Mawuli Gavor ACTOR, TV PRESENTER, AND MODEL. The Ghanaian born star is a true gentleman. When I introduced the concept of Krème chats to Mawuli Gavor, he took a look at my content and said "pretty positive stuff. Let's do it" and we arranged a time. We had to reschedule a few times because of scheduling conflicts and technical issues, and he was extremely patient and understanding throughout. Thank you Mawuli ! May your star continue to shine bright.
How important is skincare and grooming to you?
Skincare has always been important. I'm not the most elaborate skincare user. Luckily, I don't have terrible skin. I haven't had to deal with too many problems. So, I stick to basics and that is about it.
What kind of products do you use on a daily basis?
I try to keep things simple. Mostly I use cocoa butter or Shea butter. I try to clean my skin as much as possible. I'm not big on products and enhancements. If it's something natural, I'll love it. But for the most part a lot of products are things that you don't necessarily need. So, I just do what I think is necessary and try to leave it at that.
Do you have a special routine for your beard?
I don't treat it with products daily. I do have a shaving routine. For instance, before I shave I do a hot water treatment on my skin. and after shaving I use bump patrol
Do you think men feel comfortable talking about their skincare regime?
I don't think so. The natural inclination is to think that all these skincare things are for ladies. But the reality is that we all have the same skin. Skin is skin, so whether you are a man or a woman you need to take care of your skin.
Men like to be simple. In our minds, we are like "we don't need all this extra fluff". Now, I do think you need some of the 'fluff', but I agree that there are some men that take it too far; some people have products for everything, like products for your eyebrows, and 10 products for your hair. I think a man needs to have basic grooming techniques, but hey every man for himself. If you want to have 10 products for your hair, it's up to you. Do your thing.
LeBron or Steph Curry? Who is your favorite player and why?
My favorite player is JR Smith (laughs). I used to be a Kobe Bryant fan, so ever since he retired I haven't supported one particular team. I really don't mind if a team won. So, for the last NBA finals I was supporting LeBron but I didn't mind when Curry won. I like Steph Curry, but LeBron's LeBron man!
Growing up in Africa it was never a priority for men to workout. Now it's a thing. Why do you think working out has become a priority to men?
I think for men, it's a knock-on effect; once enough people start working out, then others start working out. No one wants to have everyone else walking around them looking more fit than them. In the past, everyone was all fat with a belly together, but now if you're the guy with the belly and you look at your colleague looking fit and trim then you're thinking "ah ah what have I been doing?" I guess for all of us (men and women) it's the same, where you see others being healthy and you realize you want to be healthy as well.
Your go to look when working is a well fitted/tailored suit. Why?
Well I guess I'm one of those people that are either doing 0 or doing 100. I feel like if I am going to go, I might as well go all the way. If I'm going to dress up, I wouldn't want to just wear a suit and a tie. If I'm going to dress up, I might as well wear a three-piece suit, with a lapel pin and hat, or whatever. If I'm not going to dress up, I'll wear a t-shirt. But I don't do in-between; I'm either really casual or completely dressed up.
Who is your favorite men's tailor?
I don't have one particular brand/person. I like reliable people. I've tried a few people and right now I am on the prowl for a new partner. I try to work with new upcoming people. I am yet to find that one partner that is always reliable. People start off really well, but after the third or fourth order they mess you up. Â
If you were asked to put on a ton of weight for the role of a lifetime, would you?
No. Unlikely! No no no! (Laughs) Acting is a job, my physique is my life. If I was putting on or losing weight to please myself, I could do it. It takes me way too long to get in shape for me to play around with getting out of shape. Maybe if this was Hollywood where we had access to trainers and proper diet plans, where you are able to get things right in a few months, then I would do it because I know I would be able to bounce back. Currently our system does not facilitate that at all. It's not a game we can afford to play in our part of town. Gaining weight and losing weight?! Ah, it'll take me 2 years to get back to being fit (laughs). And because of one movie??!! Maybe if you pay me so I don't have to work for another 3 years, we can talk about it.
Name one person that inspired your career choice.
Not really. I watch a lot of film and TV so I can't say there is one person. Also, I never really planned to get into acting. I sort of fell into it, and I happened to be good enough at it. I may not be the best, but I'm at least good enough. It came my way, and I was able to do the best with it.
However, I have been fortunate enough to interact with a couple of people who have inspired me to do a bit more. Like in Nigeria, I worked with RMD (Richard Mofe Damijo), and he is still someone I talk to and draw inspiration from. It's pretty amazing to have someone like him to learn from. I was also able to work with Idris Elba a little bit, and he's also a huge personality. When you see how these people have been able to survive in this industry it's something to aspire to. So yeah, no one particular person inspired me. But I've definitively had a lot of support. Chris Attoh was a huge supporter of mine; he believed me in me when no one even knew my name. he used to tell me, "bro, you're going to be big". He'd introduce me to people or go fight for me to get roles. And he didn't have to; technically I was his competition. Most people wouldn't want to see other people rise because these people are going to give you competition. Most other people wouldn't want to see you succeed, but he did quite the opposite. He is actually one of the main reasons I ended up moving to Nigeria. I have had a lot of help and support. People have been nice to me. I am thankful for all the support I have received.
Beauty is.....
Is whatever you want it to be. When I was younger I had a myopic view of what beauty is. But after a while you come to realize that beauty is completely subjective. Some people like big girls, some people like skinny girls. So, beauty is not one particular thing.
Which woman embodies African beauty?
I'd say Peace Hyde. She is one of the most strikingly beautiful and amazingly intelligent people that I know. So, she is obviously ridiculously beautiful; she could wear a cement bag and she would still look beautiful. But there's also enough information out there that you know immediately that she is also a smart ambitious hard working intelligent woman. It's like the 2 of them hit you at the same time. Having those 2 qualities doesn't get more African than that.
Advice to aspiring actors/entertainers
Go into it with both eyes open. If it's something that actually makes you happy then no matter what you are getting back from it, ultimately, you will be fine; you are going to be happier than most.