When he landed a lead role in Teco Benson’s film State of Emergency in 2000, Nollywood actor Joe Tamuno-Bididamaa Tom West, popularly known as JT Tom West, was no stranger to Nollywood.
He had been around for a while.
The ponytail-loving, soft-spoken actor dominated Nollywood in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
A triple threat, JT Tom West was an accomplished director, dancer and singer and one of the brightest stars in Nigeria’s fledgling film industry.
However, his roles in other films such as “The Captor”, “The Price Weekend”, “She-Devil” and “Gangster Paradise” made him the toast of filmmakers and further propelled his career in the fledgling Hollywood film industry. Nigeria.
JT Tom West’s dreams were cut short when he was in a fatal car accident on September 25, 2008.
He had just finished a night shoot with two colleagues when the incident occurred.
He died three days later at Ikeja General Hospital, Lagos, due to internal bleeding, and the film never saw the light of day. She was 45 years old.
The industry wailed. The fans cried even more.
Sixteen years after his death, a notable Nigerian filmmaker, Teco Benson, would reveal his intimate moments with the late actor and how he took a risk by casting him in a film that finally gave him his big break.
State of emergency
Recalling his fond memories of the late actor, Mr. Benson told PREMIUM TIMES that he never gave him movie roles even though they were friends.
He said that it bothered JT Tom West so much that he challenged him.
He said: “He was a unique individual. I remember we were friends, but I wasn’t giving her a job. He didn’t fit into the kind of serious movies I was doing back then, so one day he said to me: ‘Teco, why don’t you give me a job?’
It made me feel bad, so I said, don’t worry, I’ll give you a movie role.”
Benson said that he was shooting a movie called ‘The Price’ in Calabar and that he needed to hire a playboy for the movie.
While it wasn’t a major role, he said it marked the beginning of a blossoming relationship between them.
He said, “Later in 2000, when I was planning to film the state of emergency, I invited JT over and reminded him of my earlier promise. I told him that the only problem that he starred us in the face is his ponytail hairstyle. I told him that if he is to play this role, he must cut this hair, and I told him that the role would change his destiny forever.
He said no, he could never cut his hair. It’s impossible, but she asked me to give her the script to go home.
“He took the script from me; she went home, the next morning she said, ‘Well, the script is lovely, but unfortunately I can’t get a haircut. So I said okay, I’ve done my best, so I’ll start looking for someone else, but I had you in mind.”
Benson said that JT’s next move caught him off guard.
“JT Tom West came into my office and then he opened his handkerchief, and I saw that he was clean shaven. I shed tears of joy. He said that the script blew his mind and that movie was ‘The State of Emergency’, which I shot 22 years ago”.
Legacy
Two decades later, the film is still providing him with a steady income and income stream.
He said: “That movie became a monster hit. I don’t think there is any film in Nigeria that has become as successful as State of Emergency. That’s why I say that JT is irreplaceable. His role was one of the things that stood out about the film. He was a very versatile and disciplined actor. To this day, (the film) is still being sold as a new film. You know I produced it in partnership with a company, Ossy Affason. Even online, it generates good reviews and comments. Saint Obi was one of the stars of that film.
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Born on July 9, 1965, JT was famous for his roles in action movies, especially the classic “State of Emergency.”
He acted alongside Saint Obi, Bimbo Manuel, Ejike Asiegbu in the movie.
His rugged good looks ensured he always played the tough guy in movies, but he was equally adept at playing romantic roles.
JT Tom West hailed from Rivers State and was survived by a son.
Check out JT Tom West’s iconic role in State of Emergency here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYFR_QM3yVY&t=739s