Interview of Chika Ikogwe by Freya Bennett
Chika Ikogwe is an award-winning actor and writer. She has worked extensively across stage, television, and film, with credits including the Emmy-winning series Heartbreak High on Netflix, ABC’s Mikki vs the World, and the feature film Land of Bad alongside Russell Crowe. We caught up with Chika to chat about her journey, her inspirations, and the little things that have been making her smile recently.
Hi Chika! How are you? What’s something unexpected that’s made you smile recently?
Hey hey hey! To be totally honest, I’ve been oscillating between the “this is fine” meme of the dog having a cup of tea in the middle of a burning house, and living in a state of deep gratitude. The world is kind of a lot right now, and it can get a little overwhelming if you’re not ignoring that fact. War, death, corruption, AI government officials, going to YO-CHI and finding out they’ve run out of pistachio sauce, etc. Humans aren’t designed to consume this much negativity every single day. I certainly ain’t! I’m just a girl! But balance is errythang, right? So I’ve been trying to lean into the things I’m grateful for. I’m super blessed to have an incredible community of people around me, I have a roof over my head, I can go for a long walk on the beach (my happy place), I can call my mum and she’ll pick up the phone, I can watch the sunrise, I’m alive, I’m healthy and I’m doing this interview with you! It’s the “little” things we often take for granted that have been making me smile recently.
What first sparked your passion for acting and writing when you were growing up, and how did that early inspiration guide you toward the career you have today?
Besides the usual theatre kid traits – class clown, super talkative and forcing my family to watch me perform in the living room – I used to be OBSESSED with a show called “That’s So Raven”, which was about a Black teenage girl who got visions of the future. Leading up to the vision, she’d either try to interfere with events to stop it from coming true, or try and accelerate the process so it could happen sooner. IYKYK! I’d watch the show as a kid and be so in awe of how someone I didn’t even know was able to bring me so much joy! Raven Baxter would educate me, provide belly laughs and make me think, all in one episode. I wanted in on being able to share that kind of joy with others!
Writing came a little later while I was in drama school. I was in my final year, looking at the industry here in Australia, and was like “Damn, where the hell am I?!” There were essentially no dark-skinned Black women in leading roles on stage or screen, so I decided to create my own. Since then, I’ve worked with Netflix, Stan, the ABC and have some pretty exciting projects of my own in development 🙂
You’ve taken on a wide range of roles across TV, film, and stage—what kind of story or character do you find yourself most drawn to, and why?
I’m mostly drawn to comedic, multidimensional, flawed, dramatic, heartwarming characters, but that’s probably a lot of people. Like, who doesn’t want to play a fun character that simultaneously challenges them as an artist, and the audiences that are watching? These roles can be few and far between though, especially for Black women in Australia, so I’m working on creating these characters in my own work. There are some pretty cool Black creators across stage and screen working to do the same, like Iolanthe, Chidiebube Uba, Kudakwashe, Nancy Denis, Pacharo Mzembe, Angela Mahlatjie, Belinda Jombwe, Mandela Mathia, Zufi Emerson, Huna Amweero, Leigh Lule, Gideon Wilonja, Amarantha Robinson and Winnie Mzembe, just to name a few! Put yo’ sunnies on people, ‘cause the future is bright!
What’s a role or project you’ve done that surprised you in how much you loved it?
I played a character called Mikki in ABC’s Mikki vs the World a few years back, and it remains one of the highlights of my career. It was the first television role I ever landed, and it was an absolute dream. Mikki was the enthusiastic, hilarious, rambunctious and impulsive lead character, and I couldn’t love her more! Working on that set was essentially my training ground for screen. Everyone on set, from the writers to the producers to the crew to the cast were an absolute joy to work with, and I’ll forever cherish the days spent filming that show.
Heartbreak High has become such a beloved show—what was your experience playing Jojo, and what do you think makes it resonate so deeply with audiences?
She’s grace, charm, intelligence and warmth, but enough about me, we’re here to talk about Jojo!! For real though, Jojo is all of those things tenfold. Something I’m super proud of is that fans of the show often tell me that Jojo is the kind of teacher they wish they’d had in school. I’m always deeply moved by this!
I think the show was such a hit due to a number of reasons. My mains would be that the creator, Hannah Carroll Chapman, is a faaaaaaabulous writer and collaborator, and she was incredibly intentional about ensuring our characters felt like real people. And the other reason is that the characters were diverse! They actually felt representative of the Australia we see every day on the bus, street etc, so I imagine it resonated with people both locally and internationally because they could see themselves.
Outside of acting, what’s something you love doing that helps you relax or recharge?
It depends on the day and what I’m recovering from, but generally speaking, I live for long walks on the beach, spending time with my friends (who all possess the unmatched ability to make me chortle with laughter), journalling, prayer, a spa day and sometimes a cheeky scroll on TikTok because people are so damn funny!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about working in this industry?
When I was in my first year at drama school, our cohort attended an MEAA industry event, and one of the panel members that day said something that stuck with me. I’m paraphrasing, but it was something like “When you’re performing on stage, it may be the first show someone in the audience has ever seen, and it could be someone’s last. Make it count. Give it your all.” So on the days when I’m exhausted, or the day’s been a bit rough, or I’ve faced whatever obstacle, I think back to this and remember what a privilege it is to be part of someone’s first or last theatre experience.
