to another radio station, Vibe 91.9 Fm, and then I was presenting a night program, so I was doing the radio work and the TV as well. Then I had it on television series. I was a star in it. I started over in Sun City and then it moved on and that was when I thought about doing a movie. The first one I did was Divine Love; I did that with Majid and Jackie around 2004. I actually stopped radio before I started the film because the series was not giving me time. I later resigned from TV and started running my own advertising agency I named Sky Orange. I did it for a while. Then, the movie thing started getting bigger and bigger and I had to let my partner run Sky Orange while I did other stuff.How has your academic adventure been so far?One of the biggest regrets I have in life is the fact that I never went to the university. I am not going to go into details why I didn’t go but I didn’t go and it is something that if I could turn back the hand of time, I would do anytime. I attended one of the best boarding schools in Ghana, Mfantisipim School but having said that, despite the fact that I didn’t go to the university, I did several courses… I did one in marketing, I did another in accounting but I didn’t really like it, then I did stuff in production. So, I’m looking at upgrading myself. I went to the New York Film Academy because I wanted to upgrade myself.The things you learn in school many times is not the same thing you learn on the job. So, I thought that I have been practicing acting; I needed to learn the book side of it and truly, it has being really helpful. It has opened my eyes to see the things I have been overlooking or things I didn’t even know, or that I have gotten to know how to apply . It has been really helpful. I also intend to do courses in directing, producing and script writing probably this year or next year but I am happy to know that a few of my colleagues are also going to NYFA.Are you fulfilled?I don’t think I’ll be fulfilled till I go six fit deep because for me, there is so much to achieve in life.What are the things you still want to achieve?I still want to do movies. I don’t think I have gotten the kind of movies I want to do yet and even starring. I don’t think I have done a film that will wow me, it hasn’t hit me like that yet and until it does, I don’t think I have achieved anything yet.Some people say you are Liberian, others say you are Ghanaian, where are you from?I am a hybrid of three backgrounds. My dad is Dutch; my mom is part Ghanaian, part Liberian. So, that makes me quarter Ghanaian, quarter Liberian and half Dutch. I was telling my wife what if you weren’t a Ghanaian? Let’s say you are from Nigeria , our kids will be a fraction of one country and one fourth of another country. It is funny. For me, I see myself as a global citizen. Whenever I find myself in Liberia , I tell them I am from Liberia . When I am in Ghana and they ask me where I come from, I will tell them I am from Ghana and when I am in Holland , Amsterdam or wherever, I tell them I am a Dutch man because that is the truth. I can’t run away from it. I have their blood running through me. I might not have spent much time in these places but at the same time, there might be lapses here and there but I do have that blood and I am proud of that .So, how did you get to Ghana ?My dad met my mom in Liberia . He used to work with an electric corporation then. He passed away when I was six. Before then, we came to Ghana a few times but we actually moved here just before the war, because the war hadn’t really broken out like that but we knew it was going to be bad, so we just moved out and we had to basically start from scratch.How .....?We came to Ghana in 1991 and because of the war, it has never been ideal to go back even though some people have gone back. But for me, Ghana is home, Liberia is home, Holland is home. My mom is retired.How close are you to your dad’s family?Whenever I talk about my dad, tears flow from my eyes. I always say, the fact that I didn’t grow with my father made me very strong. It got me determined because I knew there wasn’t a father there to point you out. Mothers will point you out but because she is a single mother, she’s got a lot of responsibility in her hands and she might neglect certain areas . So, it made me very strong.I am not close to my father’s side because you can imagine it, in the 70’s the black and white thing wasn’t really a good topic especially from the Dutch. So, we did not have that raport . He was actually like an outcast because he got married to my mom. I don’t have a link with them because he became an outcast and we didn’t have that relationship as a family. Black and white wasn’t a favorable topic in the 70’s, so it just didn’t work.So, what was his name?Vicker.How come you bear Van Vicker?Van means the son of (Mr. Vicker). So, I can continue to call my boys Van Vicker, so it is the son of that Vicker.What is your full name?Joseph Fhiphi Van Vicker. Fhiphi means, born on Friday; it is a Ghanaian name.After three children, should we expect more?I am done having children. Two girls and a boy are wonderful. I thank God because it is a blessing.What do you expect in 2010?I expect to boost my Foundation some more because I think I have gotten to a stage where a lot of youths look up to me as a model and I will love to encourage them in the best way that I can. I am going to boost my Foundation some more and I am going to reach out to more youths and helping them attain what is possible. I started off by donating to New Life International Orphanage .That for me was to kick start the whole thing and I am in collaboration with Nations Children in the US and a few other companies to be able to have a lot of them donate to my Foundation and in turn donating it to the orphanages in Ghana and possibly Liberia and Nigeria as well. So, my Foundation is paramount to me in 2010. It is unfortunate what has happened to Haiti . It could have happened to any other country. So, it is important that we all show our sympathy.I could have been in Haiti in the middle of January because I did make a pronouncement last year during my premier of Raj The Dancer in the US that I was going to shoot a movie in Haiti with a Jamaican star, a Caribbean star and an Asian star plus Africans and it could have been January 2010. I thank God for my life because I could have been in Haiti at about the time of the earthquake. I thank God but my sympathy goes out to all those who have lost their loved ones, families and relations and I am doing the best I can to help raise funds for Asians because I know I have a lot of Asian fans. My Foundation will raise funds and I also know that Nollywood is trying to raise funds and I am going to be part of that.I also want to be part of the benefit cause in Miami to help raise funds for Asians. Still speaking of 2010, I will produce more movies this year than last year because I also want to also push my directing and production career. It doesn’t mean I will not direct any other person’s movie. I will if I am approached. In 2010. I want to see Van in box office movies, be it mine or any other person’s and I still have a passion for shows and for showbiz. I love it and I will continue to do the best I can.... Are you doing condom indeed?No, I am notIt is something I am also planning to do in 2010. I will be coming out with my own merchandise which is a 2010 calendar. This is my first merchandise , my brand. I intend to come out with a perfume line, as well as clothing… who knows what else it could be? But the calendar is coming up in February and I am sorry for the delay but it’s got to do with the print delay in the US. My calendar will be sold all over the world. The US , Canada , Europe and Africa . So, that is the first of my merchandise but there is more to come. I want the Van Vicker brand to attain the highest height ever.
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