If you’ve never heard of Dorcas Shola Fapson, you’re probably not a big fan of the interwebs. Yeah, I said it. Repent, you under-rock-dweller. Miss DSF, as she brands herself, appears to be on a one-woman mission to colonise cyberspace.
From starring in hit web series Shuga, to hosting popular YouTube talk show The Juice, this lady has her finger in many pies. Dorcas has been busy! She’s also got social media locked down, with a huge following on Snapchat, thanks to her infectious inability to keep still whenever her favourite song(s) come(s) on.
Yeah, in case you couldn’t tell, I’m a fan and chatting to Miss DSF was a blast. So, other than being a lean, mean, web-conquering machine, what other weird and wonderful facts did I find out about the budding actress and TV personality?
Dorcas has always loved acting, but she only began pursuing it professionally three years ago. In that time, she’s managed to star in a successful series, host another one and develop a few upcoming projects as well. Clearly, the woman does not sleep.
Before the glitz and glam… Before clapperboards and red carpets… Dorcas studied Criminology. The University of Bedfordshire graduate is still very passionate about the subject, and hopes to do something in this field further down the line.
She is particularly interested in working with young offenders. Perhaps, in another life, we could have had a riveting documentary called Scared Straight with Sophie.
Though she now splits her time between Lagos and London, Dorcas is a self-confessed London girl.
‘Lowkey, I’m not a patient person. Sometimes when someone gives you an appointment, you might as well add two hours to that time. Lagos can be quite extreme and even scary.’
LGT – Las Gidi Time – can take a bit of getting used to for any brand new (albeit part-time) Lagosian. Between the traffic and how creative people can be with time-keeping, punctuality in Lagos can feel like a leftover bit of jet lag.
She already warned us about patience not being her strong suit, but Dorcas admits she can get very aggravated behind the wheel – hence her frequent ubering. I guess when she’s on the road, DSF is a clear instruction for other motorists: ‘Don’t Start Fights’. Or else, you might just get a Sophie-sized slap. Thankfully, Dorcas has avoided catching a case by taking a back seat and keeping her blood pressure low.
In true Nollywood fashion, a 14-year-old Dorcas took a short trip to Nigeria which turned out to be a year-long punishment for being *insert Nigerian complaint here*.
She recalls this impromptu relocation quite fondly since that 14-year-old girl never thought she would end up as a Lagos resident. I wonder why she got sentenced in the first place? For now, that story is password-protected.
Dorcas loves to imitate accents, and this wacky hobby has been with her since she was quite young.
‘I like accents. There was always one child who used to imitate my aunties and uncles – that was me. In my head, I would just mimic them – studying people, and they wouldn’t even know.’
Well, being a mischievous kid paid off when it was time to prepare for her starring role in Shuga. Goes to show that today’s annoying habit can be tomorrow’s method acting.
When asked what her favourite Naija-ism was, Dorcas instantly chose ‘consign’, as in ‘Wetin consign you? Mind ya business!’ or ‘What is your consign?’. It still cracks her up.
Yes, B2K – the obligatory black female millenials’ go-to crush circa early 2000s. Dorcas admits that she was convinced Omarion was her husband. We’ve been there, girl.
When I asked Dorcas if she has any quirky routines she absolutely has to follow before the director yells ‘Action!’, she had not one, but two.
Pray.
And Harlem Shake.
In that order.
See why I love her?
When it comes to Dorcas’ love for music, there’s definitely a running theme of YBNL love. Nigerian superstar rapper Olamide’s Who You Epp? is undoubtedly her theme tune, while her go-to move is none other than the shoki as made popular by the label boss’ protégé Lil Kesh. If Dorcas keeps this up, they might have to cut her an endorsement-sized cheque pretty soon.
With a good number of hosting gigs behind her, Dorcas has decided that 2017 is the year of returning to her first love – acting. Call it a new year’s resolution if you will, but Dorcas is hitting the ground running with a play called Decisions which she is currently developing. The loosely autobiographical play will explore key moments that have shaped her life thus far.
We might see less of Dorcas on the hosting front, but I have a strong feeling DSF will soon stand for Director, Scriptwriter and Filmmaker. This lady has big plans for the stage and screen, and she doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
And those amazing photos? Photography by @Fireshone, make-up artist @Ots_beauty and the stylist is @Aidstylin.