Transitions are nothing new for actor Sallieu Sesay. He immigrated to the United States at the age of three from Sierra Leone and he says, it was rough. Learning new languages and societal customs was a difficult transition for him and his family.
They were hardworking immigrants who made their living as janitors. “I hope this isn’t violating any labor laws, because at 10-years-old, I was helping them,” said Sesay.
When Sesay was 14-years-old, his paternal grandfather passed away. When his father returned from the funeral in Sierra Leone, “he had this great idea.” He wanted to move the family back to Sierra Leone.
“He had like this midlife crisis,” said Sesay. “My mother wanted to wait until my siblings and I finished college, got our degrees, but my dad was very driven, and he wanted to go back.”
Shortly after that, another transition happened. Sesay’s father left and went back to Africa. Sesay says from that point forward, he didn’t have a father figure.
Sesay is now a father himself. He has daughter age 11 and a son who is seven. “They are a huge motivation for me, same with my mom too,” said Sesay.
He and his children’s mother were a family unit, but then their relationship transitioned into a shared custody situation. “Parents are important and that’s really why I try to stay in my kids’ lives,” said Sesay.
“It can be a frustrating situation when things don’t work out with your ex, but not having a father in my life, nothing is going to stop me from being in theirs,” Sesay said.
In Sesay’s acting career, he has transitioned from the stage, “playing all kinds of characters, using all kinds of voices, and mannerisms” to acting on television, and film.
In the thrilling dramatic feature “Manodrome,” Sesay transitions into what he calls, “one of the most pivotal roles of his career.” He stars in the film as Ahmet opposite “The Social Network” actor, Jesse Eisenberg.
“This is the biggest project I’ve worked on to date with regards to everyone who is involved,” said Sesay. “Our director is John Trengrove and in addition to Jesse Eisenberg, it stars Adrien Brody and Odessa Young – this thing is epic!”
The official online plot description of “Manodrome” is the story of a New York Uber driver named Ralphie, played by Eisenberg, who is struggling to make ends meet with his pregnant partner, Sal. Ralphie is introduced to an intense all-male self-help group by a friend and after suffering a breakdown, he descends into madness, tapping into his destructive and violent instincts.
It is a nihilistic thriller with LGBTQ+ themes. “My character is described as having an outgoing and magnetic personality,” said Sesay. “He is also a first-generation immigrant, which aligns with who I am.”
Explaining his character, Sesay said, “He’s also comfortable in his own skin and a force of nature.” Sesay says, he did a lot of research for the role with friends who are in that specific culture (LGBTQ+).
“There’s a whole backstory to this guy (his character Ahmet). I had to meet with the people from that culture, talk with them, interview them, have some laughs with them, have cries with them to really understand that background,” said Sesay.
He even went to “different venues” to see “how these people walk, talk, mingle and cohabitate.”
Sesay says, it was an educational experience. “I have a level of understanding I didn’t have before.”
“Manodrome” recently screened during the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival held February 16-26, 2023.