Nollywood Photo Blog

Happy birthday to Omotola Jalade Ekeinde

2014-02-07T17:53:00.001+01:00

Omotola Jalade was born on the February 7th, 1978 Omotola Jalade Ekeinde hails from a family of five. Born into the family of now late Mr and Mrs Shola Jalade She is the only female in her family.

She has two male siblings named Tayo Jalade and Bolaji Jalade. She had her Nursery learning in Christland Nursery School established in Opebi, Lagos state Nigeria and her primary learning at Oxford Children School Santos layout.

She furthered her lesser learning in Command Secondary School in Kaduna. Omo se*y is successfully married to Captain Matthew Ekeinde, a pilot by occupation. The couple together have four attractive children.

Omotola is a thriving actress with countless years of know-how acting emotional functions in major Nollywood videos. She go in limelight in the early 90s with her first role in Mortal Inheritance.

She actually resides in a lofty mansion with her married man in Iba locality of Lagos State Nigeria. Omotola was lately dotted in London, UK during the Premiere of Last flight to Abuja movie and recently named amongst the 100 most influential people in the world by Forges Magazine.

The Omo sexy name is the customized plate number of her Chevrolet Jeep Another plate number tagged “Omotola1″ is the personalized plate number on her BMW. This post was uploaded to coincides with her birthday. Happy birthday to the screen goddess!!!

A Pictorial Glance at Mercy Johnson of Nollywood

2014-02-06T17:27:00.003+01:00

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People refer to you as the sexiest actress in Nollywood. Do you actually think you are?
No! Every woman is sexy in her own way. I’ll just say I’m okay.
What defines a sexy woman?
I think being sexy is not all about beauty. It’s not about exposing yourself unnecessarily. Being sexy is a personal thing. It’s what a particular person portrays in everything she does. Someone might have a sexy way of talking, or a sexy way of appealing to people. A woman appeals to people in different ways. Being sexy in itself is large. You can’t quantify it.
How is it with you and negative report?
For sometime now, it’s really been frustrating. I guess some people are really trying to frustrate me. But I think it’s just a small price to pay for what I get. It’s a little price to pay for everything I get as Mercy Johnson. The negative side is alarming and heart-breaking, but the positive side still carries much weight.
Is it also true that you cut your hair to further portray the much-talked-about sexy looks?
The movie I did for Desmond Elliot was the major reason I cut my hair. It was strictly for the movie.
People call you rave of the moment in the movie industry. How does it feel to carry that tag?
The industry is just too wide for competition. It is a place people come in and keep coming in and your footprint is still there. It’s extremely large. You just can’t have all the fans. You can be the hottest thing happening but you can’t be everything to everybody. Everybody has his or her fans. I’ll say I’m doing well, but not the rave of the moment.
How often do you go on location?
Every week. I’m on set every week. But I’m taking a break for now, so I can look fresh before I travel.
Where are you traveling to?
I’m going on tour of the whole of Europe to meet my fans.
That is a lot of money for you, isn’t it?
God is good (laughs)!
Would you have still been fulfilled if you weren’t an actress?
I think it takes more than luck to make the right choice. I believe in faith and redemption and I believe in myself. It’s not about being an actress. I said earlier that if I wasn’t an actress. I would have loved presenting. I think I still would have been fulfilled because fulfillment is just about doing the right thing well and getting to the apex of your assignment.
Are you in any relationship now?
Mmm… yes!
Between your relationship and your career, which comes first?
It will be my relationship.
So your relationship can cause you to stop being an actress?
There are certain stages you get to and you take some things more seriously. We’re not in the western world. This is Africa, and this is an environment where you need to regard people more than accomplishment. And when I say relationship, I don’t mean boyfriend and girlfriend relationship alone. It means that if I get married today, my marriage comes first. My relationship comes before my career. But right now it is your seriousness that gets you to that point. It’s just like you’re asking me which is going to be more important between my kids and my work; it’s going to be my kids.
Is your boyfriend not complaining about media reports on you?
He complains once in a while because you people can actually split a home atimes. He complains and we quarrel once in a while about some write-up he reads. But, above all, he understands.
With your busy schedule, does that mean it’s a good-bye to Lagos State University (LASU)?
No, I am not saying good-bye to LASU.
So, what’s going to happen to LASU?
I’m still schooling, though it’s not been easy at all.
But I learnt you deferred your study, how true?
Yes, but I’m going to resume fully next session.
Are you sure you will have time to be serious in school?
Yes, I’m going to be serious.
I read recently that you had a carry-over or some problems with lecturers in school. What actually went wrong?
It’s normal for a student to have problem in school, I don’t know why people keep writing unnecessary things. I don’t know why my own should be so obvious. Why can’t they report good things that I do? It’s only the bad things that happen that they get to say.
What does love mean to you?
Love is respect. Love is commitment. Love is being there when it matters most. Love is putting your loved ones first. It’s sacred.
What does your boyfriend do?
He’s not really a press person. He is abroad.
Why is everybody dating someone abroad, are we guys here not up to the task?
It’s not about you selecting people, it’s about the person that comes to you and flows with you. You can’t go for what doesn’t want you; you go for what wants you.
For how long have you been dating?
Almost three years now.
How does he feel when he hears about your stuffs that are supposed to be under wraps being discussed in public?
Sometimes he calls me and says guess where I am and I would say work. He’ll then say people are talking about your hips. But most times we just laugh over it.
How often do you guys see?
We see very often. Whenever I travel, we see. Whenever he’s around, we see. He’s usually around; he’s even around at the moment because of my birthday which is on the 28th of August.
How old will you be then?
Why would you want me to tell you that? So that in ten years, you people can say she’s going to be sixty.
For how long have you been in Nollywood?
Let me say four to five years.
Who introduced you to Nollywood?
A very good friend of mine, his name is Oscar Ray.
Which was your first movie?
The title of my first movie is The Maid.
Is acting all you want to do?
No, acting is not all I want to do. I have lots of things I want to do. I really love to do something that’ll enable me give back to society that has given me the chance and has made me somebody. I was just a little girl with nothing but a dream. So, every time I see girls that are in my former condition, it really make me wants to reach out.
Have you ever had a nasty encounter with a fan?
One happened at a parking lot when I was traveling to

Benin

. I had gone to the car to pick up my things. While I was doing that, someone just bumped on me and was like, ‘Oh! I like your films, and can I get a hug’. And then I consented. But to my utmost amazement the guy kissed me.
I wish I was in the guy’s shoes (general laughter). So what happened after the kiss?
Well, I was extremely surprised and just had to let go.
What can you say about the rumour of you and Rukky Sanda fighting over D’banj?
I don’t really know what to say about that. I’ve never met D’banj before and don’t even know what he looks like. And I don’t know Rukky.
Your boyfriend is in Spain and you’re in Nigeria. What do you do those times you need that irresistible romantic touch?
We speak a lot on phone and we’re extremely close despite the distance.
Can telephone conversations substitute for the real thing?
Yeah! Closeness in any form, as long as you talk all the time. Communication makes you feel closer.
What happens to sexual temptation?
(Laughs). What’s the meaning of that? Common, Fimi sile jo (please leave me alone).
What do you do when you’re tempted?
I’m never tempted at all.
Even a saint like me gets tempted sometimes.
You never told me you’re a saint, Samuel.
What was it like the first time you were in bed with a man?
No comment (laughs)!

You seem the rave of the moment; you are virtually in every movie. What’s magic?
I am not in every movie o. But I am trying. I tell you, it is just hard work, and there is nothing more to it. I don’t know anybody; I am just on my own. It is only God that I have. It is awesome. I don’t even believe it myself. I can only say it is a favour from God.
So the long months of countless auditions have paid off now…
Yes o. I tell you, I attended countless auditions. I didn’t understand what was happening anymore. I woke up early in the morning and I was at the national theatre going through many auditions. That is why I tell you my success now is basically hard work. I was dedicated. I knew what I wanted and I had to go for it. I was all out for it.
When did the big break come?
I tell you, it came with the first movie I featured in. The Maid by Kenneth Nnebue, was a hit and I played the lead role.
So you never played any waka pass role…
I did not. You can check my profile.
When did you come into the industry?
I came in 2001. But I started acting professionally in 2002. I am now into it fully.
What made you take up acting?
I would say ‘who’ and not ‘what’. I wanted to be like somebody. I saw Genevieve Nnaji on screen when she acted Sharon Stone and I just wanted to be like her. It wasn’t as if I was so much in love with the acting profession. Genevieve was just like the motivating factor. I saw her and I was tripped.
Do you think you are like her now?
I am nowhere near her. I am still learning.
So you don’t even have any intention of leaving the industry since you are aiming to be like Genevieve…
I may move. I have other things on my mind now. I would want to go into some other things later. For now, I am still concentrating on my career. I have not gotten to the level I would want to be. I am being focused right now. I want to go higher than where I am now.
How high do you want to get?
Very high. It is not as if I want to be a Hollywood star. I don’t even want that. Nollywood is blooming and expanding. I want to be a part of that progression. I want to learn more in directing, acting and every other thing. I want to be here when we get to the zenith in the entertainment industry.
How many movies have you featured in since you joined?
They are not that many. I think I have done well over 25 or 30 movies.
These days, you don’t have to lobby movies…
In fact, they are even looking for me right now.
Everybody wants you to be in his or her movie, you must be feeling…
I am just like the girl next door. I come from a very humble background. I am an Igbira babe. I am very down to earth. Anytime I want to do something, I look back. I remember where I am coming from and I think twice. I wouldn’t have been where I am today if not because of where I came from. I thank God for everything. There is no change in me. I am still the same person I have always been. I lost my privacy but it’s fine.
You lost your privacy, yes. But you should be happy with the razzmatazz in your profession…
Not really. There are things I cannot do any more. But I see it as a sacrifice.

Will you swap Acting with any other profession?
I will not. Even for the whole luxury in China.
How much were you paid in the first movie you acted?
I did it for free. But when the movie came out, the producer called me and gave me N50, 000. According to him, I did so well. So I see it like a gift and not payment for a job.
How much do you pocket these days?
Come on! Why should I tell you? I will tell you later but not now please. But all I can tell you is that I am very comfortable.
How do you cope with the challenges of being an actress?
It is not easy o. People expect so much from you. They seem to forget that you are a human being. They see you as a superstar. But in any case, I just believe in being myself. I try not to embarrass my fans; at the same time, I try to live my life. Come on, this life is meant to be lived.
But what are those things you can no longer do because you are an actress?
I don’t think I should tell you.
Just tell me…
Hmmmm… It is so annoying. Well, I and my friends used to go somewhere in Shitta (Surulere) to eat amala. I can no longer do that. I can no longer eat boli (roasted plantain) on the road like I use to.
Is that all?
It is not all o. These days I have to go to Shoprite to buy things and I even have to be careful the way I walk. I cannot even go to Yaba anymore
So you used to go to Yaba (Okirika) market to shop?
Ha! Why are you doing this to me? I didn’t say I shop in Yaba.
I know. But at least you used to buy some things there.
I have told you. I buy things in the boutique. I don’t buy them at Yaba market.
How old are you?
I am a very young girl.
Can you give me a figure, please?
Do you know what I am scared of?
What?
If I tell you I am 22 right now, by the time I spend another ten years in the industry people will now know I am 32 and I don’t want that.
So you are 22 years old?
I didn’t say that o. Lets’ just say I am in my early twenties.
Since you are this ‘young’, marriage shouldn’t be on your list.
It is o! Ha! Are we friends at all?
But you claim you are ‘very young’…
I don’t know what to say again o. Okay, I am not yet 25 but just take it I am in my early twenties like I said before. It is not as if I am thinking about marriage right now. But it is an opportunity every woman would not want to give up or allow to pass her by. The earlier you begin to get serious with a particular relationship, the better for you.
So let’s just say I am ‘arranging’ myself now for marriage.
So you are in a relationship…
Oh yes. I am in a very serious relationship.
Will this relationship lead to marriage?
Oh! Have you not seen my engagement ring? It is white gold!
What if he tells you to quit acting?
He loves my job. Peradventure he tells me to quit, I will beg him and I will beg him and I will beg him. If he insists, I will quit but I will still be in the entertainment industry.
Is the guy in your industry?
Hell no!
Hell no? Were you not doing something with Nonso Diobi back then?
Ha! Nonso is my very good friend. I just finished speaking with him now. I don’t have any relationship with him. I even know his girlfriend.
What of Benedict Johnson?
He is my friend. People even think we are related since we share the same surname, but we are not. He is an Igbo guy. We are very close. I am not dating him.
So you are saying you have not dated an actor…
Eemmm… Can I tell you later?
Why not tell me now?
No.
This ‘no’, is it for me or for the public?
You really want to put me in trouble. My answer is no.
But what of that guy that bought that Rav 4 for you?
Ha! I bought my car by myself.
What!
I said I bought my car myself. But I am working. What would I use my money for? I bought my Honda by myself.
I am talking about the Rav 4 and not the Honda. We hear that you dumped the guy after he bought the Rav 4 for you.
I heard that story as well. But honestly, I bought the car myself. I am making my money. No matter how small, it is still my money.
You are a student of Lagos State University…
Yes.

But we hear you are no longer there.
Did you?
Yes. We hear your G.P was less that one point so you were asked to withdraw from the school.
Well, I saw something on the net with the caption, ‘An Illiterate Star’ with my picture on it. I really felt bad. People had to comment on that.
Since you think it is just a rumour, where do you think it came from?
I don’t know and I don’t intend to find out.
So you are saying you are a bona fide student of LASU…
Yes. I knew when I was coming into this industry; there might be some scandals. But I tell you, this illiterate own really got to me.
Did it get to you as much as it got to you when they said you sleep around with different men?

It is still better than somebody calling me an illiterate star. I felt bad.
Do you think these scandals will affect you in any way?
I make mistakes. I am human after all. I am not perfect. But what makes me a person is the ability to fall and stand up again. Even if I am an illiterate, I still have time to buckle up. Once there is life, there is hope. I am not going to fight anybody concerning this scandal. People have their right to their opinion. I am still going on with my work and doing all the things I should do. I am not going to allow such rumour to affect me. I am living my life like Mercy. That I felt bad about that didn’t mean I had to stop doing my work.

Since you said you are still a student, how are you combining your studies with your career?
I would be lying if I tell you I go to school all the time. It has been pretty difficult. But I just try to do my best.
Which of the actors do you love working with the most?
I love working with all of them. They all have their weak points and their strengths. But I do enjoy all the actors I work with. I don’t have any problems with them.
How come people say you are wild?
Do you mean ‘wild’ as in the roles I play?
No, they say you are wild even in reality.
I don’t know o. I can’t judge myself. But I know I am not wild.
What do your parents do when they read and hear such bad stuff about you?
They just encourage me. My family has been great to me. They all knew it is part of my job and they try to encourage me all the way.
What is the toughest role you have played?
I see all the role I play as a challenge. I always try my best in all of them. I give each and every one of them the same dedication and all that.

Since there is a heavy rivalry amongst actresses, who is your own rival now?
I don’t have any rival. The industry is too big for me to have a rival.
Okay. Who do you envy?
I don’t envy anybody. I only admire Genevieve. She is my idol. I just can’t compare her with anybody.
Have you had an opportunity of working with her?
Yes. I have worked with her twice. She is wonderful. I didn’t even work; I would just say I was learning. While she was acting, I was just looking at her. When I met her, it was like a dream come true.
What is your vision?
I want to get to the zenith of my career. In the nearest future, I think I would want to give back to this society that has given me so much. I am going to go into charity. I may not need to give anybody millions, but the little I can do, I hope to do it.

Presenting little known Nollywood actress Maureen DaSilva

2013-09-10T16:35:00.001+02:00

Queen Nwokoye - Nollywood Actress

2013-06-18T16:22:00.002+02:00

How would you describe awards events being done in Nigeria?

I think awards events in Nigeria are beautiful, because we have put a lot of hard work and they are ways to recognize our hard in the industry.

Do they really reward merit?

Umm, yes, I think so.

What is your definition of fashion?

Fashion is just you; it is what makes you very comfortable and what you are comfortable in. It is what makes you feel special when you are

in the midst of people. That is what fashion means to mean.

What informs what you wear?

Umm, well, I have always grown up feeling like a princess, that has in a way, shaped my fashion sense. Like I am now, looking like a princess (she makes a slow and steady spin).

But they can’t see you (laughs)?

That is for your eyes only (laughs).

What is your favourite food?

Oh, I love breadfruit, it is my best food.

Why?

Because it is not common, and also, the time spent in making it, anything you take your time to do, always come out good.

Where is your favourite hang-out?

I rarely hang-out (laughs).

What do you do with your leisure time?

I listen to good music, and I watch movies at home. I do sometimes unwind with friends, but that is not what I do with most of my leisure time.

How does it feel winning Fresh and Scandal Free actress award at the Best of Nollywood Awards?

(Laughs) I don’t know, honestly, I even think it is even putting me into a lot of troubles, because a lot people are having high expectations from me, which I don’t like. But I feel very happy and joyful, but I hope they would continue to allow me to stay fresh and scandal free (laughs).

What was your reaction when you first heard that you were nominated in that category?

I was like what! I have never heard of it before (laughs), I thought I was hearing the wrong thing. But I just took it that way, especially when the industry has been tagged a scandal-filled industry. So, I thought that if they feel like honouring those who have managed to stay scandal free in a scandalous industry, like they try to portray us, which we are not, then I should be glad that some people feel there are still some good people in the industry.

And when you were announced the winner, what was running through your mind?

I wasn’t really expecting it, I had a lot of my friends in that category, it wasn’t like a competition to me, but honestly, I was shocked. Well, I still thank God and I feel happy.

Now that you have won this award, what are your expectations?

Well, I will continue to live my life the way I have been doing. Like I said, it has never been a big problem living the quiet life I have been living before now; I just hope the press will let me be (laughs). But I really want to thank the press for not reporting things I didn’t do. I think they actually helped me get this award. For some reasons, I think my lifestyle appeals to them. Even before I received the nomination, I started seeing it in the media (online and print), I started asking myself where it was coming from. To my expectation, I will continue to be who I am and setting good example to young ladies out there. All eyes will be on me now, if I bring out my right foot, they will write that I brought out my left one, which is now my fear (laughs). Well, we are in the world, things come, things go, whatever that comes, I will take.

Now, how will you manage it, when bad stories about you start coming?

I will not do anything because obviously, it comes with the job. Now I know it might come. But oh God, help me, I know when that bridge comes, I am going to cross it. But I will still live my normal life, unless they are going to start making up stories about me, but if that doesn’t happen, I don’t think I always live a clean, plain and quiet life. If they write anything thing negative about me, just know that it is false or just writing script about me (laughs).

What is the secret being you being a scandal free actress?

Honestly, I don’t know, sometimes, I think it is because of my upbringing, maybe the way I am. I don’t just know, I just leave my life. I grew up as with a vice principal as my mother, you know what being in that kind of house would do to you. My grandparents were village headmasters. Maybe along the line, I took one or two things from the. All in all, I have always lived a normal life, even while in school.

What is that thing you can never be caught with?

Hmm, to a great extent, lying, I don’t like telling lies. I don’t think I can ever be caught lying. I always believe that when you say the truth, in 10 years time, you don’t have to think before saying what you said 10 years ago, when asked same thing again. My mum used to tell me then that, “it is better for you to be anything else other than a liar, because a liar can do anything.” She made us to believe that we won’t get punished for saying the truth, instead, we would get corrected if we did something the wrong way. So, I grew up with that. .

Any words to your fans?

My fans, I have the best fans in the whole world, I am telling you the truth. I love them, and everything I have ever done and achieved is for them. I want to say thank you to all of them. Thank you for standing by me through rough times. I want to tell them that I truly love them with all my heart. This award Fresh and Scandal Free Actress is dedicated to them.

Congratulations.

Presenting Nollywood Actress Empress Njamah

2013-03-28T14:33:00.000+01:00

We learn you are now a make-up artiste. How did you find yourself in this field?

I've been doing this for a long time. I don't have an office yet because I do a lot of things, so I really want to be sure of what I want to open an office for. The bridal make-up comes up almost every weekend. From one job, I get another job and I get another job from that one. Bridal make-up has been very okay.

You are into interior dÃ©cor as well,

I do that as well. I just finished working on a hotel in Calabar. It took me almost three months to complete the job.

But how did you come into this line? We thought acting was your love?

I don't like being idle; I'm always up and doing. I like to venture into a lot of things. I like to do new things. Acting is obviously in me. Acting is beautiful; it pays. But I just like to venture into a lot of things. But I love everything I do.

But don't you feel bad that you are no longer acting in movies like most of your contemporaries?

I really don't have a problem with that. Acting is not what you can retire from. Acting is always there for any good actor. I just finished a job, which would be premiered in the US and Canada. I would rather be into one beautiful big project, where you can demonstrate your talent. I don't want to continue doing this home video thing; I want to do movies. I'm not a square peg in a round hole. Most people who know me also know I'm good, I'm okay. I've three scripts right now. Each time I get scripts, my brothers and I talk about them.

Some people might say you went off the screen because the scripts weren't coming any longer.

Not at all! It is not true. I was in Germany for about five months. I was also in the UK for some period of time doing some things I don't want to talk about right now. I've been okay with what I've been doing. I shot a movie late last year. I was in Owerri. Mike Ezuruonye was also in the movie. I did the movie because it was so challenging. We rehearsed with real guns in the movie. It is not the usual kind of movie we are used to everyday.

Tell us what it is like being in a family of actors.

It is just like asking me how it is being in a family of doctors. There is nothing wrong with acting or engineering. It is fun and interesting. It is something we can all sit down and talk about. It helps to have a brother who does the same thing that you do. We learn from each other.

Timaya said one of his greatest regrets was having you as his girlfriend. Did you hurt him that much for him to have said that?

Ah! Empress! Seriously, I told myself that I wasn't going to talk about this in the papers because I've learnt a lot. I've learnt that being good is not really a good thing in this country. Trying to help people is not a good thing too. Whatever you do, people will try to criticise you. I've always been a good person. Apart from the fact that people are not blind, apart from the fact that people are not dumb to know the truth, I don't have to go to the papers to justify what happened in that relationship. But I've been in the spotlight before he ever thought of getting there. People have always known me for being nice. I hate proud people; so, I will not boast about things I did for people. It is so glaring who should really go to the papers and say the relationship was a mistake. I don't want to criticise anybody. I don't want to talk about it. I still give God the glory. Without events, there won't be history. It has made me not to trust people or live my life for them.

We learnt you wanted to sue him.

We had a case recently and people said I sued Timaya for an X amount of money. Obviously, money is not my problem. I started making money long before Timaya ever thought of seeing millions. I just did what I had to do. Let me give you a hint. We had some issues and I basically avoided this same person for close to two years. I had my reasons. He was somebody I was close to for a period of time and I know what he can or can't do. So, I avoided him. I will just say that Timaya was obsessed with me. He saw me driving at a particular time, he overtook me, stopped in front of me, pulled me off my car and beat me up. I did what I had to do. I had to go to the police and report the case with the pictures of my face swollen and all of that. I took the case very far. I had two lawyers. But for the love of Christ, I had to let the case go. I've been in this business for a long time. If I go to the papers, people might say Empress wants attention. How can I crave attention when I've had it for so long? He went to the papers and he got talking and talking and I was reading and laughing. I didn't say a word all through that period. The fear of God and maturity had to come in. Many journalists called me to get my comments. I always told them I didn't want to comment on the issue.

But would you, like him, say you regret the relationship?

It is obvious. I would have used that period of time to better other people's lives or concentrate on my job or my family. But I was living my life for people who didn't deserve it. If I had listened to one of his new tracks before I dropped that case, I don't think I would have dropped the case. I may preach about Christ and love, but I'm human. There are things that you should just let go. Can you imagine the arrogance? Music is not meant for you to come out and brag about what you don't have. I respect Tuface a lot. He sings songs that make meaning. He is not bragging about what he is not and you can learn through his music. His music is inspiring. If you have a problem with someone, face the problem. Do you have to sing about it? Why not do something that people can embrace, something that can go farther than this country? Why would you waste your time and go to the studio only to come out singing about an actress? Empress was something he regretted yet he sang with my name. Empress was somebody you regretted, yet you used my brothers' names in your song. E dey pepper you for bodi so much. It is because I'm or I was so important in his life. You regret Empress yet you gave me a ring? Please! It is high time we stopped talking trash. I might have said I don't want to talk about this but right now, I don't think I would mind having one on one debate with him. But then, I'm too much for such. It is obvious who should regret the relationship. It is obvious who should be thankful. In life, when you achieve something you never believed you will achieve, it is like a blow to them.

How did you feel when he beat you up?

How else would a battered woman feel? You will feel angry and frustrated. At that point, a lot of things will go through your mind. This is not what I want to talk about in the papers. It is not a good thing for any female. I'm going to do a movie on people who hit women. It is not something I want to rush into. I want to do it right.

How come your brothers kept quiet if you said he beat you up?

My brothers didn't keep quiet. They were not brought up to be brutal. A lot of friends wanted to fight for me. A lot of musicians were on my side. One of my brothers wanted to be confrontational. But I told them that two people can't be mad at the same time. The way we were trained is obviously different from the way some other people were trained. My brothers will always respect my feelings. John is a triple black belter. He doesn't even need to fight. He will just hit you one place and you will die. He is one of the best in karate and you know these people are trained not to get angry. He is calm.

Would you have married Timaya?

I would have made my mother the saddest woman on the face of this earth if I'd married Timaya. I would have sent my mother to an early grave. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is my happiness. My mother has never advised me wrongly and she has never advised me to be involved in anything evil. If I had moved out of my family house, I would have been wayward. But when you are under the umbrella of a good parent, you will hardly go astray. If I try to go astray, my mum will put me on the right track since I'm still living under her roof. If I had wanted to rent my own flat, I would have rented over 100 flats.

But we thought you moved into Timaya's house?

I didn't move into that house, I got that house. Please, I don't want to talk about it. Let's just leave that side. When I said I lived my life for some people, you should understand what I'm saying. I never moved into any man's house. I've never done that and I will never do that.

Presenting Yoruba Nollywood Actor - Yinka Quadri

2013-02-08T12:18:00.001+01:00

HOW did you begin your acting career?

I can’t actually say how the whole thing started but the story of my life has been so interesting. I have been through a lot in life because the journey has been rough and smooth, so to say. I was born in the early 60’s. I attended St. Catholic School, Idumagbo for my primary education and proceeded to Christ High School, Ebute Elefun. When I got to class three, I dropped out of school but this has got nothing to do with poverty. It was not connected with money because my dad was a very influential man, and when I say influential, you can imagine what that means those days. I opted out of school to learn business so that I could take over my dad’s business

YOU are often addressed as Kura or Fagbamila by your fans. How did you come about these names?

Fagbamila came before Kura. In those days, if you didn't partake in traditional theatre performances, you were not a force to be reckoned with in the Yoruba theatre industry.

How long have you been acting?

I recall that I started in 1977 under the umbrella of theate Taiwo Olayinka, a.k.a Agbodorogun. Back then, only artistes who starred in theatre performances were recognized; so, that was when I chose Fagbamila as my stage name. As time went by, I became the leader of a travelling theatre known as Adetutu and I wrote a play titled Olaniyonu for the Lagos Television, the known LTV 8, Ikeja, Lagos.

What year was that?

That was in 1985 and I played the role of Fagbamila, meaning a herbalist who helps people in need. I remember that there was also a character called Ifadare who was always using his powers to carry out evil acts. After Olaniyonu, I produced so many other serials for LTV8. These productions were a huge success and that was how the name stuck.

In 1989, I was called again to come and present a special programme for the festive season and at that time, an artiste lived solely on productions, stage performances and radio programmes. There were a couple of films then, but nothing like home videos and productions were done on celluloid, which was very expensive. These special productions were aired in series on television for about two hours during such festivities.

This particular story was a crime story and towards that time, my father; a native of Igbomina Owomeje in Kwara State and a member of a club that brought about development in the community. Usually, during a meeting at any member's house, there must be some form of entertainment (food and drinks).

I recall that about six of them were eating and someone had already eaten two pieces of meat out of five. He was on the verge of taking a third one when my father said,' No way, Kura ni wo yi o.’

Obviously, that meant the person was a thief?

(Interjects) Oh, no! That was not what the statement meant. Thereafter, I asked my mother for a translation and she said that it was a Hyena that the Yoruba call Kura. She said the animal is such a wild one and the Yoruba often call it 'Ajekujeran'. It’s so powerful and loves eating meat. I felt that it could be a metaphor for someone that's tough, not necessarily wicked.

This was at a time when I was writing a crime script and I adopted the name Kura, and it was a widely accepted production as well. The movie was titled Kutupu and I played the character, Kura. In 1992, I wrote another story which I titled Kura and that was how the name stuck till date.

You started out in 1977 as an actor and that is over 35 years ago. Would you mind taking about some of the challenges you have faced in the past years?

There have been challenges here and there, but I thank God that I have been able to overcome them. In anything you want to do in life, challenges abound, but the most important thing is that God has helped me to pull through.

The greatest challenge is that as an artiste, you cannot be your real self. For instance, I was born on Lagos Island and relocated to the mainland in the ‘80s. Sometimes, I desire to pay a visit to the Island to see things that have changed, but I'm scared of the crowd that my presence will attract. It pains me that I have lost that kind of privacy.

At times, I just feel like going sight- seeing just like any normal person, but the thought that one may be mobbed creeps into my mind and I can't go. I could be coming back from a location and feel like going to the market to pick up some items but, you suddenly discover that even the traders would almost scare you (chuckles). Sometimes, this is uncalled for, but what can you do? Apart from that in this industry, you have to be respectful, loyal and dedicated, despite all the limitations I mentioned earlier. Sometimes, people misinterpret your good intentions. There are hypocrites, talented people, God-fearing people and devil-incarnate in this industry, so while you are trying to be a good person, some people will hate you for not dancing to their tune. The Englishman would say, 'If you cannot beat them, join them', but it’s not possible to join bad people. These are all challenges in the industry.

Was your decision to act a spontaneous thing or were you influenced by some events that had happened in the past?

It all happened on the morning of July 16, 1977. At that time, I was with one of my bosses, an architect whom I worked with when I dropped out of school in class three and my dad asked me to undergo apprenticeship.

Why did you drop out of school?

(Pauses) It's a long story! A cousin of mine was working with my dad, who was a very established trader on Lagos Island. He worked with him for 16 years. In my town, it’s just like someone who goes to school, so he or she would be expected to graduate someday. Consequently, his parents wanted him to leave. But he was very loyal to my father who wondered was bothered about who would look after his business for him.

It became a serious issue that dragged on for over four years. It got so bad that people murmured in some quarters that my father was 'using his destiny, as the Yoruba would say. And I wasn’t happy about it. At that point, I told my Dad to allow him to leave and I voluntarily dropped out of school to take over his business. It was a difficult decision and my father reluctantly accepted. My cousin thought me the basics of running the business for about three months before he left.

Didn't you nurse the idea of going back to school after you had established yourself?

In truth, I ought to have gone back, but acting has become a passion for me.

I had already started out from school, but I joined my Dad's business in 1978. My Dad felt that rather than drop out of school just like that, I should go to Alhaji Lawal who's an architect to learn some form of handwork, which was an addition to acting. It was during this that I met one of my friends, Fatai Alabi.

We joined forces because we liked the Theatre as we were inspired by the late Ade Love, Hubert Ogunde and Kola Ogunmola. Glover Hall was the only hall on Lagos Island then and our Uncles used to take us along to watch stage shows. We had a meeting at Moshalashi Street in Obalende and we took off from there.

That means you started off with stage performances?

It's funny because we went to buy drums and we called a few friends to join us on July 16, 1977. We went on for about a year and after wards, somebody introduced the late Taiwo Olayinka to us because he noticed that we were interested in acting. But he didn't go about it the right way. This man (Olayinka) used to be under Sir James who was a Floor Manager with The Nigerian Television Authority and also doubles as an artiste. He's still very much alive.

Where is he now?

I can not say precisely, but I know he later moved to LTV8.Taiwo Olayinka was a printer and he accepted to be our leader so as to give us a sense of direction.

In other words, you were like a moving theatre?

Yes, a travelling theatre.

Did you give your group a name?

We used to be known as Afopina before Olayinka came and he changed the name to Isale Oro. This further put us in the limelight for another two years. He trained us well. Thanks to him, we knew how to commercialize theatre, how to book a hall, sell tickets for stage productions, how to dance and other things. In January, 1981,Taiwo Olayinka decided to form his own group and had to leave ours. He said he wanted to be his own boss. It was at that point that we also decided to change the name of our group to Adetutu Theatre Organisation.

What was the first stage play from your stable?

The title is so long such that I may not be able to repeat it here. In those days, if your title wasn't strongly worded and laced with Yoruba idioms, you were not recognized as a theatre practitioner. That's why till now, most people think I studied Yoruba due to my rich interpretation in movies, but I often tell people that if you are very passionate about what you do, you'll be improving as the days go by. My first television series was Agbodorogun followed by Egberin Ote, which was an adaptation of a book that secondary school students used for Yoruba Language in the O’Level examinations in 1984.

Really?

Yes. We staged it throughout Lagos State in schools. I sought permission from the author of the book as well as The Ministry of Education and we were given the go-ahead to stage it. It was later adapted as a television series too. Araba, Olaniyonu and a host of others followed suite.

As the world keeps evolving, the theatre industry was also growing. It was around 1988 that home video came about and as such, there was no time for a moving theatre any more. You could become an independent producer and call people to partake in your production.

How were you able to transit from a stage performer to acting in movies. Was the transition a difficult one?

The transition was quite an easy one because it showed that there's an improvement in the industry. It's not easy to perform on stage because you need to keep moving with costumes and other props. But in the case of movies, it goes round the world and gives you less trouble in terms of production.

What was your first home video?

That would be Ekun and it was released in 1989. It was the late Alade Aromire's movie. I must state that I was the second person to bring out a home video in Nigeria. That was even before Kenneth Nnebue released the popular Igbo movie, Living in Bondage.

Not many people know this.

Well, I am telling you now. Before Nnebue brought out Living in Bondage, I was one of his pioneer actors because he started out with Yoruba movies. You can go and ask him. Not many people know this, but I really don't think it’s necessary to blow my trumpet. Fatai Adetayo( Lalude) and I used to work for Nnebue. Out of the 27 Yoruba movies he released, I can humbly say that I featured in 23. It was after the release of these movies that he did Living in Bondage. With that release, the Igbo part of Nollywood claim that they pioneered home videos in Nigeria, which is not true. I can categorically tell you that it's not true.

Most of the characters you portray in movies depict the rich proverbs and culture of the Yoruba'. Apart from the fact that you dropped out of school, how do you handle these roles so well?

I can only give thanks to God. You know, in anything you do, you need to put God first and that's just what I do.

There seems to be some sort of discrimination among actors in the English home movie sector and their Yoruba counterparts in terms of crossover roles. What is your take on this?

I am sorry to say this, but most of these actors in the English home movie sector are terrible. For instance, English as a medium of expression, is nobody's language, every one just speaks it. It is not our father's language anyway, but Yoruba is. The fact that there may be so many English movies around does not mean that they are better than their Yoruba counterparts.

This was seen as a challenge in the past and that was the reason why most Yoruba artistes began to do cross-over roles. But the twist is that when you get to the market, the Igbo marketers sell English movies and Yoruba marketers sell ours. These marketers refused to sell our movies and we decided to promote our own films worldwide in our own way. We feel that this is even a plus for us as artistes. This is because we would be selling our culture to the rest of the world.

If you look back, you will notice that Nollywood started off with Igbo films before English films. Most developed countries like America, China and India turn out films in their indigenous languages and we felt the need to do the same with our Yoruba movies. That is why we try to make the standard of our productions very high. From our research, we found out that it is even the indigenous language that viewers abroad enjoy. I think our indigenous films carry more weight than English movies.

The truth's that Yoruba productions can equally match up with the English ones. There has been a decrease in the sale of English movies now. Ghanaians have taken over in the continent and they have made it clear that any artiste that wants to come from Nigeria to shoot a movie in Ghana must pay some sort of fee. This is because they now have a well- established movie industry as well.

There was a certain Chinese movie that won an Oscar Award. How did this happen? It was simply because the entire movie was done in Chinese Language and it was subtitled. If they can achieve that feat, what stops a Yoruba film from doing the same? I am not making negative comments about Nollywood, but when we go abroad, some of our fans make us understand that if not for our indigenous movies, their children wouldn't have been able to learn the language. That alone motivates us to do better.

Does that mean you do not intend to do any form of cross-over production?

(Cuts in) I do not discriminate and I can say the same for most of my colleagues. You will have noticed that during the making of some Yoruba movies, we do invite our colleagues, either an Igbo or Hausa speaking person, for certain roles. But what I frown at is bringing in a neutral person who does not understand the language to partake in a movie; but we don't discriminate. We invite cross-over artistes when the need arises.

Do you have any English production to your credit?

Of course, I have. If you cast your mind back to the rested soap opera, Palace, I was part of the cast, but I didn't do a movie.

You have been in the make-belief world for over 30 years. How fulfilled are you? Have you ever thought at some point to delve into other things?

Looking back now, I really don't think there's any other thing that I can do that would have brought me fame and wealth like acting. I am fulfilled and I always thank God for His mercies.

My parents were very rich, but I if not for the industry, I would have ended up a trader. Even if I was one, would I be able to buy or quantify the honour I get now? Definitely no. Even if we get to the Presidential Villa today as artistes, I am sure President Goodluck Jonathan will surely recognize us because we have come a long way.

Do you have children who have decided to tread your path as an actor?

Well, I have seen one or two indicate interest, but the agreement I have with them is that even if they want to become an actor or actress, education is key and they must study to a reasonable level before doing that. If that is done, I have no problem with them.

Apart from the late Ade Love, do you have other role models?

No. For me, it’s Ade Love and no one else.

What are your future plans?

I desire to become an international actor.

What advice do you have for your colleagues as well as the up and coming ones in the industry?

The future of the industry is really bright and if we improve in terms of production, story-wise, the use of techniques and most importantly, be good actors, the industry will uplift Nigeria as a whole. I would advise all of us to keep up the good work, be dedicated and loyal in this business and above all, be prayerful.

You seem to have reduced the number of acting roles you take, as you are hardly seen in home videos, compared to some years back, why?

I have reached a level in my life where I should not just take any script that comes my way. By the grace of God I have lived a comfortable life till date, I don’t believe in rush-ing to loca-tions to feature in every film because I want to live well. I am comfortable with what I have been able to achieve and I thank God for that. Believe me, I will be acting as special guest on set and transform into a big time producer, because I believe there is no age limit and there is limited stress in being a producer. I just took some time out to relax and pave way for the upcoming ones to grow and learn their lines well.

Sometimes ago, you were alleged to have fueled the dissolution of Saheed Balogun’s marriage to Fathia, what actually went wrong?

I don’t know anything about that; in fact, I am one of those who tried to make sure the marriage did not crash but there was nothing more or less I could do to salvage the situation when it was getting out of hands.

But he accused Odunfa caucus of ruining his marriage and you happen to be the leader of that caucus?

I am hearing this for the first time. How can you say something that has no element of truth in it? I don't know anything about his crashed marriage.

What’s your relationship with your friend, Ogogo like, how have you been able to live without a clash?

He’s my friend and we understand each other very well. I have known him for many years and we have never had any reason to raise our voices against each other. I believe our coming together was the will of God. We are thinking of holding a celebration of our friendship one day and we have had the chance to sit and talk over it. I can tell you that he’s a wonderful friend.

How did you feel when it was argued that his illness was connected to drug trafficking?

Honestly, I was outraged. As far as am concerned, his illness had nothing to do with hard drugs. Let me tell you that even when the going was very tough for him, he never partook in any illicit act, let alone now that God has blessed him. I don’t like the way our people react to issues sometimes. I told him that it is the price you have to pay for being a celebrity.

If you say Ogogo was not involved in drug trafficking, how would you explain Wunmi’s case, it was widely reported that she was caught in the act and these two are members of your caucus?

Wunmi’s case was an unfortunate incident and I felt so bad about it. She was just not contented with what she had and she has regretted her action. If you see her now, you will know that she is now a totally reformed person. We really felt bad about the ugly incident, it was highly disgraceful but it had nothing to do with our caucus.

What is the greatest sacrifice you have ever made to get to this level?

You know that if you are engaged in something for the love of it, there is nothing you won’t do to perfect it. Fortunately for me, when I started, with little gains in the trade, I was able to get money to fund my passion from another source. I remember in 1986, I sold a 504 car to produce a movie, Ojiji with Prince Jide Kosoko. In 1992, 1 sold a whole house to produce another movie, Oloruka - this was when home video came. But because my family is well to do, I didn’t really feel the economic constraints as such and I thank God, today, I am one of those reaping from the industry.

With what you have been able to achieve in the industry, would you say you are successful?

I am successful as far as this profession is concerned; I am one of the few that have benefitted from this industry. Despite the fact that I am not educated, I have three children studying overseas, I have a fleet of cars and I know it won’t stop there by God’s grace. My prayer to God now is that he should help me so that I can complete my house and move in before the year runs out.

How have you been able to live a scandal-free life?

Staying away from scandal has to do with being cautious with the people you relate with, where you are found and things like that.

Is there something that makes you feel sad each time you remember?

The day my father died. That was a day that has remained indelible in my heart. This is not because he died but because he died when I needed him so much. I don’t even want to talk about it.

Adieu Enebeli Elebuwa of Nollywood

2013-02-05T16:28:00.002+01:00

Presenting Nollywood Actress Ireti Osayemi

2012-11-27T13:08:00.000+01:00

There is this tendency or is it assumption that Nollywood marriages don't last. How have you been able to sustain yours?

It's been the grace of God . That's all I can say

You are not doing anything special?

I guess those whose marriages don't work-out do not pray for it to happen that way . It's just the grace of God. We all wish that our marriages work-out and we work towards it. Sometimes things go wrong along the line. Unexpected things happen that you can't handle and you need God to intervene . I'm not saying I'm perfect, I'm just saying God has been in control and should be in control.

Is the fact that both of you work in the same industry a plus or minus?

For me, it's a plus. A big plus

Why is it a plus?

My husband understands my job, I don't have any problem with him. Imagine an actress, a mother, a wife going on location for 5 to 6 days and your husband is at home with the kids ? What will you tell him? That you will be on location for 6 days ? The man is an accountant.What will he think? My husband understands the nature of my job and he has no problem with that.

How do you cope with rumors about you in this industry?

Like I tell people, my husband is a don dada in the industry and before they know it, he knows all that its happening and people will have to think twice before peddling any kind of rumor to his hearing, because he knows about the rumor already.

Is it because he's a don dada that you find it difficult to misbehave?

No, that's not it. This is you, no matter how don dada your husband is, you will still be yourself. Do you understand? That's just me, people still bring rumor to him but we talk about it and we laugh over it. There was this location I went and he was working around there too and I felt let me go and stay with my husband since I've not seen him for two weeks. I left the location for his hotel and at that moment too another actor was leaving the location. He drove out first and I drove like 5mins after him and the next thing was that my husband got a gist that 'your wife just left with another actor and she is going to sleep there' That was even before I heard and it was not up to 24hrs .I actually slept with my husband that night.

Has there been any rumor that really got to him, that really shook your marriage?

No, there has never been. If you have been following our marriage very well, you'll know that there has been no rumor to that effect.

Last time I was in your house, you were studying for an exam. Why are you still in school when you already have a career and you already have two children?

My brother, you know you don't stop learning in life okay ? You have to forge ahead, you don't become stagnant. You have to look for a way to flow and you get knowledge from wherever you think you can get it . That's why I'm still schooling. I want to acquire more knowledge. I want to fit into any category, anywhere.

What are you studying and where?

Economics, at LASU

What level are you?

400 Level

So, after you're done will you dump acting for a career in banking?

(Laughs) No, not at all. I will continue acting.

How do you cope with your children?

I guess God has blessed me with wonderful children. Even when I'm not around, they don't really mind. All they need is to see somebody. It's God's favor anyway. You leave some kids for a while and on the second day they are running temperature. I have just been blessed.

You seem to be scandal-proof, except for the rumor making the rounds when you first married your husband. How come you've been able to keep a scandal-free sheet?

Well, basically, when you don't tread the lines of scandal, you don't get scandals. When you walk on a free and safe line, you'll definitely be free and safe but when you walk on the line of scandals, you definitely have scandals. That's just it. I don't go anywhere scandals originate. I don't do questionable things, I'm just myself.

How did you handle the rumor that you snatched somebody's husband?

Well, in most cases, your conscience will judge. I had no problem with that, because basically, a lot of people didn't know what was happening .They were just jumping into conclusions. The moment rumors start bothering you, you start living another person's life. So, that didn't bother me in anyway because I knew where I was coming from and where I am going and we both knew the initial problem. So we didn't need to go to the press to explain. We just didn't let it bother us.

Are you happily married?

Yes, though there are ups and downs . Couples are two different people coming together to be one. So, you don't expect your husband to become you totally or vice versa. If you really love each other and you have God with you, you will definitely overcome hardship because you understand each other. Couples fight over little issues. Marriages have fallen apart because of toothpaste.

The wife says 'why are you pressing the toothpaste from the middle? You must be a bush man and her husband will say, maybe I'm a bush man but could you explain how to press the toothpaste? Another husband may say, what do you mean? Who brought you to Lagos that you have the guts to talk to me like that? Are you mad? And a fight ensues. It's just your level of understanding that matters. Always remember that you cannot be right always.

Did you have challenges in getting close and personal with him at the beginning of your relationship?

Truly, we were friends from the onset. We were more of friends than a couple. When I'm talking to some people, I sometimes tell them that my husband said this or that and they feel so strange wondering how my husband can say this to me? I tell him a lot of things and he does likewise . That's why when you talk about me outside and you feel it will get to him,it doesn't, because he knows it already. I don't hide anything from him and I guess he has hidden nothing from me.I know that.

Why must you guess, aren't you sure?

No, I'm very sure he has hidden nothing from me.

How do you feel winning the afrohollywood laurel?

Well, I'm very happy. It's so amazing when you are recognized in your field and somebody is actually telling you that you're doing well. Not just somebody but a lot of people are saying 'we enjoy watching you do what you do'and they feel for that, you should be given an award. I feel so happy, because it motivates me to move on in the industry that I have improved and that I can do better. I say thank you to the organizers, I say thank you to my fans, I say thank you to my husband and everybody that made it happen.

Do you think you deserve the award?

(Chuckles) Life is full of opinions. Some might say she doesn't deserve the award while others may say she deserves it. Lati gba ti alaye ti daye ni iru e ti n sele (It's been like that since the beginning). You can't be everybody's friend, you can't be everybody's age mate. It's normal if everyone doesn't like you because if everybody loves you, you need to go check yourself.

Why do you avoid your colleagues?

That's just me. I don't think there is anybody in the industry who will say 'Ireti is not my friend'. We are all colleagues and we get along. In most cases, friendship in the industry is sometimes difficult, because this man might even be out for the next twelve months and besides, I'm not the type that keeps so many friends. It's not as if there is anything wrong with keeping friends. It's just me.

What should we expect from you in 2011?

Well, like I always say, the best is yet to come, watch out for more from Ireti.

Will you be producing your movie by yourself in 2011?

Yes, by the grace of God.

Should we expect another child from you in 2011?

(Laughs) Well from my side, I don't think I am expecting any one now but you never know what God wants to do next. That's why I am saying from my side. For me, I am not planning for one yet.

Was your husband with you in the labor room?

(Laughs) He ran away

Why did he run?

He's very emotional. He doesn't like seeing another person in pains. So, whenever it's time, he runs away. It was a better experience when I had my second child, because he couldn't run but he eventually later did.

After you came back from the labor room, did he treat you like a queen?

Labor room or not, he goes out of his way to make me feel secure.

So how will you spend Christmas?

We are looking forward to spending our Christmas alone.

So, I am not invited?

Alone!

So we are expecting another baby in 2011?

Don't bother. It doesn't lead to babies always.

What about New Year, where do you plan to spend New Year?

Well, it's normally a family thing and we have some family friends that we spend our New Year with. So that is definitely going to bring us together.

What was your experience like in Omo Ghetto?

(Laughs) That's another thing entirely. You have to be what you've never been in your life.You have to be a ghetto girl.

People say love is not kind in Nigeria. Do you share the same sentiment?

Well, I don't know what they mean by in Nigeria because I know men are the same anywhere. I prefer an African man to a white man because a white man can come home and say 'I don't love you anymore', he doesn't care if you still love him or not. An African man will still put you into consideration and believe that this woman loves me o, how can I tell her I don't love her? And he will start fighting himself on the inside and say 'I must love this woman, I must not be ungrateful, I must show love'. I see no reason why someone will say love is not kind in Nigeria. Love is not kind everywhere in the world if you are saying love is not kind in Nigeria.

People say before you meet your prince charming, you would have kissed many frogs. How many frogs did you kiss before you married your prince charming?

In life we all grow. You can't expect your first boyfriend to be your husband. Then you lack experience, you lack so many things. You don't even know what life is all about. I have seen so many people that say this is my first love and this is the person I will marry. Believe me , along the line, they will have so many problems because firstly you don't really know who people are, you don't know how to tackle different people, you don't know how to tackle different problems. One of them will have so many problems that one has not seen in life. Along the line, you start feeling like I just should have tried someone else maybe it would have been better. Take it or leave it, you will have different experiences and you choose the right one out of that.

Why is it that your first love doesn't last?

It doesn't usually work because one, you are inexperienced. You don't really know what love is all about . That's just the simple truth. No matter how old you are, you are still learning. So in most cases the first relationship will not work because one you are still selfish. You still think of me, me, me. You don't think of the other person and the other person is there as well and is thinking 'why is she thinking of herself only? She should think of me as well'. You get angry and you know, everything smashes. In most cases, the first relationship doesn't really work.

When did you start acting and when did you come into Nollywood?

I started acting in 1999 and my brother was into the stage then. One day, he came home and said 'these people you're crazy about, I know where you can see them' and I was like really? Are you sure I asked , and I was like take me there so we had to sneak out of the house because normally, you are not supposed to get out of the house at that hour of the day. I sneaked out and when I saw them, I was so overwhelmed.

Where was that?

That was Winnings in Surulere. It used to be the happening place and I was like this is unbelievable. Can you imagine, I'm seeing everybody live and direct and I got my first job? So someone was like 'who is this girl? You fit into the role I am looking for'. I have been looking for a girl who will be this, that and I got my first job!

What job was that and who gave it to you?

I can't remember his surname now, but it was Emeka . He was the production manager.

Why did you switch to the Yoruba genre?

In life, you feel more comfortable where you are more accepted. I was more accepted in the Yoruba movie industry, and more jobs were coming from the Yoruba movie industry. That doesn't mean I cannot act in English movies. If I get a role in an English movie, I can do it. The thing is that jobs are not really coming from the English sector.

Does your husband negotiate your fees for you?

Sometimes he does. If it's coming from him, he does.

What if it's coming from you?

If it's coming from me, sometimes I prefer that he negotiates for me.

There is this stuff I saw online that actresses sleep with a director, producer or marketer to get the job. Is that your experience?

Well, like I tell people, it's what you want that you get. A lot of us are not patient. We want to come into the industry today, make a name and become a star tomorrow. That's why a lot of actresses get frustrated and leave the industry. A lot of them end up doing a lot of things that they are not happy about. You don't get into an industry that you virtually know nothing about and you want to become a star tomorrow.

It works nowhere, so patience works a lot. If you think that sleeping with a director or a producer or a marketer will make you a star in a jiffy, you go ahead to sleep with them if you want to,but if you are patient, people will definitely see you. I believe a lot of girls in the industry that are not sleeping with anybody are getting their roles. They are getting jobs and they are getting their jobs done. So for someone to have said that, that means the particular girl must be notorious for doing that.

But have you ever dated a marketer ?

Never.

But they have money and they control everything. Don't they?

They don't control everything. You can't say marketers control everything. They don't shoot films. Films are shot and taken to the marketer. Okay? So you can't say the marketer controls everything.

Why do Yoruba actresses date marketers?

Well, that I don't know. I'm not dating a marketer and I don't know those dating marketers.

Has it ever crossed your mind that something could happen to your marriage since your husband was married before?

Well, every marriage is prone to ups and downs and there is nothing you have seen or heard that will make you say that.

Yeah?

Yes. So the moment you think of anything of such, you work against it to make sure it doesn't happen in your life. That is just it.

Thank you, but how will you feel if this is a woman's world without men?

A world of women (laughs).

Yeah….?

This world will be a world full of selfishness

Why do you say so?

Women are always selfish, we think of ourselves a lot.

Presenting Fausat Balogun aka Madam Saje of Nollywood

2012-11-02T10:02:00.001+01:00

Who is Fausat Balogun a.k.a Madam Saje?

My name is Mrs. Fausat Balogun, a.k.a Madam Saje, who does not fear anybody except God.

Where do you hail from?

I am from Oke-Ode in Kwara State.

What of your parents?

They are from same place.

What's your educational background?

I had my primary school education at Ansar-u-deen Primary School, Oke-Ode, Kwara State. I did not further my education after that.

How did you come about the name Madame Saje?

The name Madam Saje is from a television series called 'Erin Kee Kee' by Baba Suwe back then in 1990.

Who gave you the name Madam Saje?

It was Baba Suwe in the TV-series called Erin Kee Kee.

Has there been any embarrassment since you came into the industry?

In the industry, as a famous person, there's bound to be embarrassment sometimes. As for my own case, there's been none so far.

What about joy?

A lot. At times, you go somewhere and being that you are famous, people tend to honour you as such. You get real expressive carpet-treatment. There is nothing you ask for that you will be obliged.

So, how have you been managing fame?

It is not easy to manage fame, but just as any elderly person, I have since learnt how to manage my fame to my advantage.

Even embarrassing ones?

There has been none so far.

When I mean embarrassment, like some people when they see you and are just overjoyed to the extent of doing anything?

That is not embarrassment really; it is just some people's way of expressing their feelings. This, I know. Hence I take it as that of obviously excited fans who just saw their idol face to face unexpectedly.

Did you get married before or after becoming a star?

I met my husband in the industry. He happened to be my boss. His name is Rafiu Balogun, a script writer, producer, director and actor. In fact, he is a consummate theatre practitioner. He is an icon in his own right.

How were you both able to raise children because both of you are virtually outside 24/7?

Before the home movies started, the children were born and already also grown up but when they were much younger during the days of stage, at times we do take them along, leaving them at the back stage. There, they patiently waited for us till we finished.

Is any of your children into acting?

Yes, my first son, Balogun Azeez is in the industry. He is a producer and an aspiring movie director. My last child, Bintu Balogun is also in the industry. She is an actress.

Was your husband agitated over your being a star, thinking of losing you to Nollywood hawkers who may do anything to have you?

Not really because he is also into the business and knows how it's being done. He has been my manager and also behind my success; he's been wonderful, very understanding.

Has big time marketers, producers or directors made passes to you as a pretty woman?

Back then, when we started, it was on stage. My husband was already an icon in the industry, so there wasn't any room for such being the wife of an icon. Oh yes! The stake- holders know him and me as husband and wife. So, there was no room to embarrass me for this reason.

Perhaps as a mark of respect to him?

Exactly!

How have you been able to remain in the industry for long without serving some powerful male cliques?

Like I said earlier, I have a husband who is an icon in the industry. So, with God's grace and him, I have been able to manage successfully till date.

How have you been combining being a mother and the demands of acting?

My family as a whole does understand the industry and this has made it a lot easier for me to combine both demands of being a mother and an actress together.

Which of your family, your immediate or your husband's people?

My children and husband have been really wonderful in this aspect.

How do you spend quality time with hubby when you are off-set?

Well, he has been very understanding. When we are on set, we know we are on set and off-set, we spend our quality time very well.

At such times, what do you do exactly?

Let that be our secret because this is supposed to be a very private matter. It should not be for public knowledge. Haba! We too, na human beings!!

Your fans would love to know what you do at such times!

We hang out sometimes, visit our families or go to parties.

At parties, it is believed that Madam Saje would be all over the place; how have you been managing that?

Nothing special, when I get to parties, people welcome me and I am happy. They really appreciate my presence there. I thank God for making it so.

When you get to parties, do you beg to stay at the back so as to avoid possible harassment from people like area boys?

Yes the area boys around are only there to collect money and at such parties, there's need for security to be put in place.

Is that one of your conditions for attending parties or you probably put it out subtly that there should be security put in place?

Not really, it is not every party I attend. I make this a condition. However, I expect my host to provide good security which should be on the stand-by in case of any embarrassment.

Does this make you selective concerning the kind of parties that you attend?

Yes. As a famous person you need to be selective as to the kind of parties that you attend. This is because it is not possible to attend all parties.

Has your husband confessed to you what physical quality he saw in you that swept him off his feet when he met you and does that quality make him crazy till now?

Of course! Everything about me, my beauty, my skin, my stature and they have since remained the same. In fact, none has actually changed over the years.

Do you engage in any form of physical exercise to maintain your stature?

Yes. In the morning, I just do some jogging on a regular basis.

You have a gym you go to?

Not really a gym, it is in my house.

Regularly?

Yes regularly.

What of your eating or do you starve yourself because you do not want to become fat?

I don't starve myself O! I eat whatever I want to eat. I mean everything I want to or love to eat.

I noticed you are not the cosmetic crazy type. Why?

May be due to my natural beauty, which I am convinced of. I don't really like cosmetics except when we are on set. I allow make-up because it is inevitable for our kind of business.

When you saw your husband at first, what swept you-off your feet?

(Laughter) It was due to the kind of his job.

Was he a producer, an actor or director?

He is a producer, actor, director and script writer. He knows everything concerning this job. This was the real factor that swept me off my feet when I first met him years back.

Would you say your childhood days were interesting or challenging?

Yes, very challenging because in this life in whatever you want to do, there are always challenges. My childhood was very challenging but I thank God for everything. I hawked.

What did you hawk?

I hawked fruits and sold cigarettes to people. That was what my mum sold.

What is one of your childhood experiences that you cannot forget?

That was when I started this job. My parents really wanted me to go to school, but after my primary school education, I fell in love with the job. I do go for practice but my parents would come especially my father would beat the hell out of me and even strip me naked. He did not want me to go into the acting business. May be then, they thought people who were into it were wayward and irresponsible. But now, I thank God that people are encouraging their children to go into the business. It is really interesting. I so much love my job to the extent that I had to encourage my children to come into the industry.

What about your father?

He is dead now.

May his soul rest in peace?

Amen.

What of Mama?

Mama too is dead.

But mama did not worry you?

Yes, it's so unfortunate that my dad did not live to see what his little girl he discouraged from being an actress has become. It is really saddening.

How much of your childhood experience contributed to what you are doing and how?

My childhood experience? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Have you been opportune to act English play?

If I am called to, why not.

Do you have any personal opinion concerning English plays?

No, no, no

Do you have negative opinion about English movies?

Not quite. The fact still remains that I am more of a Yoruba actress, but if I am called to do English movies, I would do it very well.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered as a good role model having tried my best to contribute my quota to the industry and the society at large. I would also like to be remembered as a role model.

Madam Saje and Fausat Balogun are seen to be two different persons but the traits you see in Fausat Balogun are also in Madam Saje. Why is it so?

I think they are two different characters.

There must be some small traces.

Because acting must have helped you in doing some things in life, that is rubbing off on your real life personality. Can you itemize some of these?

If you watch two of my films 'Odo-Aiku' and 'Igbodudu', you see a different Madam Saje. I act any character given to me very well.

What final word do you have for the upcoming actors and actresses?

My message to the upcoming ones is that they should keep their heads cool and having known this is what they wanted, they should pursue it with all determination.

Olumide Bakare Chief Koko of Nollywood

2012-10-12T18:24:00.000+02:00

We want to know how your transition from employment in the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) to being a key player in the home video industry has been.
I retired from the NTA officially in 1994 and I never did anything until late 1998 when I came back on board and I started this home video thing. Along the line I think I was hooked up on a particular vice. I have talked so much about it and I think I don’t want a repeat performance of it. Thank God today, am clean. The rest is history.

You said you joined the home video industry. What was the prime motivation for joining the industry judging by the fact that it was a concept that was new in the country then ?
My former president in the ANTP, I am a member of the ANTP, though we have a number bodies now in the theater art industry. The former president,Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello) who is a close friend and associate brought me into the system. After my rehabilitation, I went to him and he encouraged me telling me I could still be very active, asking me if I could join them in the home video industry. Before I knew it, this popular guy, Muyiwa Ademola and one other producer approached me in my house in Ibadan. They said they wanted me to come and play a role in their movie.

I asked them to tell me how much they were going to pay me and they said they were going to pay me 3,500 Naira. I was shocked and I asked him what kind of money was that, I wanted to know if that was the kind of money they paid to artists then. He encouraged me, telling me that it was just the starting point. He told me that my consent would do the two of us a lot of good. I introduced the idea to my mother, my mum is somebody that is very close to me. So, I told my mum and she also encouraged me, telling me that God was behind me and I went. You won’t believe it that before the end of the month, a was in about three, four other locations, raking in little money, here and there. That was my entry into the home video industry.

What was the title of the film?
I think the title was Aderounke. That must have been that guy’s (Muyiwa Ademola’s) first or second film. When we were shooting the film, we carried cameras from one house to the other on our heads, there was no vehicles to move us but I thank God for the guy today, he rides on a jeep now that tells you how lucrative the industry is.

You have featured in many films since then, what was the highest amount of money you’ve ever been paid to feature in a movie?
Honestly, I don’t remember the last time I have been paid the sum of 100,000 Naira, the only time I was paid the sum of 120,000 was when I featured as Agboniregun in the epic Yoruba film Oduduwa, since then, I can’t remember having been paid over 100,000 Naira.

How did you get involved in the sitcom, Koko Close?
I was then a civil servant working in NTA Ibadan. The whole story began when some of us namely Akin Lewis and some others sat down to work on the concept. Credit for the idea that brought about the programme goes to one Ghanaian. Then the General Manager of NTA Ibadan, Chief Yemi Farounbi gave us all the freedom we needed to put the programme together. We were young men who were given all the opportunity to bring the programme idea to light. For the first time in the history of television programming, Koko Close was the only programme that was allotted both it’s own editing suite as well as vehicles to convey cast and crew to location. It has never happened before in NTA but because of the success of the programme these concessions were given to us. This success was too much that one of my ogas had to call me aside, telling me to make use of the success attained for lifelong opportunities.

How did you get the role in Koko Close?
The situation was such that we knew one another very well. For instance, everybody involved in the production knew I could play the role of a troublesome landlord very well, so it was not too difficult fitting perfectly into the role. Akin who played the corps member knew he was also very well suited for the role and some others who took part in the play.

You played the role of a difficult landlord. How much of yourself would you say came out of being Chief Oluwalambe?
Olumide Bakare is different from Chief Oluwalambe. Olumide Bakare is humble and gentle but Chief Oluwalambe was a typical landlord of those era who would brook no nonsense from his none paying tenant. You see, before I could do that, I picture what a typical landlord of those days went through to build a four-flat building. Chief Oluwalambe was a cocoa merchant who struggled to build his house, you will agree with me that such person would have to be aggressive while collecting his rents. That I tried to do.

Why was the programme rested?
The programme was never rested, it actually wound up. The programme ended with the landlord selling the house and ejecting the tenants. He later went ahead to buy another bungalow where he would not be bothered by the tenants.

There are so many groups in the Nollywood industry. If you look back at your participation , what gains has been achieved so far in the industry and where do you think attention should be focused on to move it forward?
If I understand your question very well, I will say we need to make improvement in all areas. I want to say that the question of Nollywood being the term to describe the industry is faulty. Probably because we have Hollywood in America, Bollywood in India and some people believe that the best term to describe the industry is Nollywood. Who is Nolly? Who is Wood? Let’s assume that the name Nollywood has come to stay to describe the Nigerian movie industry, is Nollywood being fair to the movie industry in Nigeria?

Then, do you suggest any name?
No, I can not. It only pains that the name has been hijacked by one ethnic group

Does that signifies a dichotomy in the industry?
Yes.

How serious is the dichotomy?
My brother, the dichotomy is very terrible.

Then, what suggestions do you to remedy the situation both in the long and short term as the industry is beginning to attract attention from all directions?
The way forward is that all stakeholders in the Nigerian movie industry come together to form a common body. There so many bodies or groups now.

A veteran like you, Chief Chike Okpala (aka Zebrudaya) said he decided not to be part of the home video industry because those in the industry are not well grounded?
Yes, I think he is right because, some of us doing it (home video) are in it because of our love for the profession. You need to see the kind of insults we get from some of these our younger colleagues on locations. Anybody can just accost you on the road, telling you he or she wants you to help facilitate her/his emergence as an actor just like that.

Since you’ve identified the problems, have you been able to discuss them with other stakeholders who might share the same sentiments?
Presently, the ANTP has been able to put somebody at the helm of affairs. He is somebody who is very intelligent, that is in the person of Prince Jide Kosoko. He has invited a lot of us to come and give suggestions on how to move the industry forward. I believe this kind of initiative would lead to a conference.
At the end we would call on our friends in the other language sector, I mean the guys in the Igbo sector, the Hausa sector, the Kanuri sector and others. The thing is that we need to sit down and look for a way for the industry. The problem is that every sector in the industry wants to be unique. This is my grouse with Nollywood. The effect is such that the money that ought to come naturally to the artistes is going to the marketers.

When we look at our brothers in the Igbo category of Nollywood, one would conclude that they area better organised than you people in the Yoruba category. Why so?
The average Igbo executive producer is first, a businessman. He has a very a strong network of marketing. Being used to trading, they (the executive producer) will go all the way to sell their films.

You were the lead character of the now rested Koko Close (a television sitcom) that was widely and eagerly watched across the country. Now, we don’t have popular programmes that commands such viewer ship. Why has that become our lot in this country?
You see, in those days the country was much more buoyant than it is today. Security (of the country) was tight. The rate of crime when compared to what we have now is better. I also want to tell you that Nigerians have options to chose from. God has been so kind to us, he has been kind to us to have producers in the likes of Wale Adenuga. I want to tell you one thing, he has been producing a programme in the Nigerian television today, they call it Super Story. The kind of viewership that was given to Koko Close then is what super story is getting now because of the quality of production. I would still tell you that there is still something close to it.

You said the ANTP is doing something to sanitise the industry. Can you throw more light on that?
This year, God being on our side, we will invite the press to come and see some of the programmes we have in the pipeline. This year, we hope to reform the sector in terms of artiste fees, artistic quality, technicalities, marketing and content. One of our major problem is marketing.

What kind of participation would you advocate for the government in the industry since it has shown the willingness?
We have the Nigerian Film corporation, it can do a lot but I think the corporation has its own problems too, if we have a corporation that has not at anytime gone out to produce what I would call ‘a Nigerian film’ then, what is the essence of the corporation and its usefulness to artistes. What is the essence of the corporation since they don’t assist Nigerians to make movies? I have never heard of any form of collaboration between the corporation and the relevant stakeholders in the industry, especially between the so-called independent producers and the corporation and they say they have equipments. I understand that they have just bought new equipments, what are they doing with it? I believe government can still do a lot for the industry in terms of collaboration.

Picture Glance at Funke Akindele of Nollywood

2012-09-21T18:42:00.003+02:00

Funke Akindele, a very popular actress on the Yoruba home video scene in the Nigerian movie industry was born in Ikorodu, Lagos state on August 24 1976.

She had her primary and secondary education in Lagos. She later proceeded to the Ogun State Polytechnic, now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, in Abeokuta, where she bagged an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in mass communication. She then proceeded to the University of Lagos, from where she bagged a degree in Law.

Funke Akindele worked as a television presenter. She gained popularity through her role in the Nigerian television show, “I need to know”. From there, she stepped into full-blown acting. To date, she has featured in many Yoruba movies. In 2009, she won the African Movie Academy Award for the Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her best work, is a comedy film, which narrates the escapades (Jenifa), a village girl who later moved to the city after gaining admission to the University.

On May 26, 2012, Funke Akindele got married to Alhaji Kehinde Oloyede Al-maroof.

Picture Glance at Yoruba Nollywood Actress - Sola Kosoko

2012-09-11T17:14:00.000+02:00

Growing up, how was it?

Growing up was fun. My secondary education was at Aje Comprehensive High School, while my primary school was Aje Methodist Primary school. Both schools are side by side at Ebute Meta, along Borno Way which used to be called WEMA Street. That was where I grew up in Ebute Meta. It was my grandma who brought us up – myself, my elder brother and my younger ones. We were staying with her, though my father was in Lagos, he was always travelling, always on tour. I lost my mum when I was very, very young. Whenever my father was around, he was always with us, playing with us, taking us to different places, like the amusement park.

Can you recall the day you lost your mum?

It was in September 1993.

Where were you that day when you got the news?

I was with my grandma who, like I told you earlier, was training us before my mother’s death. It was my dad himself that came to break the news to my grandma.

How did you react to the sad news?

The normal reaction when you lose someone you love, but because I was young, you won’t compare the kind of feeling that I would have then to what I would have now. If my mum just died now, the way I will feel it is not the way I felt the other time. Then I just felt “oh my mother died” and I cried.

Looking back now, what do you think you would have benefit from her presence if she is around now?

I cannot begin to count the benefits. There were a lot of times when I was in school, in the university, that I really felt the vacuum. A lot of mothers were always coming around bringing palm oil and other stuffs for their daughters - that was when it actually hit me that I didn’t have a mum. My daddy cannot bring palm oil, sugar, salt and those stuffs for me in school. Though he was always coming to see, but it’s not comparable to the impact of a mother. That was a period when I really missed my mum.

Secondly, when I was getting married, I felt that something was missing and that is my mum. Though I hardly cry, but I felt the pain deep in me. There are a lot of times I would remember her and I will cry, in my closet though.

You are a popular actress, being a star what does it mean and how has it affected your life especially when you compare yourself with your peers that are not in the movie industry?

Being a star affected me both positively and negatively. Being a star has a lot of advantages-

Can you give us some instances?

For example when I was still in school, whenever it was time to do my clearance and the queue was so long and we were suffering under the scorching sun, because of the fact that my face was familiar to the officials in charge, he would ask the other students: can you allow us to attend to her, she is a star and we cannot afford to let her stay in the sun for too long? Some people said yes, some said no. but at the end of the day I was attended to on time. Such are the benefits I get a lot of time. On the other hand, the negative side of it is we spend a lot of money for the touts. They don’t want to know if you have the money or not. Sometimes you might be going out without much in your pocket; but they will still collect. Sometimes they will collect everything in your pocket, they will collect at every junction, but we cannot help it. It is the kind of society we have. I have been to Europe a number of times. When you are there, they don’t ask you for money; instead, they give you gifts. Someone gave me a phone – he said: what can I give you? He simply removed his SIM card and he handed the phone over to me. In our own society, things worked in the opposite way.

There was once a prevalence of cultism in the institution you attended; were you not in any way molested by cultists?

I was never disturbed at all. Though there were times some people would come asking for one thing or the other, which is money, and I gave the little I could, but I didn’t get into the habit of giving them all the time so they wouldn’t get used to it and then take it for granted. When I have, I give, when I don’t have, I told them off. I was never disturbed for any reason at all.

Didn’t your status as a celebrity got into your head?

I got into school relatively late, so when I was in school I had gotten over youthful exuberance or any juvenile indulgence. I wasn’t a kid anymore. Not that there were no others that are older than me in the school, but for the fact that I got admission into university late, I felt I was there to just study. So I wasn’t distracted by anything.

For you what is the ultimate level?

I am contented with what I have. I don’t look beyond my income and I don’t fixate on what I know I have no capacity to achieve. Yes, I still see myself riding a Hummer or Range Rover jeep in the nearest future, but as of now, it is a not a matter of do or die for me to ride a jeep or live in an expansive mansion. I believe that things will happen the way God wants them to. And the fact that I am not a lazy person and I am still working, I have the conviction that the sky is my limit.

Why did you go to the university late?

I always beat the cut off mark; but there was a time they introduced this entrance exam, I am not that very good at mathematics, so it always lowered my overall score. I wrote JAMB on two occasions; one UME and another PCE, though I really did not want to go to the polytechnic, I just wrote the exam to satisfy my father because he was insisting that I wrote all exams. When I wrote JAMB, I beat the cut-off mark but couldn’t scale the entrance exam, hence I did a diploma course at Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. It was the diploma that earned me a direct entry admission to study Sociology where eventually I got my Bachelor degree.

If you are not an actress what would you have become?

Initially I wanted to become a broadcaster. I love to be seen on TV reading news; maybe that was why it was easy for me to become an actress. But I also yearned to be a lawyer, unfortunately I did Industrial and Labour Relation in my Diploma, so it was difficult to cross from social science to Law. Then I said if I cannot do law, let me do Mass Communication, which, unfortunately again, is an art course in OOU. So, I went for Sociology.

Growing up in a polygamous home, what insights can you offer some of us that grew up in a nuclear family?

The truth of the matter is that I will not even encourage my enemy to go into polygamy. It’s not the best; even my father will always tell you that. He is a polygamist, yet he wouldn’t advice anyone to go into it. Not that we have any bitter experience, but it can never compare with monogamy. I come from a polygamous home and now I am married, but I don’t pray that my husband would ever walk in the way of polygamy, because I can’t just imagine it, having another person to share my husband with, No, no. I can’t just imagine it. Aside that, there is a lot of struggle. But the truth is I don’t have any problem with my family, we live fine - that is the truth. But you cannot rule out little misunderstanding, something that happens too in monogamous family. Still I won’t advice anybody to go into polygamy.

While growing up at what point did you start seeing yourself different from people from another family?

I have always known from childhood that we are different as a movie-making family. I have been acting since I was a small child. I participated in Omo Orukan , a celluloid film, viewed at the National Theatre between 1986-7. I remembered that I was in primary 1 when I participated in that film. I have always seen myself and my family as different from others in the society because we are known everywhere, even where and when we seek to be anonymous. Even in my primary school, when I had not started acting professional, they still knew. My mate all knew that “that girls’ father is an actor”. Then my father would come to my school for PTA meetings and people knew he was different. By the time I got an admission into the university, I was already a popular actress. In the class, if they were contribution towards a cause, they would want me to contribute twice as much.

When did you start acting professionally?

I started acting professionally in 2001 when I starred in Omo Olorire, produced by my father, Prince Jide Kosoko. Before then I have been acting, I starred in Ola Abata. It was my father’s movie as well, produced in 1999 and released in 2000. I also participated in Oko Irese, also produced by my dad for Adesqueen production. It was released in 2001. I participated in Omo Olorire (2002) and that was the film that shot me to limelight. Between 1999 and 2002, I featured in my father’s films. From 2002, other producers started beckoning. Iya Rainbow first called me for a role. Alamu S’eniyan was about the second or third movie she cast me in. Same year, Taiwo Hassan, (Ogogo) called me for his movie entitled Tolulope. In 2003, Muyiwa Ademola called me for Ori, a movie that further gave me immense popularity. The movies in featured in during that period gave me momentum - Olorire first, followed by Abe Sekele (by Oga Bello) then Ori, all in 2003.

Since you became professional, how do you pick your roles?

There are lots of movies that I don’t even like my character. Others were not packaged well. Nowadays, I scrutinize my scripts very well and ask myself: is this the kind of movie I can participate in? For instance, some people called me for a job yesterday, they have called this morning, they have been calling since three days ago but I declined their offer. Before I would participate in their film, I must know who the director is. There are some projects, when you see the script, you fall in love with it; but by the time you get to the location, you ask yourself: why am I? A lot of time I felt like returning their money, except that it would amount to a breach of contract. So in recent times, I have rejected a lot of movie roles. When I was in school, it was easy to turn down movie roles. Once I see the roles and discover that I was to play about 30 scenes – I will miss lectures and my time will be curtailed –I will turn down the offer. The ones I used to accept were the ones that were not good enough. Once they said, “come and do five scenes for us”, I would be interested in that because I knew that my lectures wouldn’t be affected and I’d just be away for one day.

How did you get the roles you played in your father’s movie? Did he create those roles for you?

No. He is a professional. There are times when my stepmother would exclaim, “That’s my role!” but my father would tell her firmly “no, I don’t see you playing that role”. We are very strict when it comes to casting. In Olorire, I refused vehemently to play the role of my character because then I hadn’t gotten my admission into the university and my priority then was to become a graduate before I took up acting professionally. But my father insisted he couldn’t see another person taking that role. I went to the extent of getting another actress to take my place. But he was assertive that I should take the role. And then my father dictates. Once he tells you that you are doing it, that’s final. So I had to take the role. And it was that movie that shot me to limelight.

What is the next level?

I see myself becoming a director someday.

As a member of Cherubim and Seraphim Church-

I am no longer a member of C&S. It was my grand mother that introduced us to the church, because she brought us up, but when I am grown, I joined the Redeemed Christian Church of member since 1995.

What do you consider the most trying period of your life?

I stayed at home for five years before I got admission into the university. It was like hell then. Though I was doing certificate courses, but it wasn’t like the real university. Then I was being called for movie job, so I became distracted; sometimes there were forms that I was supposed to obtain, but I would keep procrastinating till I eventually missed the opportunities. Before my four-year degree programme, I did a two-year diploma course. That experience hurt me.

What is that fondest memory you have of your mother?

Three days ago, me and elder brother were discussing some few things our mum taught us. We remember a folk song – “Talo bami r’omo mi meta: jalo lo jalolo”. My brother said “didn’t you remember it was Iya Sola [our mum] that taught us that song?” I said “My mum? I can’t remember her teaching us that song.” We started remembering other songs that she taught us. We remembered a lot of thigns about her that day.

Are you shy?

Forget the fact that I am an actress. I always have stage fright. When I see a crowd, I can easily forget everything I want to say and I will start stammering. But I think I am outgrowing it now. When it comes to my work, and I take the stage I become transformed.

Talking about relationships, what lessons did you learn from your past relationships?

I don’t have a lot of relationships

How many did you have?

Hundred ni (laughs). The truth is that I didn’t have a lot of relationship before I met the man in my life. Then, I used to visualize my dream man. I wanted to be a lawyer and I was thinking that my husband should be a doctor; I always dreamed that my man should be dark complexioned (after all I am fair-complexioned) but in life we propose, God disposes. My husband is not fair-complexioned, but he is not dark either, so I ended with a man that is somewhat fair. I dream of a doctor for a husband, but he’s an architect. Talking about past relationship, I didn’t have any.

That is difficult to believe. How many men did you date?

I dated like hundred (laughs). Really I didn’t have that experience. The man that is my husband has always been with me since I was in secondary school. I remember the first JAMB I wrote, we were doing the running together. At that time, he was already a graduate.

Your father married four women-

Eyin le’n ka o - You are the one counting for him.

When the other women came, how did you feel?

To be realistic, I am not pretending and I don’t like pretending. I didn’t feel good. I thought in my mind that he was making a very big mistake. I was not bold enough to call him and tell him that “Daddy, what you are doing is wrong”. Why would he go and marry more than one wife? Okay, I lost my mum and my first step mum – My mum was my father’s first wife, and together with his second wife, my father lost both of them. He was still young then and the truth is it’s only logical for him to remarry another wife, which nobody would blame him for doing. But going for two again is what I really disagreed with him. He shouldn’t have gone for two. Why? Why would he think of two? One would have been okay for him.

What if your brothers choose to follow your father’s footstep?

I’d be there to advise him, to let them know that they are derailing. Aside that my father, as long as he is still alive, he will never support such. I told you earlier that even my father will not encourage anyone to go into polygamy; it is not the best, that he survived it, that is why we are happy, it is by God’s grace. But for real, we have a lot of polygamous families that are the worse for it.

How much is your first earning as an actress and how did you spend that money?

The first money I earned - I can’t remember the title of the movie now but it was produced by Adebayo Salami (oga Bello) but not 1980s Omo Orukan - I was paid N3, 000. When I got home, my father shared the money; he gave my step mum a share, he gave my brothers and sisters and I took the rest.

Why the sharing?

It is a tradition among the Yorubas that when you make your first money, you share it among the members of your family who will pray for you to have a successful professional career.

How much was your share?

Abut N1, 000, but it was a long time ago.

You gave your life to Christ when?

In 1995, then I did my baptismal in the Redeemed Church.

What is your baptismal name?

I have a Christian name from childhood and that is Janet.

You use to have an Islamic name-

I still have it. It is Wasilat. My father is Joshua, but he’s also Abdul Rafiu, because we came from a Muslim background – my grandfather was a Muslim, but we are Christians because of my grandmother, who was a Christian, and who brought us up the Cherubim and Seraphim way. But my husband is a Muslim, though, he’s not dogmatic. He is liberal.

Presenting the Nollywood Actor - Ejike Asiegbu

2012-08-29T17:37:00.001+02:00

Ex-chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ejike Asiegbu, is well-known in Nigeria’s film industry, but most Nigerians don’t know that the talented actor is gradually positioning himself to try his hands in the murky waters of Nigerian politics. He’s a Theatre Arts graduate and currently the Special Assistant to the Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji on entertainment. He traces his acting career to his role in Chinua Achebe’s tragedy Things Fall Apart as a warrior. In this exclusive interview, he reflects on his acting career, the raging feud in AGN, the scourge of piracy and censorship, his political ambition and his family.

Excerpts:

You have not been featuring in movies lately . Are you taking a break or you have gone into another line of biz?

I am a stakeholder in Nollywood and a filmmaker, first and foremost. Apart from movies, there are other things I do. I am a media consultant and a trader also.

You have a stable home contrary to the general perception about actors. How did you achieve this and how have you been able to sustain it?

It’s hard work and understanding . I’m happily married and blessed with four lovely children. I have a girl and three boys, so what else can I say? It’s love and understanding . It’s about marrying somebody who is your wife and not marrying another person’s wife. It’s marrying somebody who you desire to marry.

Before I found my wife, I asked God for a woman that would tolerate me, a woman I would love and who would love me equally so that both of us could make a home. Our marriage is now 15 or 16 years and we are still counting. I thank God for that. If you’re not faithful to your wife and there is no understanding between you , it’s unfortunate. I thank God , because we have been growing and we have many more years to celebrate and we will continue to be there, because I married a woman who loves me and who I love too. I respect her and she also respects me. So, there is love and understanding in my home.

I understand you featured in Things Fall Apart. What role did you play?

I was a member of the cast of Things Fall Apart until I had to go for my exams. I played the role of a village warrior.

Nowadays, Nollywood seems to be allowing nudity in movies. Is it a marketing strategy of producers ? What’s it all about?

Well, every writer has poetic license . I have said severally that our writers need more training. A few are very good but we also have a lot who are just writing for writing sake and who believe that nudity is the only thing that can sell a movie. Such movies don’t impress me because I am trained. They should begin to look at social issues and children’s stories that can educate and make society a better place. Nollywood should focus on political and other social themes and not only romance.

I have heard them say on several occasions that nudity is what the people want. But for me it’s funny. Viewers cannot want that always. This doesn’t mean Nollywood lacks great writers, producers, directors whose works speak volumes. Things are getting better now. I know the industry is growing and we can be better.

What would you say of Nollywood in the next five years?

Five years is just like tomorrow. We are still crawling. If you say 10 to 15 years, you would have set the right timeframe within which to make a projection. So far, I must commend efforts of my peers in the industry . We all know that we fund ourselves and we are lucky to get funding . A lot of independent minded professionals have defied the odds and are making movies on CDs and people appreciate these movies, but at considerable loss eventually due to piracy.

We must appreciate the likes of Ben Bruce who have done so much through his valuable Silverbird Cinemas. Three or four movie producers from Europe are trying to set up cinemas in the country too. That’s the profitable venue to launch movies . If you shoot a movie, don’t release it on CDs, go to the cinemas and promote it. While promoting it, people will hear about it and they will watch it in the theatres and if it is good, they would want to keep a copy by the time you release it on CDs.

Government is key to producing an enabling environment ultimately. It’s not as if the laws are not there.

There are laws but who obeys them?

Why hasn’t government taken effective measures against piracy?

I don’t want to indict the government, but a better process could have been adopted in checking piracy. I’m aware that in Lagos, for example, before you open a shop, you must pay the Internal Revenue Service for the space. So, who are pirates? There are rules and regulations to checkmate them but do government officials help us?

What some of them are willing to do is just to collect their money and allow them to go. So, a lot needs to be done to protect the interests of filmmakers . Other professionals have problems too , but let’s hope that the N200million government recently gave to Nollywood will be managed by the right people who will disburse it to real filmmakers and not quacks .

Why are some of you venturing into politics? We’ve heard of Kanayo .O. Kanayo, Okey Bakassi, and RMD who have declared interest in politics.

It’s wrong for you to ask why any Nigerian adult , least of all actors, have ventured into politics , because they are Nigerians. We are Nigerians and you as an individual have a political party you admire. So, we are all politicians. Everybody or most Nigerians prefer one political party to the other. They either like a particular leader or a particular person who is in a particular political party or they want to protect them. It happens all over the world.

For instance Arnold Schwarzenegger was an actor and ex-governor of California and late US Ex-president Ronald Reagan was an actor. RMD was a special adviser to Delta state government and now a commissioner. Okey Bakassi and I are special advisers on entertainment to Governor T.A Orji of Abia state. Of course Kanayo .O. Kanayo is eligible to contest any government office. So, there is nothing new. Every qualified Nigerian is entitled to contest one position or the other. So, politics is not a special thing for a few people.

However, you know, politics has to start from your constituency and not campaigning in Lagos without going home. Some people stay in Lagos and campaign and say they are running for a seat in the Federal House of Representatives. Things don’t work that way. Go to your constituency and test your popularity. You need acceptance from your people that you have the capacity to represent them.

Do you see yourself joining the fray for elective positions in the nearest future?

Certainly. By the grace of God in 2015, I will . You know I am already serving my state government and whatever we can do to provide good service to the people we shall do, because that’s what matters in governance.

Tell us your exciting moments in acting

I don’t have “best times”. I’m a product of forward ever and backward never. I was trained by Ola Rotimi. I want to measure success by my popularity. So, to that extent, I will say, I am favored because I am recognized not just as an actor but also as a leader and someone that has impacted positively not just the Actors Guild of Nigeria but the entertainment industry as a whole. I’m a social commentator, a comrade and a man of many parts. I’m an actor, a director, producer, a member of civil society and a politician.

How do you relax?

I relax with my family from time to time. I also relax by going out to watch football and relating with friends. Sometimes, I travel a lot with my family. Sometimes, I go out clubbing with my wife.

That means you are close to your kids?

Oh! Very close, except I’m not always around, but even if I travel, I speak with them every day.

What would you do if your libido is weak to keep your wife from going out with other men?

There are certain things you don’t pray for. There are certain things you don’t need answers to and there are things that no man prays for. First, my libido is not weak. My wife can tell you that I’m quite virile even at my age. On what I will do if I’m in such state, I don’t know, because it is only when you have it that you want to do something. I have never had it. I’m a firebrand.

Sometimes, it happens. It’s not every time a woman wants to make love and the same goes for men who are workaholics. If you want to be a successful man, you have to work hard because success is also determined by how hardworking you have been. Sometimes, you may not be in the mood. As a human being you may also be tired. In such situations, you just need to relax, have enough sleep because under that condition you cannot do anything. Wives don’t understand this always. They will tell you that there’s a problem or suspect that you must have satisfied yourself outside. This is always their thinking but it’s wrong.

Women think every time we are out to meet friends in a restaurant, there must be “the other woman” there. We don’t have such time. We discuss business then. Men also want to relate with friends to talk about life, issues and other things. The same thing applies to career women . They work so hard and need time to unwind. So, sometimes, sex or anything that borders on it is not what they want. They need relaxation. At such times , go to cinemas, clubs and always remember the nice times you’ve had together . We need some time off work, to take a break and do some check-ups. Some have died and some have lost so much because they don’t rest.

What do you mean by “women want to ruin men”?

Yes, in the sense that if they have their way, they don’t want their man to have money in their pockets, because they feel that once you have money, you will spend it on “others”. So, they would ask “Where are you going ?” From here to that place, how much does it cost?” They would want to give you money for fuel. They want to decide who you relate with and in fact if you go there you must not drink. If you must drink, it’s only you that will drink.

Your friends will have to fend for themselves. Invariably, they don’t know men have a way of living. Today you buy for your friends and tomorrow, they will buy for you. Our world is quite different, because even the rich also cry, not because they are not talking. It’s not because they drive Hummer Jeeps and all the big cars in this world. Some of them don’t have money to put fuel in their cars. There are challenges like that.

But with time, he knows that dry bones can rise again. Things can happen and a man you think doesn’t have anything today can become a millionaire tomorrow. So, that’s life . There are ups and downs but how well we manage it, is what matters. We pray that God will give every man his real wife who will understand, tolerate and help him to build a home. Women need to be tolerant and patient with their men.

They should not think because a man does not have a car today, he cannot have it tomorrow. If a man is not as big as his classmates today, it doesn’t mean he cannot be bigger than them tomorrow. So, everybody has his own time. It’s only God who makes things happen for everybody.

If you quarrel with your wife, how long does it take you to resolve it ?

I make sure it doesn’t exceed 24 hours before we settle it. After discussing with maturity, we make hot love. And that’s the way to make a genuine settlement. A man should not be tired of saying sorry if he is wrong, even though I don’t subscribe to “sorry my wife ” always, because as you are saying sorry women tend to take advantage of that unnecessarily. Women are ready to say “that was how you said sorry the other day, you said it in 1984, you said it two weeks ago”.

They even go as far as writing in their diary, how many times you said sorry. And if you don’t say sorry again, they say you are so “hardened and stubborn”. They will say your friends have taught you “not to say sorry to your wife”. In all, I tell you, it’s always good not to allow your quarrel to spill to the next day . Otherwise your ego will come in and two, three days to one week, it will take both your parents to settle it. The woman should not be tired of saying sorry either. My take on this , is that I am blessed and I thank God that my wife and I are matured adults.

Presenting Kate Henshaw-Nuttal of Nollywood

2012-08-24T10:40:00.001+02:00

Henshaw-Nuttall was born in Cross River State, Nigeria, the oldest of four children. After completing her primary and secondary school in Lagos and Calabar, she spent one year at the University of Calabar reading remedial studies, and then majored in Medical Microbiology at the School of Medical Lab Science, LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) in Lagos. Henshaw-Nuttall worked at the Bauchi State General hospital. In 1993 Henshaw-Nuttall auditioned for an acting job in the movie When the Sun Sets and was handed the role. This was her first appearance in a major Nollywood movie. Henshaw-Nuttall has starred in over 40 Nollywood movies. In 2008 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film Stronger than Pain. She is presently "The Face of Onga"

Presenting Ajibola Dabo of Nollywood

2012-08-15T14:08:00.001+02:00

Jibola Dabo actor, writer and director hails from the beautiful town of Owo in Ondo State. A holder of a Master degree in Mass Media from the Columbia State University, United States, He is also a holder of a first degree in Fine Arts and majored in graphics.

Recently you won the best actor award at the Zuma film festival, were you expecting it?

Not at all. I didn’t even know I was nominated. In fact, I was on my way to Lagos from Ibadan when I received a telephone call informing me that I am expected in Abuja and I wondered why?

Because I’m a producer, my initial thought was they were calling me up for a job or something else. But when the voice insisted that it was important I decided to travel to Abuja. I wondered why some people think they could just call me and tell me to start coming to Abuja, without telling me why.

The suspense was made worse when the caller told me that “ this is something that has to do with a lifetime achievement, I wish you’ll make it. Get to Nicon Luxury Hotel and your expenses will be reimbursed and all that. .” I had to turn back because I’d already left home. It never crossed my mind for once that I was up for an award. To compound my situation, I didn’t have enough funds to embark on the trip. It was a total drama because I had fifteen thousand Naira on me and I had even bought fuel from it and a ticket was about nineteen thousand naira. Somehow I got to Abuja late and I had to drive straight to the event centre and by this time, the function had begun. I was shocked when I was called and the award was handed over to me by the French Ambassador to Nigeria. The movies screened were not only Nigerian movies as South Africa, Germany and Nigeria were equally represented. I was elated.

What ran through your mind the moment you were called up for the award?

I cannot really describe the feeling. I can only compare it to my life on stage whenever I finish a performance and people begin to applaud. The euphoria is not explainable.

Was that your first major award?

In Nigeria, yes. I have received a fellowship award for choreography and I have also received what we call hall wall awards in the theatre, all in the US, but in Nigeria, this is the biggest so far.

How credible is the Zuma festival award?

With due respect to all other awards, the Zuma award is one of the very few awards that you cannot influence. I questioned them on the reason they waited so late to inform me about the award and I was told that the decision was reached the morning of that day I was called. Someone summed it up in a text, she sent saying ‘this is a true measure of quality’ because it is a very different and credible award.

When did you join Nollywood?

I started off with TV soaps when I returned in 2003 and I joined Nollywood in 2006. Before then, I was on stage for KOJA and the Commonwealth celebration. The theme of the play was Toy Soldier, Boy Soldier. That was the first thing I did when I came back.

For those who may not know, what were you doing before you departed the shores of this country?

Acting and dancing is what I have been doing on TV since the seventies.

Do you dance?

I was the director of the black heritage. We did the forty man dance at Sambo that I took around the world.

You still dance?

I still dance . . .

What sparked up your interest in art?

Sincerely I wouldn’t know because I would not say that I got this or that from anyone in my family

I just grew up and found myself in the acting profession. As a child and long before I was of school age, my big sister and my brothers will cast me whenever they returned home from school as part of their Biblical plays. So naturally when I started school I became part of the school’s drama group. I remembered vividly one of the major plays that I acted in when I was in primary four.

I played the role of Samson and till date, most of my schoolmates (in primary school) still call me Samson.

I also played the role of the traditional chief priest of my town, Owo. That is also remarkable for me . . .

Were you born with a silver spoon?

No.

What was life like as a child?

Rough, very rough. Imagine a situation where six children are left behind to a mother who never saw the four walls of a school and had to cater for her children.

Did you hawk to help out?

Of course! I hawked all manners of wares and products. I hawked kerosene and I remember there was a song my siblings and I used to sing whenever we were hawking kerosene. The song went thus ‘Keroseneeeeeee!!! gbanjo epo re o komeji, elepo n’re le o ema daroo, toba diwoyi ola, arokun epo oyinbo’. ( Buy cheap kerosene for two shillings . . . don’t wait till tomorrow)I also hawked Orii (local balm).

I did all sorts of menial jobs to augment the little my mother could.

How were you able to get quality education and even travel abroad?

I give thanks to God Almighty first and to my mother. My late mother was a wonderful woman. She inspired and made it clear to us that she was subservient to her brothers because she lacked proper education. I managed to get quality education, though I kept being sent off because of school fees. I repeated a class because of four shillings. I went to farm with my mother and by the time I got back to school with the money, I lost a whole term. So I stayed away and returned the following year to continue school. Al of these made me a very bitter and stubborn child. I resented so many things in the society and I feared I’ll end up in jail. I was always fighting with the police and with people because I hate cheating and everything like that. But what helped me in life was because I had uncles who considered education as important and they gave me reasons to say I want to be better than you. I was looked down on by a very brilliant uncle. He was versatile in the use of the English language and he could pick holes in everything you say. When I said I was going to study the arts, he refused to help out because he considered the subject as course for low lives. He preferred I read law or medicine.

How?

You know when you want something, you long for it, you crave for it and that was what happened in my case. I did all sorts of things to survive and nobody in my family can say I did this for you or that a dime of his paid my fees.

As a polygamist, how many wives were your father married to?

My dad had four wives and my mother was the first. But I didn’t grow up with them. I lived with different uncles and aunties. I never had the opportunity of living with my family, so I didn’t miss much. ‘

What are some of the things you learnt from your folks that may have influenced the way you make decisions in life?

Learning is a lifetime process. My mum used to tell me that no matter how beautiful a woman is, if she is married, never go near her. I held onto that for so long and it has become a part of me. She also taught me to be honest at all times. She would tell me that if you tell one lie, you will need many more to cover up for that one lie.

On a more personal note, what really happened between you and Ayo Mogaji?

I don’t want to talk about Ayo Mogaji. She is in her husband’s house but still my very good friend. She is also the mother of my child and that suits me fine.

Are you planning to remarry?

Yes . . .

How soon?

Well very soon.

May we know the lucky woman?

No she is a private person.

What attracts you to a woman?

I am someone who sees beauty differently. I don’t go for the artificial beauty. I love intelligent women. I love women who could challenge me intellectually.

Considering your experiences home and abroad, what do you think of the motion picture industry in Nigeria today?

We have made tremendous growth and progress but we are not there yet.

So what do we do to get there?

We will get there because the mediocre are going to fall by the way side. We have some directors producing world class movies. It is a matter of time for things to be all right.

What if you were offered, a political appointment will you accept it?

I’m not a politician. I’d probably shoot myself on the foot because I’m not diplomatic. Political appointment is not for me. I will not be able to play the politicking that is required.

Is your beard a signature?

I shave it sometimes, but for a long while, it has been like this. If I cut it down now, my fans may protest, so I leave it.

How do you handle advances from female fans?

I don’t like women. I love women. I am a flirt. People misunderstand that when I say it, I love to flirt but that is if you understand what flirting means.

What does it mean to flirt?

It means interacting with the opposite sex or person in a manner that would gladden their heart. I could flirt with an old woman for instance. You know as an artiste my obligation is to make the people happy and so you need to flirt with people to do that. It is part of the job. When I’m on set, I flirt mostly with the assistants because they are looked down upon.

Why are you always in white or is it a ritual?

It is not. I have been wearing no other colour than white in the last fifteen years. Except I‘m on set, you will not see me in something else but white. I feel very comfortable in white and it has nothing to do with ritual.

How often do you see your children?

I’m in constant touch with my children. Some of them are married and the rest area also doing fine.

And how many grandchildren do you have?

I have six grandchildren and they are doing well too.

How does it feel being a granddaddy?

It feels good and it also reminds that one is not getting any younger. It gives you an additional sense of responsibility. It is a blessing too and I am happy.

I had always dreamt of being on TV - Chioma Chukwuka-Apotha of Nollywood

2012-08-13T17:55:00.002+02:00

INTERVIEW WITH NIGERIAN TRIBUE

Can you tell us what your childhood was like?

I grew up in a very large family, a Christian one and although, we were not rich, my siblings and I were contented with what our parents had to offer.

My childhood was pretty normal, as I did all a child would do; read books, did my homework. I ran errands and did my chores properly and on time too and I also played hard like other kids of my age did.

What about your educational background?

I did my primary school at Onward Nursery and Primary School, where I moved on to Federal Government Girls College, Onitsha, for my secondary education and later graduated from Lagos State University where I studied Banking and Finance.

Can you tell us how your journey into acting started considering the fact that you studied Banking and Finance?

I had always dreamt of being on TV, so when I went for my first audition in 1998, it further confirmed my desire to be in the field of arts. I played little Skita and minor roles until I played my first major role in 2000, in the movie; ‘THE APPLE’, directed by Lancelot Oduah-Imasuen and produced by Theodore Anyanji.

After my first audition in 1998, I didn’t do much because I didn’t know anyone and how to go about anything, in the sense that I didn’t know where and what time to get to the audition grounds. But I was determined to make it on my own, with or without help from those who were already there.

So, on this fateful day, on my way to school, a producer called me for an audition and there I did my first major role and there has been no stopping me since then.

How did your parents take the news that you would take up acting as a professional career?

My parents frowned on the idea of going into the movie industry. My mother in particular was of the opinion that young girls in the profession are regarded as loose and never seen as being able to settle down in a home.

Eventually, my parents were able to accept it because I promised not to let them down. Not that I won’t do anything wrong or that I am not capable of failing, but only by the grace of God I was able to make it.

So, if you look back now, would you say the acting profession has been quite rewarding for you?

I must confess that the industry has been very rewarding. I can afford a lifestyle I ordinarily wouldn’t have been able to. Huge rewards, I can’t even begin to mention them. I do have other things I’m into alongside being an actress, but sorry, I won’t disclose them.

By and large, how would you rate the development in Nollywood in terms of content and production?

Nollywood has come a long way, a very long way. I mean, out of absolute nothing springs a great industry that is rated third in the world.

This goes to show that Nollywood has come to stay and if and when the neccessary support comes, it will be simply explosive. But in the same breath, we still have a lot of work to do.

In terms of content, technical know-how, production, detailing, professionalism (craftmanship), we still need to do more to meet up with Bollywood and Hollywood. Well, it shouldn’t be all about matching up now, but raising our standards. We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to development.

What about the two factions of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) presently existing in the industry? What are the likely implications for the industry since there seems to be no unity?

I do not have anything to say when it comes to the two factions in the AGN presently. I don’t delve into matters this sensitive. This shouldn’t be, though. A body cannot have two heads. There won’t be unity.

How do you think the menace of piracy can be addressed so that movie producers can have a better life in Nigeria?

It’s a very sensitive issue. Well, I think there has to be a proper structure before the government can even help through copyright protection and investment in the entertainment industry, because this will in turn boost the economy of our country.

Nigeria ‘s entertainment industry and Nollywood in particular are the future of this nation’s economy and the sooner the government and even the private sectors help out, the better for all of us.

Have you produced any film(s) of your own?

Produced any movie? I haven’t produce any movie of mine yet, but works are in the pipeline, so you will hear from me soon.

Which of the works you’ve done would you consider to be the most challenging?

I can’t say there’s a particular job that is most challenging because virtually all my works are challenging.

There is this general belief that you usually act the role of Holy Mary or a young suffering lady. Your fans out there would like to know why?

I am a very versatile actress. Why they give me such roles, I do not know, but it’s because I started off with those kinds of roles and once you are good at a particular role, you get boxed in.

Case in point is the evergreen Patience Ozokwor who started playing very emotional role and was very good at it, but when she played the role of a bad mother in-law, she got boxed in because she did it well and it has continued like that. There are other cases, but since I will soon produce my own movie, I would do little skits of different characters.

Who are your role models in the industry?

I have people who inspired me in the industry; the likes of Kate Henshaw-Nuttall, for her dedication to the profession. She’s just a disciplined actress, very focused and hardworking. I’m also a fan of aunty Joke Silva and Ramsey Nouah.

How has your profession lifted your life? Any award?

Like I said earlier, being an actress has lifted me in many ways than one and to crown it, being appointed as a brand ambassador for Africa‘s fastest growing telecommunication company, Globacom, has been very rewarding.

I have also been blessed with my efforts in the industry by being given awards. There’s a long list of them and the very one that readily comes to my mind is winning the African Movie Academy Awards best actress of the year 2007 and the African Film Awards UK for best actress in English language 2010.

What dictates your fashion sense, how do you get your clothing? Do you believe in African and Nigerian fashion? Who are your major designers?

My mood determines my fashion sense, but I’m a very conservative dresser. I don’t expose my vitals. I wear what makes me feel good and comfortable. From contemporary to African, I wear them all. I don’t wear a particular designer, I just love what looks good.

Does your marriage infringe on your job, being a very busy and time-consuming job? Can you tell us about your family, hubby and children?

My marriage doesn’t infringe on my job in anyway. I make sure I take care of the home front before I leave for work, especially if it’s outside town. My family, no comment on that, but we are a good Christian family.

What is your most cherished earthly possession?

I don’t get attached to earthly possessions, so I don’t have any I cherish.

What quality do you possess that stands you out among your peers in the industry?

I guess it’s my dedication to my job and hardwork plus the fact that I’m a very straightforward person.

What is your favourite food, colour, car?

My favourite food used to be beans and plantain, but I’m not really sure what it is now because if it tastes good and is healthy, I would eat. No favourite colour. Yes, I love good cars and it has to be a very functional SUV like a RAV 4 or an X6 (BMW).

What can you not be found doing?

What I can’t be found doing….. stealing. Oh, I detest it!

INTERVIEW WITH SUNNEWSONLINE

Why were you so unnecessarily vocal during GUS? You were so vocal. Was that deliberate?

It was deliberate. It was part of my strategy and it worked for me because everybody sees Chioma as quiet.

Everybody thinks Chioma cries and if you notice at the initial stage, I was trying to see if the “quiet” thing would work, but it didn’t because that was the jungle and in the jungle, anything goes. So I had to switch to my initial plan and it worked for me. I did my job very well. It was a strategy and I will still stick to it anytime any day.

How did you know it worked for you?

When the opportunity came for me to be a part of the Gulder Ultimate Search, I was like yes, this is the platform for me to tell people that Chioma is not a stereotype of an actor. Chioma can do something different from what we are used to seeing. She cannot just cry, she can be hot, she can be fierce she can put it to your face and truthfully that is not just who I am, that is just what I do. My friends know me and I cannot change. I cannot change at my age and after all everybody has that point. Even in your home, you are defensive one moment and the next you are not. You cannot be defensive at all times but the substance that makes you will still be there. That is not the case with an actor. Our lives are different from what we do.

I was really surprised with what you did in the camp though I knew you are not totally “buti” but I was expecting at least a little of “effizy” from you as a Nollywood diva.

As I said earlier, we were in the jungle, so all the “effizy”; all the “feferity” were left at home. When we were trying to enter the camp, we left it at the entrance to pick it when we are going home. Why you didn’t see that was because I had a strategy, I didn’t want everybody to see me the way they see me everyday. You know a problem we have in Nollywood is to stereotype a person.

They actually write a script with you in mind. Okay there was this script I had and they forgot to write the character’s name they just wrote my name there. You know that is just the height of stereotyping. I didn’t want that, I just needed this platform to tell the world that okay Chioma needs to be out of this box. It doesn’t change who I am and it doesn’t change who I have been. It is just that I want you guys to see me in another light; it doesn’t affect my person. GUS provided that platform and I grabbed it.

Is it true that while going in for GUS you said you were just going there for a day and you would leave but on getting there, you were extremely competitive you wanted to win? So did anything change your experience when you entered the house or you never planned to go in there just to pass time?

Like I said earlier, I went in with a strategy and if GUS was all about the task that we were given to do: everybody running, who got the flag, who came down the plank first and all that, a lot of people won’t be watching and because of my strategy, because of the plan I went there with, I generated a lot of buzz for GUS and that is why a lot of people were glued to their TV sets just to watch and you will see, the remaining episodes after my eviction will be very boring. It was not a plan I had in camp, it was a plan I had to work for me like I told you. I just wanted to go in there to showcase myself as a different character so that people will know that Chioma can do something different from what they are used to.

Did you plan to win?

Everybody there planned to win. Those of us that were evicted were just unfortunate that we did not make it to the end, so that is it. There has to be a winner and there has to be a loser.

Did you feel disappointed?

I felt a little bit disappointed at the point when I was leaving. But as I speak, I feel very okay.

Looking at your face when you were leaving, I thought you wanted to make up with Muma Gee?

There was no quarrel, so there was no need to make up to anyone. Like I said earlier, it was my strategy, we were cool before the camp and we are cool outside the camp.

Have you gals spoken since?

We were not on speaking terms before the search, so, I don’t understand.

Do you have a cordial relationship with Emeka?

Of course, as a colleague, we have a working relationship

Do you think this will bring the ‘ferocious’ on the rooftop like the Muma Gee and Eucharia kind of role?

Well, yes. The roles have started coming; I don’t think you are getting me. It is not that it will change my person; it’s just to let people know that I can do this. The roles are coming and if it is within the confines of what I can do, I’ll do it.

But has the platform GUS offered started ‘working the magic’?

Yes. Everybody now knows that Chioma is not quiet, Chioma is not stereotyped. She can do something different.

How has life been for you?

You are one of the few ones I know who doesn’t ‘keep friends’. You are one of the few who doesn’t live where other Nollywood persons live.

That is what works for me. Let the Chioma that people know be the Chioma that people know and me and my family. Let me cherish that, because they are all I have. I can’t share everything with people; I can’t share my family with the public. They can let me have that, can’t they? My life alone is enough to share with the world not to talk of my life and my family.

Has the strategy of separating your home from work been working for you; though it won’t be fair to say it is only in Nollywood that marriages fail?

Truthfully, I believe my strategies didn’t do that. It is God. When it comes to marriage, career and stuffs like that, there is no particular plan. I just feel it’s God’s favour. That is what I believe and things are working for me and I thank God for that.

How does it feel to be a mom?

It’s wonderful. It is not an experience that you can share; it is better experienced. I thank God for my family and for everything He has deemed fit for me to have.

How do you juggle everything you do with Nollywood, and I learnt you still go to the market. How true is that?

(Chuckles) Of course, I have to go to the market. I have to cook for my people. How I juggle it? It has not been very easy, but I thank God for the kind of family I have. They are very understanding and they know my job can be very demanding. So, sometimes they have to let mummy go and come back. They miss me when I’m not around; they just hold on for me when I’m not around.

As a stakeholder and as an actor, what do you think is wrong with Nollywood?

What is happening to Nollywood is what is happening everywhere in the world. It is the social crisis we are experiencing: the recession. People thought it won’t hit Nigeria, so when it did, it hit us very bad. Some people are acting as if it took them unawares, but we had been warned and it is affecting every part of the country.

Nollywood happens to be part of it; but it is not completely down. It is just that we are going back to retrace our steps and to find out where we missed it and to correct it, hoping that we will have a new Nollywood that will stay, that won’t be moved, that won’t crash in spite everything that is happening around the country.

A new Nollywood that will have a voice for the masses, that will have a voice for the country, a new Nollywood that will stand as a channel with which to correct ills that are happening in the society because I stand for good morals, discipline. I stand for the family and our norms. I believe in our culture, so it is going to be big. It might take time but when we come back it will be. So it’s not completely down.

I didn’t see you at 2009 AMAA awards?

I wasn’t there in 2009 because I was not in the country and in 2010; I was at the location I wasn’t given the opportunity to attend. I hope to attend by 2011.

When you look back at the years when you were not an actor and now, what comes to your mind?

I have been in the industry for ten years and looking back, first of all I will say I have no regrets. I love the peace I’ve had, I love the growth I’ve had and I love my consistency. Basically, it was not easy at the beginning because I didn’t have any godfather or anybody that will say let me get this for you, let me get that for you. But on my own and definitely with God by my side, I got to where I am today. It’s been challenging but it’s worth it. I paid my dues and you can’t say you’ve stopped paying your dues.

What did you pay?

What do you think I paid? Do you think after my first movie that was it? You didn’t know that after my first movie I was still moving from auditions and all that? After my first movie, I didn’t do any other movie until the following year. So people thought because I started with the lead role, it would be easy. But no, I still went for auditions and I didn’t get roles. I still stayed at home for some months without getting jobs. It has been an experience of a lifetime and I am so glad.

Picture Collage of Benita Nzeribe of Nollywood

2012-08-09T13:50:00.001+02:00

From a humble beginning in 1996 on the set of "Beyond Our Dreams", a TV soap, Ihiala, Anambra State-born Benita Nnenna Adaeze Nzeribe, is now a top player in Nollywood movies. Here is the interview she granted in May, 2012. Read on.

You have been absent from the screen for some time now. When did you bounce back?

I have been back since late last year and since then I have been very much around working. As you can see, I am on location now and by next week I will be at Asaba for another movie location. I have been working since that last year. And I have one movie already in the market and another one any moment from now would also be in the market. After all these, I will get back to my feet to produce my own movie.

Does it mean that scripts were waiting for you, why such a rush from producers?

I don’t call it rush because I don’t rush my things. I think they saw me and believe I can interpret a particular role and they allowed me to have them. They are taking their time to know who fits a particular role.

You made mention of producing your own movie, what’s the idea?

I intend extending my tentacles to that area. This particular movie I am about doing in collaboration with a foreign-based company. In the next few weeks, I would be able to talk about it better. Right now, I don’t just want to blow it. I am going to bring my crew from outside the country and a lot of people would be given the opportunity to showcase their talents to the world.

What is the movie about?

It is about us and our culture. We are putting finishing touches to the story and my director would not want me to blow it up yet until we are set with it. Like I said, very soon it would be everywhere.

At a point you were big in the industry. Suddenly you vanished into oblivion. Why?

At a point, it was becoming a do-or-die affair in the industry and like I said earlier, I am not a desperado. I decided to try my hands on other businesses around. That was why I took a break from the industry, now I am back.

Does that mean you have been into business all this while?

Yes I went into contract, in Abuja, but I was shuttling here and outside the country. I was on and off. But now I am fully back to my job.

What has been the secret of your fame in the industry over the years?

I don’t know about other people, but for me, it has been God and the fact that I aim high. I don’t look at people; I look at myself and God. The secret is faith in God and I am very, very patient person; when I believe in something, I go for it, no matter how long it will take to come through. Patience goes a long way in success and I have that Patience. I am not always in a hurry. I take my time and wait upon the Lord for the fulfillment of my heart desires.

You are sounding like a Christian, are you one?

Oh yea…I am very passionate about God, no apologies. From day one, I have always loved God; forget what you see on the screen - somebody has to do that, somebody has to play those roles and I play it professionally. Once the camera is on, I am that character until the camera goes off. Once it is off, I am back to Benita, a God-fearing woman. That is why when I act a bitchy role, you think I am bitchy and when I act a good girl, you think I am good. It is all make-believe. When it has to do with a bitchy role I am a bitch to the core and when it is a good girl role, I become a good girl par excellence. I believe that is what acting is all about. When you act and people know that you are acting, then you are getting it wrong; but when you do it and people see it as being real, that means you are doing it well and that is exactly what I do. The public should stop seeing me from the angle of the roles I play. You see people don’t understand me. I live my roles.

Your acting career, how did you come about it?

I loved watching movies as a little girl. I think it started from when I accompanied someone to a movie audition. I remember vividly that the crowd on that day was just too much and people where pushing themselves here and there. I wasn’t just comfortable with that scenario so I screamed out for orderliness. You need to know how tiny I was then and from that singular act of my outspokenness I was noticed and at the end given a script. I think that was in 1997. I didn’t know then that they were still searching for their lead cast so at the end I got a lead role. That is why I keep saying that my fame came from God. It was a soap opera entitled Beyond Our Dream. I was also an English undergraduate then at Abia State University. I came in basically because of my love for acting. In fact, I started coming form the east to Lagos for auditions while still in a convent school then. I attended several auditions here in Lagos. My first movie was around the year 2000. I did two movies at a stretch then, Notorious Virgin and Gold Diggers. But it was the soap opera that actually brought me to limelight.

What has been the experience so far in the industry like?

It’s been interesting over the years. Ups and downs, it is so in every business. The industry is a place you make mistakes and learn from them. So it’s been good.

And how are you coping with stardom?

I have been able to live with it over the years; it’s just a matter of respecting oneself and respecting others as well. Stardom also calls for one being extra careful in whatever you do because all eyes are on you.

Now that you have grown to this level, how are you giving back to the society?

I have an NGO that focuses on helping the widows, motherless babies, and little girls with VVF. I don’t like blowing my trumpet; it’s like announcing your offering in the church. I don’t do that. How I give back is between me and my God, even the new movie I’m going into will also serve as a means of giving opportunity to new acts to show off themselves, get footholds and grow in the industry.

Tell us about your background?

I am from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. I was born in Aba because that was where my parents lived and they are still living there. My primary and secondary schools were also in Aba and Umuahia. I attended a Convent school with the hope of becoming a reverend sister. But I left when I felt I was not called towards that. My growing up was also normal and nice. Growing up was fun for me. We are four in my family: two boys, two girls. I’m the third child. Dad is an international businessman and mum is a retired Chief Nurse. So I be Nwa Aba, an Aba-brought up to the core (Laughs)

What was your parents’ reaction when you ventured into movie?

I am not from a family where you are pushed around to do what you don’t want to do; though they had their reservations, I later proved them otherwise within a year. Like I told you I started with a soap opera which was on the network and I played the lead female. Luckily, it was successful. What more can you ask from a young girl as a parent?

Tell us about your academic background

I attended Abia State University where I obtained a Bachelor degree in English language.

Does the course you read in anyway give you advantage over your colleagues?

I don’t think so. It is all about loving what you do and thriving in it.

What do you think makes relevant to producers?

I think this question has to go to producers and directors because I actually don’t know. They know why they would always say this role is for Benita and no one else. Apart from that, a director has a particular person in mind when he picks up a script, sometimes during the writing process they attribute some things they know you can do well to the script (though I stand to be corrected).

Perhaps, it’s your beauty that attracts the producers

(Laughs) I don’t know about that one; everywoman is beautiful, beauty is not just physical but something of the mind and it is an inward thing.

What is the current state of Nollywood, from your own perspective?

Some would say the industry is growing while others are saying otherwise. But I tell you I see a success story in every situation, the industry has grown and will continue to grow. I see better days ahead and I believe we are on the right track.

How do you feel about incessant marriage crashes in the industry?

I don’t like it when people attribute marriage crashes to Nollywood, we are human beings and the fact that one’s marriage crashes is not because she is an actress. For crying out loud, we have doctors, lawyers, bankers, among others, that are facing similar thing and nobody is blowing them up. I try to make people believe that there are many stars that are still enjoying their marriages. Nobody is happy to have a break up because there was love before the marriage. Even the media is not helping matter; you are an actress and you lodge in a hotel with Mr. A or Mr. B, then someone will see you and go back and write what he feels about you, knowing well that nothing exist between you and the Mr. A. When you write all these things, even if the husband would understand, what about his family members? Would they also understand? And most times people take the movie roles one plays to be the person’s real self and the press still worsen it by writing something negative about you. It’s not fair. It hurts! We are decent human beings with consciences contrary to opinions about us, especially as prejudiced in the media.

Talking about love, do you believe in it?

Yes I do, I really do believe in love but I don’t like talking about love because it is a foul cry in this area. Love is something you can’t even control, it’s something beyond definition. It’s something that accepts you the way you are – both your good and bad aspects.

How does it feel to be heartbroken?

That is what I am saying, maybe what they call love is an extreme form of likeness. It really hurts to be heartbroken; at times it would look as if the entire world has forsaken you.

Share your heartbreak experience with us

It has been overblown in the past and I have moved on with my life. It’s been over blown that I flushed my engagement ring inside the toilet. I am happy now. I made a mistake and that was in the past.

But did you actually flush your engagement ring inside the toilet?

Yes I did. I was in a relationship and it crumbled. So I did and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I have since then moved on with my life.

What did you learn from that heartbreak experience?

I learnt to be careful and not to trust any man again. Most men are not what you may think they are; they may fail you but God will never fail you.

Do you think lesbianism has really spread and affected Nollywood?

I don’t have the facts about the existence of such in the industry and nobody has approached me and nobody will think about that. You don’t just see any woman and you walk up to her for such act; I believe there are tendencies that ignites them, if you say there are lesbians in Nollywood tell me who are involved. Tell me!

When was your most depressed moment?

That was when my relationship crumbled and that was long time ago and when I lost money in business - big money and I learnt from it not to trust anybody in business. I don’t trust people when it comes to money. No matter who you are, when it comes to business, I will not trust you.

Share your most embarrassing moment as an actress with us.

That was in a supermarket where I went for shopping. Something fell from a woman’s shopping bag and I picked it for her but she turned against me and said: You! So you can be nice like this! I said “Ma, what do you mean?” She replied by asking me: “Do you know how much I hated you?” In the end, I told her to try and watch the movies where I played good roles after which I know she would stop hating me. The Second one was in an airplane. A woman just walked up to me and said: I hate you. I asked why and she said: it’s because my husband loves you. All those things you do…taking peoples husbands and wearing those useless things”. I protested, “Madam I was paid to do that. My director asked me to do it I didn’t just do it!” At the end, she became my friend.

What is your view about acting nude?

I don’t judge people who do it but as for me I cannot because I am an African woman, I am an Igbo girl and I don’t have the guts to act nude. I can show you all the cleavages by wearing skimpy wears but I can’t go nude. Skimpy wears, fine. I have respect for myself as a woman.

Where are you seeing yourself in five years time?

I expect to be high up there.

And probably in a man’s house by then?

Definitely I will be in a man’s house.

When exactly?

I will marry very soon and I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t worry, when the time comes I will give you notice!

Talking about marriage who is your ideal man?

I want a man that is complete. A man that will understand, respect and love me. That is my idea of a real man.

Pictorial Glance at Femi Adebayo of Nollywood

2012-07-27T14:53:00.000+02:00

Femi Adebayo must be the first of Nollywood act this Blogger had met personally. It is a big pleasure doing this post on him. Please read this interview he gave to http://www.e-expressnigeria.com

How trendy is Femi Adebayo?

Well I am just a very funny person. I am crazy about phones. I love shoes. I love wears. I love wristwatches. My mentality about all this is self satisfaction. I don’t buy it to impress anybody.

So, in essence you work hard and play hard?
(Laughs) I agree with you. I think I belong to that school of thought. I won’t play harder than I work. That means I don’t throw away money than I earn. When you see me spend say like N100, 000 that means that I must have earned about N450, 000. For me to acquire a BB Porsche of N350, 000 that means I have made over N3 million.

How attached are you to your gadgets?
That would be my phones. I use very sophisticated phones and I am lucky to have a very smart Personal Assistant who looks out for me. I leave my phones with him at public places. I also have a Bold 5 and Nokia E7.

I hear that being a celebrity also comes with getting a lot of freebies from rich fans. How true is this?
That can be determined with the situation of the Nigerian economy. It’s rare to see someone give you a gift of say half a million. Among my male colleagues, it is rare but I am not sure of the female acts. At least, I am sure of myself, it has not happened to me. Well, I have gotten gifts of N5, 000 recharge cards among others. But I know our ladies get gifts such as cars among other things but that hardly happen among the male acts.

As a handsome young man, one would expect you to get a lot of goodies from female fans. What has been your experience?
The ladies you just mentioned, what do they have to offer me? Yoruba people have a proverb – the person who wants to cloth another man should first be checked of his/ her clothing. A friend of mine saw me in January and told me that I am rich because I use a Kia Sorento worth N6.5 million. To God be the glory. I don’t get all my income alone from what I get from entertainment. Like everybody knows, I am a lawyer and I am also into properties. I buy and sell properties for so many clients within and outside Nigeria who are rest assured that Femi Adebayo cannot run away with their money. So you cannot place me beside any other actor at least in the Yoruba genre. What I can afford, they may not be able to afford. Any lady that would impress me can start from billions. What trips me most is simple appreciations and encouragement to do better.

How do you handle female fans? Do you get a lot of pressures from them?
Let me start by telling you that my female fans are interesting. I appreciate them, I don’t joke with them. I came to notice that majority of the people that watch home videos are females, the guys don’t have time. In my home, my wife watches movies than I do, I don’t even have time for movies. So I don’t play with my female fans. Some can get distracted by what they watch in the movies, but like I always say, I am one of the luckiest actors in Yoruba home videos.

How?
Because I have someone to lean on. I have learnt a lot from my father that one should keep these female friends, you must not lose them. At the same time, one must be highly disciplined, so that’s why I say that I am one of the luckiest because I am able to handle my female fans.

How does your wife react and relate with your female fans?
Well because I am one of the luckiest like I have said, understanding is very important in any relationship. I think I am happy to have her, she understands the nature of my job. Many people don’t even know her, she goes to saloon to make her hair, she hears a lot of gist about artistes. There was a particular day she came back and said some four girls said that Femi Adebayo is hot and they don’t mind dating him. And she was just laughing. That means she understands the nature of my job, I think I am one of the luckiest to have her as my wife.

Can you possibly detach yourself from movies and acting?

Well, I can’t live without acting, not just because of the financial aspect of it, but because of the passion I have for it. I love acting, I don’t even get money from acting, just satisfaction. I can be very comfortable without the money aspect of entertainment, to God be the glory.

How has your law background helped your career in the movie industry?
It does help in so many ways, but I have to go deeper. If you look at my movies, as a graduate of Law from University of Ilorin, my education level will showcase whatever I do, and that is the basic thing, to me it is an investment in the future.
I am sure my calling in the entertainment world is for a purpose. A time will come when attention will move to other younger actors who are quite younger than us. So at that point in time what do you expect me to do?

Does it worry you that many producers always like to cast Funke Akindele and you in the same movies?
As a professional, that is none of my business. I don’t need to know who is coming to play my wife. I really don’t need to. Toyin Aimakhu has appeared as my wife in many more movies than Funke Akindele. Iyabo Ojo has played my wife in about three movies. Dayo Amusa has played my wife in a movie. Ronke Odusanya otherwise known as Flakky Idi dowo has played my wife in almost eight movies. So I don’t need to know who I co-star with. I think that many producers are just trying to maximize their profits and that is why they usually put Funke and I in the same movies. That is why this keeps occurring because they feel the movies will sell when they see us together in the same movies. I don’t demand to know my female co-stars in movies from producers because it is not my business and I have no apologies.

How many movies have you produced on your own?
They are about ten in all. Some of them include Idanwo, Iro Funfun, Adun Ma De Ke, Ikoko Odu, Jelili, Ile Alayo, Oju Koju, Funtua Alapata and Ile Omo. I can’t count the number of movies I have done. If I have to give an estimate, I would say maybe over 500 movies till date. I have been doing this since 1996.

What year did you debut in the movie industry?
Yes, I played my first major role in 1996 but before then I had been on and off the scene due to my academics. However I came fully into the scene in 2006. By then, I decided to stop full practice in law.

We would like you to share your experience as a lawyer with us?
I was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003. I practiced for two years and was actively involved in litigations. I represented clients in the courts of law. I finished my Masters Degree in Law in 2006. In the same year, I produced my first movie and faced acting fully as a career.

How easy was it for you to quit law for acting?
It just took self-determination on my part. I had no second thought about it because I was convinced that acting was a talent for me. A man’s talent can’t be hidden. I act in my bedroom, my bathroom and everywhere. It was more like rehearsals for me. I now run my own talents school called J15 School of Performing Arts in Ibadan, Oyo State and we are affiliated with the National Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP). We are processing our government approval, which we hope to get before the end of the year. By then, we would be able to issue a certificate of diploma that will be equivalent with that of any higher institution of learning in the country.

What is the structure of J15 School of Performing Arts?
We have about five graduates of Theatre Arts as lecturers and we have about 80 students. They do theory and practical. I often teach the students more of the practical aspects of theatre. We try to assist the students by creating a platform for them to showcase their talents. For instance, the lady who played my younger sister, Jemila in my comedy, Jelili is from the school. She is still a student. We have various disciplines such as make-up, costuming, music etc. We employed the services of experts in the field to take them.

Many are of the opinion that it was easy for you to become an actor because your father, Oga Bello is already an established and revered entertainer, do you agree?
No, I don’t agree. I have an elder brother, Wale Adebayo who is not an actor. It’s not an automatic thing. Of course, I won’t dispute the fact that I have enjoyed the influence of my father especially learning from his rich experience in managing fame among other things.

So what inspired your going into acting?
The major attraction for me was that I wanted to do what daddy is doing, however I never knew it would turn out well. If I knew I would be this big as an actor, I would have studied Theatre Arts instead of Law. When I was younger, it was just a hobby for me just wanting to imitate daddy. From there, I started getting encouragements from people that I have the talent and I need to showcase it.

What was it like growing up in a polygamous home under your famous father?
It was fun growing up because daddy is always acting. He only stops acting maybe when he is praying but every other time, he is acting. So it was fun growing up under him. If you find yourself where we are all gathered, you will not want to leave us because it is all acting. About six of us the children of my dad are into acting. My brother Tope Adebayo is an actor cum producer, while Sodiq Adebayo is a full time production manager. Rilwan Adebayo is a full time editor, while my mother is a movie marketer. So, acting radiates within the family.

Many people only know about your dad, how close are you to your mother?
My mum was 60 some months ago. I am very close to my mother. Actually I am really very close to my parents and I love them so much. I appreciate them so much that if I get a chance to come this way again, I don’t mind coming through them once again. She has really been of great assistance to me through her counsel. I would say I am an achiever today and thanks to them.

Tell us more about your family
I am married to a wife with three kids including a set of male twins and a girl. It is a complete team (laughs). All I need to do is to work harder and make more money for them.

Has any of your kids shown any flair for acting?
My kids are still young. My first child Fidau will be 7 years on June 15. Actually she inspired the name J15. I can never forget that day because I asked God for a female child as my first born and he gave it to me. Whatever brand name I build will carry the name J15. My twins will be five. I can’t see any traits in them now perhaps maybe when they clock 10. Even then, I will allow them be what they want to be. I won’t dictate their careers for them. And well if they choose acting, so be it.

How do they feel when they see you on TV?
They usually call my attention to any movie which I star in. The boys call me Jelili. In fact, when they get to school, they tell their friends that their father is Jelili.

With your busy schedule, how do you make time for your family?
Just like you journalists, managing one’s time is part of the profession. I have learnt to plan my schedules. My schedule can be very chaotic but the days which I devote for my family are sacrosanct. That is how I handle it. There is this common slogan we say among ourselves which is that ‘the show must go on.’ This is irrespective of what happens except by permission. If I have to abandon the set, then there must be someone else to fill the space. The only time I had to abandon set was when my wife was in labour for our twins with the kind permission of the director and producer. If I wasn’t granted a permission that means I have no option than to remain on set.

How would you describe yourself?
I am simple. So many people say I am humble and God-fearing. I think I am highly principled and determined.
And to my great fans, I want to appreciate them. They are the pillars behind me. I want to promise that I won’t disappoint them. I will add that they should keep showing me love and support so that I can do more.

Pictorial Glance at Stella Damasus of Nollywood, The Daughter of an Opera Singer

2012-07-16T18:22:00.003+02:00

Blog http://stella-damasus.blogspot.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stella-Damasus-Show/167499046636615

culled from http://nm.onlinenigeria.com/templates/?z=3&a=7231

QUESTIONS.: Damasus is an unusual name. What part of the country are you from?

STELLA.: I’m from Asaba, Delta State. Damasus was actually my grandfather’s first name. It’s a Greek name. The family name was actually Ojukwu, but when the war broke out, the Nigerian Civil War, a lot of Nigerian soldiers mistook my family for the real Ojukwu himself, so a lot of things happened to my family members until my grandfather came and said look, instead of them killing our people thinking we’re Biafrans, let’s just change our name, so we’re safe. That’s how the name became Damasus.

QUESTIONS.: And it has remained the same ever since?

STELLA.: yeah.

QUESTIONS.: Interesting. You grew up in Asaba or in Lagos?

STELLA.: I grew up in Benin City actually. I only lived in Asaba for about three years when my father was transferred from former ACB Bank in Benin to Asaba Branch.

QUESTIONS.: So you did all of your schooling in Benin City?

STELLA.: Yes. But my JSS 3 to my final year in secondary school I did in Ibusa, in a private school in Ibusa about 15mins away from Asaba. But from the time I was born to that time, I did most of all my education in Benin.

QUESTIONS.: In what way did your childhood prepare you for a career in the entertainment industry?

STELLA.: I think it was basically my mom. My mom used to be an opera singer. She used to be a stage actress. When we went to church together, she used to make me sing with the junior choir and all that. And then whenever we were in school and they wanted to do a school drama, she would tell me to go for it. Since I was in primary school, she was always there making sure that I did one drama piece or one song or something.

And when I was growing up, they bought tapes of Boney M, Abba and she made me sing along and things like that. I would actually hold the electric kettle cord as my microphone and all that in front of a mirror. Ever since then, she just basically knew that I was going to do something in the entertainment world and she just kept encouraging me to do that.

QUESTIONS.: That is also unusual. The typical parent in Nigeria would never encourage you to go into the entertainment business.

STELLA.: Yeah. My mom’s case was different because she was in it. I had a problem actually (with my father) when I started acting because of the impression a lot of people had about actors. My mother was always supporting me and she was there telling him its not like this, have you forgotten how we met, though I was a banker but then I was doing my singing and acting on the side so let her do what she wants…

And my parents are very liberal people, you know, so they let their children be who they want to be. It was easier for me because my mother was already an entertainer before I joined them.

QUESTIONS.: Wow, you’re one of the lucky few.

STELLA.: Yeah.

QUESTIONS.: It appears you did a lot more acting work in 2003 than any other year… What happened?

STELLA.: I honestly don’t know. I can’t say for sure. I just know that each one I did, people just kept calling me. I won’t lie to you, the money got better and bigger, so it was difficult for me to say no. As a fact, I used to say let me take time off for my kids or let me take time off for… Last year, it was just like a blow out. Everybody remembered that I was around. I also realized that the scripts that came my way were very good and they were characters that would project me more. So, I guess that’s why. But I can’t tell you why they wanted me all the time. I don’t know.

QUESTIONS.: What kind of roles do you accept?

STELLA.: It has to be something that is based around me, something that makes me important, something that challenges me, something that will make me really work. I cannot just take a script, look at it and just go and talk. Something that will make me rehearse in my house, look at my mirror, have someone to read with me at home, something that will make people to be blessed, so every day and say please can we break down these scenes and let’s do a character analysis, something that moves me that I don’t really need to do anything artificial, something that will make me bring out the best from the bottom of my belly, you know… Something that will make me work like the one I’m doing right now… Its really making me sweat. Scripts that make sense. Scripts that will talk to you - as you’re reading it, you’re imagining it and you’re going through the motions with it, not just any story, you know? Stories that you can relate to, that you know that whenever people see it, they will remember you for doing one thing or the other… That’s it.

QUESTIONS.: Which is the one you’re doing right now?

STELLA.: Dangerous Twins, the one with Tade Ogidan.

QUESTIONS.: I know they shot a series of scenes in England. You’re not in the England sequences?

STELLA.: No no, I’m the wife of the other twin in Nigeria.

QUESTIONS.: Dangerous Twins id promising to be an explosive thing.

STELLA.: Oh yes, oh yes it is. And then with the cast as well, it’s going to be fantastic. We have Sola Sobowale and Bimbo Akintola also in the movie. It’s going to be very nice.

QUESTIONS.: And Ramsey Nouah?

STELLA.:Ramsey Nouah is a fantastic actor. He’s doing so well. In fact, I’m really really complimenting him. I do that every day because it’s not easy playing a twin. You wear one costume, play all the lines of one person, wear another costume of the other twin and start doing all the lines and remember what the other person said and how he dressed, and you know things like that. And he’s been doing it so well. I’m really really impressed with what I’m seeing.

QUESTIONS.: What is it like, STELLA, to have two talents? I’m talking about the singing and acting now. Do you get pulled to explore one more than the other?

STELLA.: Em… Maybe. I’ve been doing both together at the same time. I think I prefer it like that because I don’t want a situation where I would have to choose between the two. I manage my time very well. My husband and I, we have a band called Synergy, and we have a lot of shows. Private shows for weddings, launching and things like that. And then I do my movies as well, but if you ask me to choose between (two) of them, I will tell you I probably can’t because I love both of them and they complement each other. You know, now I’m being offered scripts to play as singer in a movie and I’m telling them the highest bidder will take it. If people are planning to use me as a professional singer… I have something that I perceive as being an edge over a lot of other because I can do – and I’m a dancer as well. So I combine all of these things to try and make me a perfect actress, you know… At least the best I can be.

QUESTIONS.: You sing, you dance and you act?

STELLA.: Yes.

QUESTIONS.: Interesting. So how did you sharpen all these skills STELLA? At the professional level, did you have any special training or did you just start doing it? How did you get into it formally?

STELLA.: I’m a theatre arts graduate. I’ve been doing theatre arts for (long distance gabble). I’m doing a part-time course. And in these five years, I think I know a lot. As a theatre student, you must have (more long distance gabble). The acting, to be a theatre arts student, you have to go through different acting techniques, acting styles and people that have propounded a lot of theories about expression, movement, bodywork and things like that. So I guess I try to put a lot of that into practice whenever I do a movie or anything else because I try to translate what I have read into practicals – into motion. I read a lot of books. I love to read, so I try to educate myself… Each character I play, I try to talk slightly different from what I have done. I try to change my style of acting, my style of walking, things like that… I think its basically my education that really helped me. And then my husband used to do movies as well. He used to be an actor as well, and since he is more experienced than I am, he helped me out a lot when I was starting. I guess I do try to improve in everything that I do by reading more. I’m studying other foreign actors as well cos I have this artist that I like a lot – Cicely Tyson. I think she’s fantastic so I learn a lot from her.

QUESTIONS.: Aside of Cicely, is there any other person you would call a role model?

STELLA.: Jack Nicholson. I love him as well. And I think they’re fantastic because I’ve seen them do these same roles and they’re so convincing. I mean Cicely Tyson played a role…She played the role when she was a very young girl and she grew up into a great grandmother and she was so fantastic because her voice changed, her style of acting changed, everything changed, so for someone to do that, it takes a lot of work and I respect it…

QUESTIONS.: Are there roles for instance that you would not play?

STELLA.: I don’t think so. I think I can play every role because it’s my profession and if I play a very bad role or a loud role, it means I am doing it to correct something. The script has to be right. If I’m just going to play (for instance) a prostitute just for the sake of being a prostitute and it doesn’t make sense and the story is not centered around that particular person so she’s able to change at the end of the day and make people realize how bad it is, then I don’t think there’s any point in doing it. But if I’m playing roles like that where I have to really loud but at the end of the day there’s a message, a positive message, that’s going to be passed across, that people need for the ills of the society. Then I probably would do it. You have to learn different acting styles and techniques to be able to play things and make them convincing without being extremely vulgar or do things that are very extreme that people will frown at. There are ways of doing different things that I try to learn every day, so I don’t think I will shy away from any role. It just depends on the director I’m working with and how we can work together to bring it out without having to irritate people or be vulgar about it.

QUESTIONS.: Let me ask you a vague question. What’s the most challenging thing that has ever happened to you?

STELLA.: Oh my God, what do I say? I think that it’s being a young wife. Because of who I am and what I do, its not easy, because in this part of the world, its not easy to keep your home intact because when you in-laws, you have families and then there are some things that you would probably not accept or take and because of the negative publicity we get and things like that… I think that’s my greatest challenge because sometimes they hit on us the females who are married and it takes a lot of work to try and repair the damage and also a lot of work to try and make sure that your spouse trusts you enough to stand by you and believe you… And also to be that wife that your in-laws expect you to be, no matter what, even if it breaking your back or killing yourself. I think its more challenging than any job or anything I have to do outside because if you regard something as the most important thing in your life, I think that is the think you fight hardest to keep intact. Its more difficult for an entertainer – an actress - to keep her home, especially when herself and her husband are very young and are going through a lot of things and trying to be adults and trying to be mature and trying to be role models and parents and all that. I think that’s basically my greatest challenge in life and I am determined to succeed. Really really determined.

QUESTIONS.: You briefly addressed my next question in your last response. I was going to ask you what it is like to have the husband and wife in the entertainment industry? How does it impact on the home, the children and everything?

STELLA.: We have a way of doing it. We always make time out for the kids. We never abandon them. And we found out recently that whenever we have shows outside Lagos or outside the country, I find that I stay back so that he goes and I stay with the kids – or sometimes, if I have to travel on location or something, he stays in town. But if both of us have to go, then there must be a family member who will stay with them. And its not easy, you know. It’s not easy… That is where we fight the most… Because we work together, we don’t always agree on things. Of course we’re two different people. He’s a human being; he has different views and things like that. I’m a human being; I have my own set rules and principles, even though I try to do what the Bible says… You must submit to your husband. Of course I try to that, but at the same time, there are some things that I will need to stand on or grab on to and say no, this is how I want it and he may not like it and we fight a lot. But being in the entertainment world together is one of the most – in fact, I’m very lucky because even though we have our problems when we fight, we find that we always have something to talk about, something to bring us back together, you know… If there’s a problem in your house, and we have a show tomorrow, what are we wearing? Okay let’s do this and before you know it, we’re already talking. I have a movie… Okay, let’s read it together.

And again, it’s easier for me to go, shoot, stay out late, come back and he understands because he’s into it as well. We basically try to help each other out and do our work, but he’s still the same person that says if you have to do this job, do it well. Don’t say because of me you will not do it to the best of your ability.

QUESTIONS.: Do you see your kids going into the entertainment business?

STELLA.: My first child, no. My second child, probably. I think she’s getting because she cannot stay in one place if she hears the slightest sound. She would stand up and dance or do something. My first child is more subdued. She’s more of a technical person. She like remote control, she likes cable, she likes phones… She doesn’t like toys actually. She doesn’t like things that are entertaining. She likes things that are very technical like the computer; she likes working with her father, things like that… So, I’m still watching them to see what will happen.

QUESTIONS.: Synergy… You guys only perform in exclusive circles?

STELLA.: Yeah.

QUESTIONS.: Is there any special reason behind that? Or is it the kind of music you play?

STELLA.: No, it’s not just the kind of music. We started out playing regular shows in places like Jazzville, Eko Hotel and places like that. But as you grow older and you expand your band, you find that you need to grow more because you find that in Lagos it is when you play private gigs that you’re respected more and you’re paid more. When you do regular shows at the Jazzvilles and Eko Hotels, they pay you just a little bit of money to get by. In everything you do, you try to expand and move up and earn more and gain more and be more recognized. I guess we moved up and people started accepting the fact you cannot just come and see us every week. We are only at exclusive places where you must have really paid well for and things like that. Its not just the kind of music, cos my band, we do copyright songs most of the time, apart from our own songs. We play highlife, we play funk, we play disco, we play oldies, we play all sorts of music. We even play at traditional weddings. We’ve played at a Nikkai before. We’ve played at even Owambe. We have different people in the band that specialize in different types of music, different genres of music.

QUESTIONS.: Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun.

STELLA.: Well, we’re trying. It’s been a lot of years of hard work, but we’re getting there.

QUESTIONS.: Did you know your husband before you started acting?

STELLA.: No. I started acting… I’d done two movies before I met my husband. I’d done… My first major movie was really my breakthrough. The name of the movie was actually Breaking Point and that’s how he recognized me the first time he saw me. So I was already in the movie industry before we started dating.

QUESTIONS.: And he did not know you could sing when you met?

STELLA.: The first day we met, I actually grabbed his microphone. I went to Jazzville (with) one of my friends. And he was on stage with his sister and his sister’s husband. I got on stage, I was carried away… I loved the song they were doing. I got on stage, grabbed his microphone and started singing with them. And at the end of the night he came to me and said look, I like your voice. I hope to set up my own band. Are you interested? And I said why not? So, we started working together. The first time he saw me, he knew who I was. That’s how come he let me take his microphone like that on stage. By the time he heard me sing, he saw another side of me and he liked it. That is the side he prefers. He prefers me as a singer because he says I’m a better singer than I’m an actress. He loves my acting but he believes that I’m a better singer than an actress.

QUESTIONS.: So the poor guy saw you on stage and fell head over heels in love.

(GENERAL LAUGHTER)

STELLA.: Well, I always tell him that, but he still tells me that I was the one that fell in love first. I’m not gonna argue because I actually tripped when I saw him.

(MORE LAUGHTER)

QUESTIONS.: How sweet. Jaiye (that’s your husband’s name, right?), I read somewhere that he composes in French, Spannish and in Yoruba and English. Where did the French and Spanish come from?

STELLA.: He studied languages. He’s French graduate and he lived in London for a long time so he did Spannish in London. He studied that and a little Italian as well. Then he came down to Nigeria and got into Unilag and he studied French, so he’s actually a French translator as well.

QUESTIONS.: So are you picking up any of these languages?

STELLA.: Well, sometimes, when we’re in a place and he doesn’t want people to know what we’re talking about, there are some words in French that he has taught me, so when he says any words like that, I know what he’s talking about. I’m not very good with languages, but sometimes when he says things, he says something in it that makes it easier for me to understand what he’s saying. I didn’t pique interest early enough, so I guess that’s where my problem is. I can read French, but I might not understand what I’m saying. And then I can understand a little Spannish, but I don’t speak very well.

QUESTIONS.: Your husband is obviously comfortable with you acting because he’s also in the entertainment business, so this rumor on the Internet that he wants you to quit acting is just a rumor?

STELLA.: I don’t know what they’re talking about. I have a husband who always tells me that he loves women that are hardworking and have a drive. He tells me if this is what you’re meant for, if you’re very popular because you’re an actress, (then) make the best of it while you’re young. He doesn’t stop me from doing what I like to do. Judging by the kind of negative publicity that I’ve got, the things that some people have written about me, if he wanted me to stop acting I would have stopped a long time ago, a long time ago… He believes in me. He has faith in me and he knows that I will go places if I work hard at what I’m doing. And he’s not one to stop your dreams or put a stop to your career because he feels or she’s my wife, she can’t be seen doing things like that. He wants me to really really be big and he encourages me, he helps me. So he has never told me to quit acting.

QUESTIONS.: How does the acting part of you facilitate the musical part of you?

STELLA.: When it comes to music, my husband is more popular than I am. He’s the one that people know as a musician. He’s the one that they know as a family of music people because of his sister and the others. So his fame gets more job for us when it comes to the music aspect than my fame, because – don’t forget a lot of people still don’t know that I am a singer. It’s just recently that we released one of our videos that people got to know. So they know him as the musician. But when they see me performing with him, they say aha, that actress o, she sings.

QUESTIONS.: A couple of questions from the members of my website, Naijarules.com: you’re a mother and working lady. How do you manage to remain so good looking?

STELLA.: I don’t know, really. It’s God. I don’t have any special routine and I’m not a designer freak. I probably don’t know the names of these facial or body things… I think I stay trim because I work round the clock. If I’m not shooting a movie, I’m going to school or I’m running Synergy or I’m running my African shop. I sell African things. I’m doing one thing or the other every given time. Whatever comes with it, I believe its God because I know I have good skin and I don’t do anything special to maintain anything. I just try to be very clean. I try to wash my face all the time. The products that I use are basically the Ginseng products and Vaseline. I don’t have any funny thing that I do in the morning. I’m sorry, I might not be of help on that because I think its all God.

QUESTIONS.: Another question from the website: Rattlesnake 4, is it going to be released anytime soon? And are you still in it?

STELLA.: I’m still in the part 4, yes. But I don’t know when they’re going to release it. I have no idea. Amaka Igwe will be able to answer that question. I shot a lot of things and it is not all of them that came out in the part 3, so I’m thinking that they’re going to put all that in a part 4.

QUESTIONS.: Okay. Can you tell us about your African shop?

STELLA.: Yes, Monafrique. I like to make things. I like to create things and design things. And I’m also someone that I don’t know how to buy gold or silver or diamond or things like that, but I like a lot of beads and I like African fabrics, so I just started traveling to Cotonou, Ghana, Lome, and I just buy fabrics from all these African countries, come back and design things – bags, table clothes, earrings, moccasins – you know things like that. But I found out that when I started wearing them, a lot of people liked them and they would come to me: How did you get this? And I’m like I made it. And they say instead of buying all these boutique clothes that they tell you buy one for 15 – 20,000 Naira, why don’t you make something simple for me, something nice, and make an African handbag that will go with the fabric. And I started making it for some of my friends. Before I knew it, a lot of orders started coming in and things like that. As I am now, I don’t even know how to satisfy all my customers because so many people have been calling me and I don’t know how many I can make at a time.

QUESTIONS.: You’re having a very busy life. What’s a typical day like?

STELLA.: Frankly speaking, I don’t have a typical day. I know that from the time I wake up in the morning till about 10-11, I must make sure that in that space of time, I try to see my kids for at least one hour. The rest of the time, I’m either shooting a movie, I’m at the office working for Synergy or I’m designing one thing or the other for clients of Monafrique or I’m doing a write up for something I want to send on the ‘Net, because there are some people that sent me mail from London and tell me I want you to write this for this magazine or things like that… I work on my computer. I’m always busy. I always have one thing to do. And it’s not just about the money. I think I’m a very restless person. I can’t stay in one place a long time and I always want to do something to keep my mind working and keep busy. I buy a lot of books… I don’t have a routine life. I’m a very spontaneous person. I can wake up and say okay, I’m going to Ghana to buy fabrics.

QUESTIONS.: The movie industry in Nigeria is growing and that is a good thing. But from all you have said so far, one can tell that if anything happens to the movie industry, you have so many other options, so many things you can do…

STELLA.: You can say that because I have a thousand and one other things that I do on the side, but believe me, if you asked me, deep down inside, I would tell you that the one that I really really really think I love most is the acting and that’s the movie industry. I really wouldn’t want anything to happen to it and I doubt if anything is going to happen to it cos I want to be part of it. Really really grow big and go international, you know… If you asked me to choose between acting and everything that I do, I probably will choose acting, although acting is the one that doesn’t guarantee a steady income per se. But it’s the one that I love most. At the same time, I get regular income from the other things that I do, more than the acting thing. The movie industry is very peculiar and I don’t like to slot myself in every movie, so I try to do one in like two months so people don’t get tired of seeing my face on every poster. So when I do that, you know the income is not going to be as regular as the next person who does movie after movie after movie.

QUESTIONS.: What does the future hold for STELLA the actress and STELLA the singer?

STELLA.: STELLA the actress and STELLA the singer is really going to be big by the grace of God. I want to be a source of inspiration to everybody. I want to come to London and say I want to do a show and people will say Oh God, STELLA is having a show, I must see the show. It’s not just about popularity. I want to be able to affect the life of people positively. I want to be able to affect the life of the youth. I still see me being someone who is looked up to, someone who does things just to better the community, the society and things like that. Of course I want to be rich. Believe me, I want to be rich. If not for my sake, at least for my children. I just want to go all over the world. I want to be remembered as that person who was really really really good. I just want to be a good person.

QUESTIONS.: When you say you want to be rich, what is your definition of wealth? How much is rich?

STELLA.: I can’t tell you in numbers, but I know that wealth to me is being able to afford anything that I want. I’m not naturally a materialistic person. I’m not flashy, I’m not extravagant or anything. I’m very simple. Rich to me means I can sit down and a thousand and one people can come to me and say we need to pay school fees, I need this, I need that… I want to be able to say oh, take money. Do whatever you want with it as long as it makes you happy. I want to be able to take care of my parents. I want to be able to take care of my cousins. I want to be able to spoil my kids. I want to be able to tell my husband happy birthday and give him the key to a car that he has been dreaming about or talking about, you know? Things like that. I want to be able to surprise my sister and tell them I’m giving you – your husband and your children – an all expense paid trip to Hollywood or Disneyland or something. I just really want to make people happy. I like to be happy and I like people around me to be happy, that’s it.

QUESTIONS.: STELLA, I try to give every star I interview a chance to react to stories in the media or anything that’s been written or said about them that they feel is untrue and they want to give their own side of the story. Is there anything that has been written about you that you would like to react to?

STELLA.: I don’t really like to respond to such things because my life will definitely go on. People won’t think about me every day. I got tired or trying to defend myself. Like a few weeks ago, there was (a publication) that came out that said that on the 11th of December (2003), I was at the Bar Beach and I was making out with Richard Mofe-Danijo. And I thought that was so crazy because it was on the front page and they gave date and time. That date that they gave, my husband was with me at the beach. He was there with the driver and (lost in phone static). They needed to fly to Abuja and he called me and asked me where are you? And I’m like, I’m shooting at the beach o. Will you come? And he said no problem. And he came there. On that particular day, I was there with all our friends and I didn’t enter this particular car that they were talking about and you know there were a lot of people on set. You had the director, you had the cameraman, you had the technical crew, you had the other artistes on set. …Where was the town that we did whatever they said we did? My lawyer wrote them a letter demanding a retraction or we would take them to court and I just turned to the lawyer and said how many do you want to fight? After that one, other magazines picked up on it and started writing rubbish. And people just expected me to break down or cry or things like that. Eventually we got home and laughed over it because it was so crazy that the day they decided to pick was the same day that my husband was with me all through. People will always talk about. Be good. Be bad. They will still talk about you. And it looks like they need me to sell their magazine, well fine, if they think that I’m that important. All I just say is that I’m glad that the people that matter most to me know who I am and they’re always supportive, they’re always behind me. Things will come, temptation will come, the devil will try to use people to bring you down and destroy you. If you’re a child of God, as long as your conscience is clear and you know that God sees all, just put everything in the hands of God. As long as your husband needs you and knows that whatever it is, you’re in it together, and he supports you, I don’t need any other person to vouch for me or anything. Because it will continue, not matter what I do or what I say or how many court sessions I go for. They will still write whatever they want to write. You can’t kill them and you can’t stop them. I think it will be easier moving on.

And believe me, since that publication came out, I’ve been twice a popular as I ever was. Nowadays, people are coming to me wit scripts, with jobs… I’ve had people from London telling me they want me to be their representative, they want me to provide local programs for them. I’ve had people telling me I want you to be my editor in chief, I want to start an entertainment magazine. You know people said they read about this thing and everybody wanted to know who STELLA was. And when they met me, its like ok I want to do something with you actively. So it actually opened doors for me that I didn’t expect. So I’m like okay God, if this is the way this has turned out, I’m grateful.

MORE INTERVIEWS

You mentioned sometime ago that you don’t brand every product that comes your way. What’s the reason for the rejection?

There are certain things I don’t like to talk about. But the truth is, I only look out for things that will benefit me in the long run. And one of the things that puts me off from some of these contracts is the attachment of a time frame.

For instance, a one year, two year deal is unacceptable to me.

I have been discussing for the past two months with the management of AM Victorious. We have spelt out terms and conditions for this deal.

My lawyer as well as my manager who is currently in America looked at the project thoroughly and we found out that it’s beneficial to both parties.

In terms of agreement and duration of the contract, its okay. So many other brands have approached me in the past but because of the unfavourable terms and conditions, I turned my back on such deals.

I don’t want to start a journey that will end in two years. It takes a longer period to make impact on something. Moreover, it’s not easy to represent a brand and help that brand become a market leader.

What I agreed with the company is that instead of making it a duration thing, let us make it a life-long business plan. My business plan is to make money and also get myself involved in something that will be beneficial to me. So, this deal is beneficial to me as well as it is beneficial to AmVictorious. We are not into this deal based on duration. I’m also building a relationship that will last in my lifetime and also allow my children benefit from it.

That’s the reason I accepted the deal, and why I haven’t accepted other contracts that came my way in the past. The fact that the Amvictorious is giving me an opportunity to do business with them that can last for a lifetime is a factor.

How do you feel about becoming the brand ambassador of Amvictorious?

I’m excited and I looked forward to it.

I actually flew into Lagos from Abuja to seal the deal. It’s very important that finally, I have seen it come to pass. This is the first time I would be signing a contract of this nature before the media; to publicly identify with a product.

I’m humbled knowing that there are a million and one other celebrities out there, who are more popular than I am; celebrities who are doing bigger and greater things internationally than I am.

So for the company to chose me over these celebrities not just as a Nigerian but for the whole of Africa, means that I should continue doing the positive things that I have been doing.

I’m honoured that Amvictorious singled me out to be part of this project. For me, it’s God’s blessing because I have been praying for something that I can be proud of. And today, my dream has come true. I’m very excited.

Stella Damasus is into acting, music and fashion. What are you doing at the moment?

I’m involved in a lot of things. I’ve just finished the final audition for my foundation: Stella Damasus Art Foundation where I am offering a three-month training for talented young Nigerians free of charge in the areas of acting and singing.

I’ve also just finished auditioning applicants for the second session. I did the first session last year, and I have graduated some people. I also have a new company, which is based in Abuja. We are doing a lot of things ranging from organising seminars to producing movies.

We organised a seminar in Cameroon recently , and after the seminar, we decided to make a movie for the people to see how quality movies are done. We are currently editing the movie titled: “The Unspoken”. It will be out very soon.

I am also doing a documentary now, which is very dear to my heart. And when it commences I will let the press know about it. My new deal with Amvictorious took a lot of my time . We had series of meetings and consultations. The company is planning to set up a branch in Abuja. All these things took a lot of my time.

At the moment, I’m a columnist with PM News. I make sure that I write my column every Wednesday in PM News.

I’m trying to be the best I can be in whatever that I’m doing.

For sometimes now, your have not been regular on screen. What happened?

I’ve done three movies that are yet to hit the market. I did “Behind Close Doors” Part 3 and 4”. I shot the movie about three years ago.

I don’t know why it has not been released into the market up till now. I also did “Bent Arrows” a Lancelot Imasuen production which is yet to be released too. And recently, I did “Two Bride and a Baby” by Blessing Effiong,”. The premiere has been done at the cinemas.

The most important thing is not about flooding my face in movies that would make me a better person. Within this period, I went back to school to study acting in the UK. In fact, I’m actually going back there very soon.

I want to improve on my acting skill and my diction. I must continue to avail myself of the opportunity of being retrained.

Recently too my production company did a 13 episode TV Show called “Changing Life”, showing on AIT, OSTV, UK and Ghana. Soon we will begin airing it in Canada.

Right now, I’ll soon start shooting the second season of the show as well.

When you have all these projects in front of you, I need time to sort out my life, business and my children.

My first daughter is going to be thirteen, in August, while my second daughter will be ten too. I need time to stay with my children. I want to be part of their growing up.

I take out a few months in a year, do the things I need to do, and go back to tender my children. I try not to expose them to the public, until they have come of age and decide what to do with their lives. Whether they want to become stars like their mum, is left to them. Paying attentions to my kids is very important to me. That is why I’m not so particular about featuring in movies nowadays.

All these projects in your hands suggests that your music career is suffering?

Not really. My music is not suffering. I’m not a recording artiste, but I own a band and I still do my live performances. I don’t go to night clubs to perform, instead I perform at weddings, product launching, naming ceremonies and all that. You might not see me on screen doing music, because I’m concentrating on my band now.

For the past one year, I have been working on my own songs, trying to arrange them well because after over 15 years in the industry, my fans are expecting something good from me.

I have to be careful not to come out with something that will not meet their expectations. And before the end of the year and by God’s grace I will drop two singles.

When you look back today, what would you say may have gone either wrong or right in your acting career?

I don’t ever regret anything that I have done or gone through. They are all part of my working experiences. I like the pace at which my career have gone. And if after 17 years of being in an industry and I’m still so relevant that people still believe in me and want me to endorse their products, then, it means that God dictates my pace. I can’t run faster than my legs can take me. Since I surrendered myself and my career to God, He’s been able to order my steps. I’m not allowed to be everywhere. I’m only at places where I have to be attended to. I don’t have any regret at all. I’m happy the way my career has turned out. I’m happy with the pace with which I’m going.

Over the years, how have you been able to cope with the temptations and criticisms associated with acting ?

If you have asked me this question ten years ago, I would have answered it. But after more than 17 years in the industry, I don’t bother anymore.

They call me old layer now, since I’m not among the hottest and freshest actresses around. They have those they run after now.

I’ve been able to carry myself in the industry in such a way that God has been providing for me and my children.

So, I don’t succumb to male’s advances because of money or fame. The small fame that God has given to me, I’m contented with it.

How is your present love life?

I love Jesus. I’m in love with Jesus and He loves me so, more than anything else in this world. I’m happy.

Would you say, you have been unlucky in marriage?

I don’t know, God has an answer to the question. But I’m loving my life right now, and I love the way things have turned out for me.

Presenting Nollywood Actress Chinyere Wilfred

2012-06-30T18:32:00.001+02:00

You have been in the industry for more than 15 years. But of recent, your face hasn’t been regular in movies. Have you left the industry to younger ones? There is no way I will leave the industry for the younger ones. Old soldier no dey die. Actually, I have not been around. I have been out of the country and I spent so much time abroad. I just came back, and since then I have been on location. My fans have been calling me. I had something doing in London, I just rounded it up.

You look like a correct chic, compared with the elderly woman you play in the movies. Not many would believe you are really chic

Well, that has to do with the scripts that come my way. Some of our producers here are fond of typecasting. If they give you a particular role and you do it well, every other script that comes your way would be like that.

Are you okay with playing stereotyped roles? You seem to play the role of a bad woman more often.

Some other people think that I play the cry cry woman more than any other role. I am here and there. My scripts are always mixed up. But I think I play the emotional woman more. The bad woman role comes once in a while. I like it when I get those parts, so that I can show the other side of me.

So you are versatile...

Yes I am. The latest movie, which will come out soon, is very different from what I used to do. It is entirely another character.

With your looks, how come you have not played the part of a high class chic?

I have, but very few times. In Government House, I played such a part. It is just that I am not really known for that. In my movies that will come out soon, I played such roles.

You are a producer as well
I just produced one movie, and I am about producing another.

Why go into movie production? Are you not satisfied with being an actress?
I am. But I have to expand my coast. I want to do other things as well. If an opportunity comes for me to produce, I will grab it. That was what happened. I needed to see how challenging it was. I needed to see the difference between producing and acting.

How has your experience been in the industry?
It has been wonderful.

Have you ever thought of leaving the profession for any other thing?
I have never felt like quitting. This is what I enjoy doing. From childhood, I have always wanted to be an actress. When I was in school, I was in the Dramatic Society. I have always been a part of this industry.

How did you get into Nollywood?
I started years back in the days of soaps like Ripples. I went to NTA (Nigerian Television Authority) and I met Zeb Ejiro there. He invited me to come over for audition. I did well and I was given a role to play in Ripples.

When Nollywood came on board, I was going for auditions as well. Taboo was my first movie. Then I featured in Circle of Doom.

Did you hit the limelight instantly?

Yes. Taboo was my breaking point. It was a sell-out. From there, I started getting jobs.

Obviously, you no longer go for auditions
No, no, no. Audition ke? Not at all. Those days are long gone. Producers just call you and send the script to you; if you feel you like the character given to you, then you go ahead and take the job.

We hear that for you to get jobs, you have to belong to a clique
I don’t believe in all that. Which clique do I belong to? I don’t belong to any clique, but I am working. I don’t know why people say this. I don’t agree with that misconception at all. I don,t buy that idea.

Do you beg for roles?
Why would I beg for roles? I don’t beg for roles! Whoever needs me calls me. Listen, I have paid my dues in this industry. I went for auditions many times. I was just climbing up, till I reached this height. I didn’t beg for it when I was coming up. Is it now that I will beg for it?

Who do you see as a rival in the industry?
I don’t have a rival. The industry is big enough. We have many marketers and producers. We have a lot of artistes and directors. There is no need for you to compete with anybody. There is space for anybody who comes in tomorrow. There are a lot of jobs.

Have you ever done a movie you regret doing?
No. You don’t have to regret a role you played. You were given the script in the first place. It was your choice to do the movie, so you don’t have to regret it. I have never regretted any movie I did.

How do you cope with fame?
I am used to it. People see me and admire me and all that. It has become part of us.

So it does not get to your head
No way. Do I look like somebody with that kind of attitude? This is my job. I see it as a profession, so there is no reason why it should get to my head. I have been in this industry for more than 15 years. If it didn’t get to my head in all that time, I don’t think it will get to my head now. I just go there, do my job, get my money and then I go.

You sound as if you are very satisfied with your job.
I am very satisfied. If I weren’t, I would have left it since. The reason I have been in the industry all these years is because I am satisfied. I am very much fulfilled.

If you weren’t an actress, what do you think you would have been?
I don’t think I would have been any other thing. I just love acting. I can’t even imagine doing any other thing. This is a job I like doing.

But how come you didn’t study Theatre Arts in the university?
I had Theatre Arts as one of the elective courses. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have an idea of what the course is all about. However, acting comes natural to me. I thank God for the gift.

So your family was okay with their daughter venturing into the make-believe world?
The kind of parents I have allowed you to do whatever you wanted to do. I have a very strict father. If he felt acting was bad, he wouldn’t have allowed me to get into it. Then again, I was playing decent character, so they were happy with me.

Are you what you act?
There is a difference between what you see in real life and what you see in the movies. As I am talking to you, this is me. You even observed I don’t look this chic in movies. As long as it is acting, it is not me.

How have you been coping with male admirers?
Immediately I did my first movie, I got married. That was in 1993. Since then, I have been with my lovely husband and my kids. He is my pillar. From time, the admirers knew I was married, so I didn’t have to cope with them.

So you didn’t have the opportunity of being rushed by the guys.
Yes, that is true. I got married as I hit limelight.

Your husband wanted to marry a star.
I knew him before I went into the movies. We courted for nine years. We were really together before we finally got married. It wasn’t as if he wanted to marry a star. I had only done one job before we tied the knots.

I would say he even grabbed me fast before I became a star. He married me when I was still coming up.

As a married woman with kids, how do you manage leaving your home and staying on location for days or weeks?

It has not been easy, but I thank God. I will always be grateful to my husband. He supports me a lot. Then again, my mum is always there for me. She helps me out most times. My dad has been wonderful as well. Each time I have a job to do, I don’t have fears because my house will always be in order. Now, I don’t even complain because my boys are all grown up.

Would you allow any of them to become an actor?
Why not? If my parents had stopped me from acting, where would I have been today? There wouldn’t have been this Chinyere Wilfred that you know. I think it is proper for parents to allow their kids to follow their dream.

When you are on location, do you fear that your beloved husband could be out there chasing other babes?
Na today? Lailai. It is impossible, not with the kind of husband I have. I know the man I married. I am not saying this because this is an interview. My husband is a very different person. He is used to my job. In those early days, he used to follow me to locations. At times, he would waits for me in the car so as to bring me back home.

There was a day we finished shooting by 1am and we were not lodged in any hotel, my husband was with me that day. He couldn’t believe it. He said, Oh mummy, is this what you see? I was happy that he was there watching us. So he now knows that it is not easy to be an actress. Whenever I come back, he asks me how the day went.

But is he comfortable with you playing love scenes?
How many love scenes have I played, come to think of it? But he understands my job. At times, he would even tell me that I didn’t play the love scene very well and he would yab me. He doesn’t mind what I do at all.

If he doesn’t complain about that, does he complain about scandals that come with your job?
It depends. It is not as if he complains about anything. It really depends on the scandal.

There was a time you were in the news.
Yes. But I tell you that my husband was with me all the way. He is one out of a million.

Was the scandal a figment of people’s imagination or were there pictures of you naked?
I don’t really want to talk about this. It has been a while and I would want everything to die. When a story comes up, people don’t really bother to find out the truth. They go to press without any information.

That is why I am asking you to tell me your own side of the story
It gets me angry each time I think of that incident. I don’t want to talk about it at all.

But did you fight with an actress over a guy?
What? I have never! How can? I have never gone physical with anybody. Please, this is not a story to talk about. I don’t know why this keeps coming up in any interview I grant

But the story must come up.
I know. I still don’t want to talk about it. What has happened has happened. All I know is that the incident made me stronger. Now, let anybody come and blackmail me again. They will see another side of Chinyere Wilfred.

Let us talk about other things. This is a story that spoils my day and I am going for a contract negotiation somewhere. I don’t want my mood to be spoilt. All I know is that I am a stronger person.

Was it blackmail?

Yes. What else would you call it? Somebody used my picture to collect money from me. The only sad thing was that it came from a very close friend and colleague. But I have learnt my lessons. Now, I am careful calling anybody my friend. That time, I was just flowing. I was too open to a fault to the so-called friend. After that whole thing, I am very careful. Thank God I came out of that incident.

Did your husband believe in you that time?
I tell you, when that thing was happening, my husband bought me a new car. Scandal or no scandal, he does not care. He could not believe that my so-called best friend would connive to blackmail me. He used to warn me about her, but I never took his advice.

So you and this actress are no longer friends.
If it were you, would you still be friends with somebody who blackmailed you? If you see me with her, won’t you be angry with me?

bgg
Well, I see myself going higher. I have not started. When I start, you will know.

Do you think you can compete with any Hollywood actress?
Why not? You don’t need to blow your trumpet. But I know I am a good actress.

Any advice for up and coming actresses?
Follow your dream. Don’t force yourself to be an actress if you don’t have the talent. Have a focus. Don’t try to hit the limelight immediately. Start from the scratch. Go for auditions, and then the sky will be your starting point.

Justus Esiri of Nollywood - The Older the Wine, the Better it Tastes

2012-06-14T17:02:00.002+02:00

Justus Esiri, was born in November 1942 in Oria, Abraka, Delta State. He started his academic studies in 1948 at the Catholic School, Warri. He was at the Maximillan University, Munich, German, 1964, Prof. Weners Institute of Engineering, West Berlin, 1967 and the Ahrens School of Performing Arts, 1968. Esiri, detoured into motion picture production in 1968 as a staff of the Schiller Theater, Berlin, Germany, where he stayed till 1976. During the 1977 FESTAC held in Lagos, he choreographed the Modern Dress exhibition. From then onwards, the sky was indeed not the limit for Esiri. He was Production Manager for Dinner With The Devil. He worked as News translator and Newscaster with the Voice of Nigeria (German Service).

He has been a regular face through the stage, national television and of course Home video since the early 70s that he needs no real introduction. However, very few know the story of his life because he is not the kind who will readily give in to an interview that will talk about such. Some journalists dread his disciplinary disposition because he has no room for so called dullards who are not up on their feet. He gives audience to Home Video People and this is it. An explosive bang. Enjoy the story of his life.

“I am an urhobo man, come from an African aristocratic family. My forebears were educated. My great grand-father could speak English at least.
I went to Urohobo College and my principal was a very principled man who attended the world famous Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and later to Dublin in Ireland. He later became a parliamentarian of the western region. Late Senator F.G. Ejaife. May his soul rest in peace. He was a great man, a man who allowed his students to believe in logic. We had a fantastic debating and dramatic society, we had a beautiful library which told you about every kind of things including costumes.
If you wanted costume of many years back, there were books in the library to equip you. In 1959-1961, my school came tops in the Festival of Arts and I was part of that troupe. In form four, I had already taken charge of the society. When the brief came that we would participate in the Festival, the principal called me and handed them over to me, so I was the one who put everything down. I had to make the script available to others and rehearse them. I had to go to the library to read up about the costumes required. We were well brought up in that school to be able to use our head. Maybe that was the talent that I wasted studying engineering. But God brought me back here.

Berlin
I went to Germany to study engineering so I lived in the West Berlin but I had several friends in the East of Berlin because there were fantastic theatres in the east, so I often went to see them. For instance, I watched Poggy and Bess in the East of Berlin where there was a lot done for culture and the arts. The issue of the wall was not there then, just the arts. It didn’t stop a foreigner who was a student from going to the east from the west. I did go there frequently. They had great actors and actresses and beautiful theatres. I enjoyed my stay. There was nothing like racism then. The Nazi regime had gone and the government was trying to make everything available for the people. I still visit Germany now and then. I still speak German.
In those days when I returned to Nigeria, I translated and read news in German in Voice of Nigeria, I presented my own programmes in VON in German, when the late Zeal Onyia was there. We were all in Voice of Nigeria, German Service. I also remember Bayo Martins, who was drummer in those days in Germany, a fantastic one at that. May his soul rest in peace. He was a fantastic guy and there are not many artistes like that these days. The Voice of Nigeria (VON) was a part time programme for me. When they heard I spoke German, they called me to translate the news and when you did that, you read it yourself. From there, I went to present a music programme for VON. It was fun. Really fun.

Return from Europe
In Berlin, I was the only Nigerian on stage about 1968/69 when I started. I can’t remember any other Nigerian on stage and TV in the whole of Germany at that time. There were some French speaking Africans. I returned to Nigeria because I was performing on stage one evening and I saw some men in Nigeriaagbada as part of the audience. Later, news came that these people wanted to see me. They told me about FESTAC and that the Federal Government needed Nigerian artistes in diaspora to return for the festival. I was impressed. I returned for FESTAC and since then, I have been here. We have tried to do our own thing. With the attendant publicity of FESTAC, we wanted to do our own productions and travel with it as travelling theatre the way Ogunde and his likes did it.
We thought we might create another opportunity to educate and enlighten our people. But one soon realised it could not be done because of the logistic problem of transportation. Theatres were not available at that time and not available up till now. I was working with young people and any time I wanted to travel, I had to take special permission from their parents and it had to be at weekends. It wasn’t very easy for me, so I decided to do some other things, yet not forgetting the call. If you have a talent, you must make use of that talent. The bible says with thy talent shall thou feed. We have tried to use the talent to do one or two things. I am very impressed so far. We could still do more. But we haven’t used it effectively for our people. We are still there and find every other day a challenge.

Village Headmaster
Before I featured in that programme, I never liked Village Headmaster because of the pidgin English. It was already in Lagos. One day I was at home when someone came to tell me that I should come for an audition for Village Headmaster because according to him, they had tried a lot of people and decided I should come. At the National Theatre on that day, everyone was seated and they said they were going on location by the weekend. I had never seen the script before then, so I took it home and read it through. The location was in Badagry. On that day, everyone including Late Elsie Olusola, Kabiyesi Funsho Adeolu, Joe Layode, Ibidun Allison, Kabiyesi, Wole Amele, everybody sat down watching because I had not worked with them before. To my surprise, by the time I finished that sequence, they were all clapping.

When I am on set, I am a very deep person because of the belief that words have life and must be given life. People appreciated the way I handled Village Headmaster. Then Supple Blues which was a different thing entirely. Then Things Fall Apart. There was a time I was three times weekly on network television. That is why I feel very bitter that of all the programmes I had done, those who took part in Samaja that came from the North of Nigeria, those who took part in Masquerade and those who took part in other Yoruba programmes were given National honours while I have featured in several plays and have not been recommended. I am not judging them, I just feel bitter. It would come when it would. One thing I am happy is that people appreciate what I have done. One day a car was chasing me around and almost bumped into me when the woman in the car peered out of the window to tell me she was sorry but she had told her driver to chase me so she could tell me something and that is that you ‘make acting look like real life’.
My day was made. There are so many things one could do with this talent for the benefit of our country. But when you write a proposal, they sit on them or give them to their cronies to do or they ask you why you should make money when you already have fame. What is wrong in making money when you have fame? Actors are not properly paid. Maybe some of them are now getting a better pay. I believe that some of those who are coming after us will get better pay. But the actors and actresses should be clapped for. Out of nothing we have made so much. There are no cinema houses where producers or executive producers should go and show their films. You finish making a film and put it into direct VCDs and some lazy persons dub these things and pirate them.

Older the wine
In the last AMAA 2006, I remember saying that there is a saying that the older the wine, the better it tastes. I don’t know why I said it but it just came. I also remember when I was on stage in Berlin, Germany and there was a misunderstanding between the man who was directing the stage play and the actor, a well known actor and this actor had gone against the direction of the director. He bluntly refused to do the director’s bidding. This director had said to him, you are not 40 years yet and the actor said yes. He said until you are 40, you won’t know what you are doing on stage if you have a director which means the older you get, the more you appreciate certain things that you do. Every movie that I take part in is a challenge. One appreciates these things and I just feel that you must keep yourself up to date. You must try. I have not gotten to the point I want to get to. Some people think that every one who wants to act must be handsome or beautiful. That is their own cup of tea. It is how you act and how you express yourself. If you can lift your audience from their seats into the box, you have got them. It is an art and you must learn this art. You must understand this art. You must just be there. I believe that some actors are born but they must work hard to be made.

Movies all the way
I don’t like talking about my movies and you want to move me to that area. I hardly watch my movies because I am very critical and if you work with the numerous directors we have worked with, you would come to understand that some of them are not very deep. In most cases, they just want to shoot people love Forever, The tyrant, Corridors of power. etc There are so many of them. I have not watched all of them. But I still need to be challenged.

Engineering as academic accident
I actually spent time in studying engineering. When I consider the course work and the practicals, I wonder. As a young man, one had ideas. One was fascinated by the things you see. When I got to Europe, and got to Germany and studied engineering. I did not practice this course for one day. That tells me that when God has a way for you, He opens it without you knowing it. I had gone to what one would call the bureau of employment where I had friends and the woman says there is a production company who were in need a black man who was good with the Dutch language. So she recommended me and kept the letter for me. I got a date to meet with the producer. And you won’t believe it, my audition was like a joke. It lasted for a week.

Someone would come and meet with me, chat with me over a cup of tea and leave. Another one would come and leave. These people turned out to be my production cast and crew. After the production was through, the leader of the entire thing said ‘Yustus’ (Justus) you are good. I like to recommend you to the school of performing arts. By the time I completed the studies, I was part of the travelling theatre travelling all over Europe. There is hardly a city in Germany where I did not perform. There is hardly a theatre in the entire Germany I had not performed. I was in Austria, Switzerland. That is what God wants me to do. That may be, is why I am still being sustained when some of my mates are out of the line.

Style
I love suits and I have several of them and I wear them as well. The fact is that you have not caught me wearing them my dear. I also love to dress as an Urhobo man. I have these types of caps that I wear when the occasion arises. The other day you saw me with my walking stick. I do not have that all the time. I dress very simple.
It is hot out there and you need air. When you see me wearing suits, you’d love me. I used to buy designer suits. When I was in Germany, I used to model for Selbach. I was one of the first people who wore denim in different patches of colours. My denim trousers used to match my briefs. Even my shoes were made directly for me. I just put my foot down and they measure it and make them for me. For perfumes, I love it and use them in different names but I won’t advertise for them by mentioning the names of my perfumes. I mentioned Selbach because they are not here.

I won’t tie wrapper on Monday or Tuesday. I will do that when I am going for an event that has to do with tradition. I will dress according to situation. I wear agbada if the occasion calls for that. But the bottom line is, I love to dress simple.

My children
God has been very nice to me. I have very disciplined children. Six of them. Five are already graduated. My last baby is going to the university. Three of my children are married and have given me grandchildren. One is a banker and a finance man. He is a chartered accountant, I have a daughter who is a accountant. I also have one who is an economist. Apart from these one of my sons is a dental surgeon while the other is a geologist. It is my son who is a dental surgeon that is into hip hop music (Dr. Sid) and he is doing well at it and I wish him the very best.

White wife?
I didn’t think was very necessary. Not that I didn’t have girl friends then. Marriage is when you get to that stage you get married. I knew where I was coming back to and some of the problems peculiar to us. If I had returned to Europe after my FESTAC experience, maybe I could have picked up a white wife, I don’t know. I didn’t want to run away from the situation. I decided to stay. I am married to Omiete and very happy with my wife, a wonderful woman from Kalabari land, Rivers state. At times I go out for weeks, ooh she has been wonderful. She has been a pillar of my home. I am just happy. You won’t believe it, she is a textile designer and does all my local wears. Whatever I wear that is not foreign is made by her. It is what I call Ormi’s Designs. She makes them for me. Selects them herself and sews them.

Leisure
I play golf, If you were not here now, I would have been at the golf course. I play anywhere but my club is Ikeja. When you play golf, you have no time for any other thing. It is the golf course and then your house. But it is very interesting to play golf really.

Kalu Ikeagwu - From a Computer Analyst to Nollywood

2012-06-10T15:08:00.001+02:00

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/kaluikeagwu

Blog: http://kaluikeagwu.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.kaluikeagwu.com

wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalu_Ikeagwu

THE DAILY VANGUAGRD INTERVIEW

How did you get into the movie industry?

My debut on TV was in 2005 with the popular Domino series. I was into soaps before venturing into the movie industry.

What were you doing before Nollywood and acting?

I was working as a computer analyst before joining Nollywood.

Did you have challenges as a younger actor ?

I think my main challenge was the switch from stage to television. On stage, one is trained to exaggerate one’s character; otherwise one’s means of communication becomes lost to the audience. Television on the other hand requires subtlety and understatement. One merely projects one’s thought and lets the camera do the rest of the work. The other challenging bit was the ‘start and stop’ syndrome where one has to repeat an action or words up to ten times while at the same time making it look seamless and natural.

What’s the way forward for Nigeria’s movie industry called Nollywood?

The way forward for the Nollywood industry I think, is assistance from the government. The potential this industry has for redeeming the tattered image of our country abroad cannot be over exaggerated, not to talk of its ability to bring in foreign investment, tourism and export our culture to other countries. I still don’t know why Nigeria is still over dependent on oil when the entertainment industry alone can earn not only more revenue than the oil sector but can create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the country as well.

Even if the government is still hesitant about giving out funds or grants to aid the industry, let it at least put laws in place to protect the intellectual property of filmmakers, script writers and actors so that they can benefit from royalties of their hard work. I can’t tell you how many times I have been accosted by irate fans who complain about seeing my face on movie jackets only to be disappointed on buying the movie because I end up not appearing in any scene in the entire movie.

This is entirely fraudulent of these unscrupulous people and they should be stopped from taking advantage of these hapless fans and my reputation I’ve worked so hard for!

You are very handsome, how do you cope with your lady fans and ladies on set?

How I cope with lady fans? Easy, I love them. Thanks for the compliment though. I treat them the same way I treat the women in my life; by appreciating them. That’s how my mother taught me to. Coping with ladies on set is no great hassle; I believe I have a charming enough personality to get along well with the ladies I get to work with so it’s always fun on set for me.

We hear a lot of stories about producers seeking to sleep with female actresses before they are given roles. How rampant is this? Is it just a rumour?

Well, I don’t know much about that given that I haven’t personally observed any incident like that. Having said that, you should also know there are a few bad apples in every industry. Just as there are women who’d do just about anything to feature in a movie, so are there people willing to exploit such people. I can tell you that these producers, should they exist, are in the minority because it would logically make bad business sense to cast someone on your couch as a prerequisite to casting them in your movie. What if the girl hasn’t got the talent to pull the character off – as is the case most often – and the movie sales suffer as a result? A wise producer looks at numbers and figures instead of faces.

The gist is making the rounds that producers prefer Ghollywood actresses to

Nollywood actresses, how true is this and why?

I don’t know about Nigerian producers preferring Ghanaian actresses to their Nigerian counterparts; that hardly makes economic sense. I for one do welcome collaborations; they make for a stronger general industry and a better garnering of the fan base. As long as there are structures put in place to protect the local industry and work force, I think international collaboration is a good thing. Isn’t that what the major international airlines are doing to not just survive, but also to beat the competition?

What’s your academic background?

I studied English Literature at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I also did a postgraduate diploma course on Business management in the same university, and a diploma in Computer programming.

How do you manage acting and movie production?

Well, it’s simple; on the one hand, I’m a gun for hire. All I do is concern myself with my job which is learning my character and interpreting it the best way I can. The other one is production, which I’m only just foraying into, is like a baby from conception; I have to plan how I’m going to give the audience a project they’ll love, reach as wide a range as possible, and I hopefully make a profit thereof.

This means that on the one hand, I’m a business man thinking in terms of figures, projections, marketing and quality of product, and on the other, I’m an actor working for pay who’s concerned about his fans and the image he portrays. Enough of the boring stuff, the truth of the matter is I love being in control of my environment and I have immense fun doing what I do best.

Who is Kalu Ikeagwu outside all these?

Kalu is a fun loving person who loves living life to the full. It’s not necessarily about partying everyday per se, but about getting the best out of everything you do, and getting the best out of everyone you have the opportunity to interact with. I like to travel and experience different peoples and cultures and this has helped tremendously with the work I put out on screen. That, I feel, makes me an overall winner; neither part of my life suffers – the professional and the personal.

How was it like growing up?

Growing up was, and still is, akin to a nomad’s lifestyle because we were always moving about. I had already lived in four different countries by the time I was ten years of age. The good thing though, even though I couldn’t keep my childhood friends from school, was I had my best friends everywhere with me; my family. We were and still are very closely knit and the deeply entrenched family values still dwell in me today. Apart from that, my growing up was pretty normal; stern and conservative but with a very funny father for whom education was key and never forgot to remind us the children. We have a quiet but very strong mother whose love is still unparalleled and six rambunctious siblings with whom everyday was an adventure. What more can I say?

Did you ever know you would become a public figure?

Well, I kind of had a feeling about it as a child. It was a pipe dream though, but it wasn’t until I was twenty that I knew it would happen. I was also made to understand that there were a lot of responsibilities that would come with it and so I have always been careful to keep my eye on those responsibilities and not the adulation and perks that come with fame.

Would you date a female colleague?

If I weren’t in a relationship, I could consider dating a colleague. My colleagues are humans aren’t they? And you cannot choose where your heart is led to. A colleague is more likely to be understanding of your craft than someone outside your field of work.

You have a foreign way of interpreting your roles…

There’s no foreign way of interpreting roles. It’s simple. I just become the character as best as I can. The secret to my endeavour in this field comes from the ancient maxim ,I forget who said it, maybe Thoreau, “I think, therefore that I am”. The bible says it as well: “as a man thinketh, so is he”.

Who do you think you act like in the foreign scene and why did you choose his style?

Who do I act like in the foreign scene? Nobody, I came into this industry on my own convictions and I have a purpose for it. This means I have to be mindful about the way I follow things through. I have to do my own thing and run my own race. Yes, I can and do learn from my betters and they are legion but I must leave my own mark and nobody else.

Who would you want to act alongside with in a foreign production if given the opportunity?

At the moment, Kevin Spacey, Nicole Kidman, Don Cheadle and Gregory – I forget his surname but he’s Australian. He was in the movie ‘The King’s Speech’. I want to know how they get to be so mercurial without moving a facial muscle. It is indeed amazing.

If you are in a strange country without a family or friend, what would you rather be with?

If I’m in a strange country without family or friends, I would prefer to be with God of course! I can never go wrong there. The next thing I will do is find a pretty lady to chat up. I have long since learnt that the quickest way to get about a strange place and learn the language is by charming the pants off a lady – figuratively speaking and not literally oh! A smart phone would help as well, to use the GPRS mode to find safe places to go to.

Pictorial Glance at Evangelist Eucharia Anunobi of Nollywood

2012-06-07T16:46:00.002+02:00

Dearly beloved, having being anointed last year, I’m now being officially ordained with ministerial licence and collar. Giving me the right to carry out episcopal duties as a minister of God under the fold of the ministry as an evangelist. This is happening this morning, Sunday, the 5th of February 2012, at the fresh oil ministry int’l church. This is really the Lord’s doing and it’s amazingly wonderful! God is awesome’.

The above were the words of Nollywood actress Eucharia Anunobi on her facebook wall, which makes her the first Nollywood act to achieve that feat.

More Interviews from Eucharia Anunobi from the Internet.

Nollywood seems to be taking a revolution with ‘IJE’, ‘ANCHOR BABY’ and some other movies that are rebranding Nollywood. In the movies you have participated in do you think they are worthy of rebranding Nigeria?

Yes Absolutely, I’ve always said that whether we like it or not the stories we tell in our movies since we actually started has always been our story in different forms; the stories of ritual, people who are non-conformist, kidnappers. So definitely, we’re rebranding Nigeria but first of all, we cannot rebrand if we don’t appraise the things that we have on ground and know we got a lot of dirt and to sweep it out we got to showcase them to tell people that this things are not good. So obviously, when we’re done with this and people have come to realize them like all this internet fraud is not right, we start rebranding. When you want to start rebranding, you must give people thanks for them to have things to do. I’ve always given kudos to all the producers who have brought money to put up this industry but we need government to come in and now by the grace of God, I heard not too long ago that the President of this country has given out some money to the industry, now they’re thinking. Whether we like it or not, everybody cannot be in the banking industry, everybody cannot be a doctor or an accountant. There are millions of people that the entertainment industry employ; the camera men, personal assistants, lighting men and editors. So tell me if this industry was not in place, where would we all be? It is better and high time that the government realizes that this industry is too big and would incorporate so many other people that rather would have been on the streets and cause havoc. For me, when you say you want to rebrand Nigeria, they should appraise the fact that they need to pump in money so that sucks in all the restless youths, and all of us as we’re all gearing to go. We got talent so if you don’t cap us and put us down in a place there’s nothing we can do about it, they’ll just be on the street looking for things to do.

Do you think President Jonathan will live up to his promise, based on the fact that previous promises have failed?

The thing about life is that faith is believing in the things you’ve not seen and hoping that they’ll come to pass. So well we have faith and believe that he’s promised and we’ll pray. What we should do is pray that he puts those things into his sect because whether we like it or not, we have to realize there’s spiritual power because the bible says ‘We fight not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities of darkness’. So whether you like it or not there are powers of principalities and darkness who are dream killers, so we want to say that this dream should not be killed by putting up our prayers, going down on our knees in our homes, offices and wherever we are that that which he has uttered will come to pass because sometimes when you utter your dream, the dream killers will kill it. There are evil forces and people who don’t want this nation to go higher than this, maybe because they’ve already sold their soul to Satan and if you don’t pray against them, they’ll hinder the promises he has made

You have experienced all sort of controversial issues in the last few years, how do you live and cope with all that?

If you talk about the news concerning my divorce case, well because I’m a celebrity, they have to talk about it so I don’t see the big deal about it as I’m not embarrassed about it and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m not the first one to get divorced and I don’t think I asked for a divorce so I want to believe that I was the best wife and best mother that any man can get; It’s just that anyone could marry the wrong guy or girl. So maybe in my case I just married the wrong guy and I pray that very soon I’ll get the right guy and all these things would come to an end because for me I’m straight.

So you’re looking forward to another marital experience?

Absolutely because our God says we should not be alone.

So how soon is that?

As soon as the right man comes along. I don’t want to get entangled with the one that’ll bale off with my things again.

So looking at your recent pictures, and seeing the changes in appearance, how trim you look, I was wondering, how did you do it?

Thank you. If I understand you correctly, I take it you’re saying I look good and beautiful. (General laughter) Well, first and foremost I am a health conscious person even though I know that a while ago I might have put on some weight. Sometimes if you are emotionally down you might put on some weight and coming from the point of view of having had a baby, which is not an excuse, I put on weight. Then I breast-fed for a while though. I was alone and lazy about my health you know, but one day I woke up and I said ‘hey, what is happening? Why will I put on weight? ’ I can’t claim to be health conscious and teaching others to be health conscious yet allow myself to get out of shape. You see the nature of my job allows no place for sloppy appearance. So I had to wake up from the slumber and take the bull by the horn. I had to stop some of those funny eating habits like taking all that chocolate, ice-cream , nkwobis and ise ewu , you see I have a sweet tooth but I had to put a stop to all that, because I realize once you get older some of those bad habits can come back at you with terrible consequences.

So after being out of the picture for sometime, what was the motivation to come back and take it up from where you left off?

Well to me I want to say that the quest for knowledge, in a bid to better my self was the motivation that led me to take time off in order to come back a better actor. This is necessary if one must attain the peak of their chosen field of endeavour. I have always tried to let people know that you can not be a proper actress or ‘actor’ in quote without having a good education. Because as an actor or actress you must be intellectually sound in order to properly understand your role and character. If you are not educated you will not be able to interpret properly your character and as a result will lack the confidence and bearing to properly portray your role. Definitely, acting is not for people who are not educated. Yes you might have the talent but there’s only so far your talent can go. So for me by the grace of God, having education and believing so tenaciously in education have put me where I am today. And for me it’s part of it and when you said I took time off, I know that I have showcased that overtime with education, so I give God the glory that thousands and million of parents when they see me, they say ‘oh my God I want my children to speak English the way you speak‘, people say ‘I love the way you walk‘, ‘I love the way you get your head up high you have got charisma‘. These are the qualities I have learnt over time and they are all coming from schooling and from a good heart. If you don’t have good education some of this finer attributes of life will be taken away from you. And these are what are needed for the next level, which is where I am heading.

Of course, there’s been a lot of talk in the media about Eucharia being an evangelist and preacher. Did you ‘turn to God’ as it were, because of certain emotional or psychological challenges you faced?

Well let me give you a precise date I gave my life to God. That was 25th of March 1996. And that was four years before I got married. That means I have been born again for more than a decade. So it’s not about turning to God now, I didn’t ‘find’ God now. And if anyone turns to God because of certain challenges, once those problems are solved, you will return to your previous ways, which is obviously not the case with me. I realised long time ago that there are a lot of negative spiritual forces that operate in Africa considering our ancestral religious beliefs. Some of us are not even aware that almost every family in Africa has some sort of tie with spiritual forces, either by way of seeking protection or for fortification, done on their behalf by their forebears. If this problem is not taken care of, it will definitely continue to affect people and they will begin to wonder where they went wrong. It’s the reason you see some people are never able to handle wealth, or relationships or family. So of course having realised this a long time ago, I decided to break with this bond. And being an evangelist today means I have been in the ministry for a while before coming out to evangelise. And this gives me joy because life is transient so the succour we should truly seek is the fellowship with God. And I want to declare here that I am shamelessly in love with God.

How do you reconcile your flashy ways and your assertion that you are a born-again Christian, bearing in mind the stereotypical image of a ‘born again’ Christian especially around these parts? Let me ask you, have you seen God? Or do you have an idea of God? From what I gather and from what is obtainable from the Bible and even from what surrounds us, God is beautiful. And of course His children ought to reflect that beauty. Besides, Christianity is not really about the physical look of one tying a scarf and portraying ‘religion’. You do know that ‘religion’ and ‘Christianity’ are two different concepts. So it’s not really about looking tattered or unkempt in order to impress people with your piety. At the same time it’s not about trim nails or long hair or any of that. It’s really about what’s inside. But to me, you cannot proclaim the God of beauty, the God of order and look tattered because my God is the epitome of excellence.

What’s your take on the recent bill prohibiting same sex marriages and civil unions in the country?

I’m excited about this, I’m so excited. Before I answer this question, I’ll share something with you. Sometime ago around September, I was given a script to familiarise with for a movie. The movie was about homosexuals, lesbianism and you know, name it, and I was like ‘Hey! Who is going to do this’? (Laughter around) you know. I just trashed it immediately. But the producer called me afterwards on my thoughts and I told him straight away I wasn’t going to do it. He pleaded with me to reconsider as I was ordained to preach a message through that movie. However about two months later, I just picked up the script, which fortunately had not been destroyed, and read it and I noticed that yes the character was bisexual and all that but eventually she became a pastor going about converting everyone she had ever ‘initiated’ into the act of lesbianism. So it was really about the message. So yes, back to your question, I think it is awesome and this re-inforces my pride in my country and I say kudos to the national assembly. For once at least, we have shown that we are a nation that fears God. Let me tell you, the act of homosexuals, bisexualism and the like is purely satanic and from the pits of hell. This shows that Satan is seriously at work in this world and that the entire world is under spiritual manipulation. Soon it will be bestiality if care is not taken, so yes it is a wonderful bill and I urge everyone to pray against this trend.

In your movies, you are prone to portraying certain characters; domineering, regal, and sometimes downright bossy. Do you feel regularly typecast by producers and or directors?

Well I want to say I’m one lucky ‘actor’ and I’m versatile and I have played all kinds of roles so I wouldn’t really agree that I’m typecast. But when you look at if from the Nigerian context, especially from the point of view of the producers, you’ll find out that certain characters played by actors make certain movies successful therefore making it commercially viable to reproduce same. So of course, it’s not that an actor can’t play other challenging roles, but when you have this situation where one movie becomes popular and commercially successful because of the type of characters displayed, then you will agree with me that other producers will want to simulate the same pattern. Then of course as far as I’m concerned we are not paid well. Any figure under a million is really nothing to boast about to be sincere. If you say okay I’m not doing just any movie if it doesn’t fit my standards, (and I don’t even know what standards they mean), you’ll find that you’ll probably wait a long time before you get jobs. So imagine if in that situation you are paid maybe eight hundred thousand naira for your last job. If you factor it in that you have to pay the rent, take care of utility bills, education, feeding, taking care of the ever growing relatives and dependents and probably maintain the lifestyle or at least appear to maintain the lifestyle society expects you to maintain, then you can see that it is difficult to be picky about roles. Then again, everyone has their own peculiar attributes and physical make up that mainly determines the kind of roles you play. So if I get roles bordering on the attributes you mentioned, it’s because I believe I have that carriage, confidence and regal bearing that can adequately do justice to that character and in general the movie. And of course one can always enliven even the same flat characters with creativity because really it depends on who’s interpreting because there are intelligent stars and sorry to say there are the dumb stars.

Looking at the state of the Nigerian movie industry now, what would you say is not working right? Well I would like to remind you that the Nollywood that you and I know is individually financed. Only individuals who have the foresight and the belief in the industry have been the ones that have brought money to do that which you and I watch. There has been no government support in any form to do big budget movies and individuals too have not ‘come together’, like five people, two people joining financial muscle together in doing something. It’s always been a one man thing you know, this one person thing. How much can one person really do? What is needed to do really big budget movies is when two or maybe three people can come together and say, ok, ‘you bring 10million‘, I’ll bring 10 million, we all bring ten million then we can acquire all the high tech equipments and do a very serious movie that can match any acceptable standard. Without this, we probably can’t move very far especially with the technological hindrances that has been crippling the industry for a while now.

So essentially money is the problem?

Oh yes, money, money, money and when I say money I mean money because in truth we have the right people to do the job but if you don’t have the finance there is nothing you can do about it. Think about it, if you want to build a house, you can have a good design but when you don’t have the money to buy the materials your dream is just going to be hanging on paper. You know that overtime we have professionals coming out in the industry, we have the best hands who can hold their own anywhere in the world, but we do not have the financial wherewithal to do the job, the enablement. We are talking millions of naira, or dollars as the case may be.

So fill us in on what you’re up to now.

Well for now I’m in school pursuing my Masters degree in Social Works in the Lagos State University, Ojo. And I oversee my many business interests because I have always been trying to make multiple streams of income and have been doing that because you can’t wait in one place and expect one brook to feed you. I have also tried to enlarge my coast and I’m working on a couple of movies which will soon be released. And to every one of my fans, I can’t be where I am without their love and I must say that as much as they love me they better start loving who I love and that’s God. And let me use this medium to say that I might have stepped on somebody’s toes, you know, maybe someone has been slighted by what I had done, you know called me on the phone and I have not responded or anything, I just want to apologize and say that I love them all.

Pictorial Glance at Professsor Laz Ekwueme, A man of many part

2012-06-06T11:07:00.001+02:00

Professor Laz Ekwueme, 'Eze Ijikala II - Ozioko' Igwe Oko, Anambra State, is a man of many parts. He is an actor, choir conductor, music composer, a teacher and traditional ruler of his community.

We hardly see you in films these days. Do you still act?
Yes I do. I play Igwe roles and I have played many other roles. I act, but recently, they have not been paying me well enough to act. People like to buy you cheap. Though I am not a proud man. People think I am an arrogant bastard, who thinks the world should fall at his feet because he has a degree in music. But people confuse arrogance with pride. People confuse self-confidence with pride. When you do what you know how to do well with confidence, they say you are proud. They want to pay me peanuts and I say to them, where do you see any Ph.D holder on the screen? Where do you see a Professor on the screen? Where do you see an Igwe on the screen? Where do you see a one time university orator on the screen and you want to pay me peanuts? Yet, you are prepared to pay midgets millions. I know they are good; I like them and they are my friends but the Nollywood has suffered misfortune of being piloted by marketers. They are not interested in the quality of speech. The are not interested in the nuances of interpretation, and they don 't notice the difference between this man and that man. Because of it, they have not been calling me so frequently, and I refuse to be belittled beyond a certain level. I am not exorbitant, but some others play politics. Once they ask for me, they tell the people that Prof. Ekwueme is so busy and you can't get him. They are intimidated. They are in apparent competition with me and they want to take the small money since acting is the only thing they do.
You are a composer, an actor, a teacher and a traditional ruler. How do you combine all these? That is a very serious problem I have had to live with in the last 72 years. I 'm a man of multiple interest. I'm so diverse. I have more or less done everything to the point that it was so difficult to choose a career. The career I eventually find myself was at happenstance. I had interest in very many things right from my childhood. I had flare for singing, music, mathematics, English, tradition. I had diverse interest. At school, Government College, Umuahia, I had interest in the arts as well as in the sciences. Back then in school, we were fortunate to have very good teachers. A balanced education meant that you studied virtually everything including Religious Studies and Carpentry. But you took school certificate in subjects at that time, four arts subjects and four science subjects. You could then choose your career in either the arts or sciences. Most of my mates got into the sciences anyway; only a few went into the arts. I was good in drama at Umuahia. I could also play games a lot. Everybody had to play every game. Some of us even went into boxing. I almost went professional in boxing. Later, I changed from boxing to Karate. I am a black belter in Karate, but not at 73. It would be foolhardy for me to break tables with my fists now. But this is to show you the diversity of my interests. It was difficult for me to choose a career and having no money made it more difficult. My English master, P. J. Johnson, wanted me to read English. He took me to St Johns College in Kaduna to help him teach and establish the school in the way of Government College, Umuahia. My Maths teacher wanted me to do Engineering. My principal felt I should be a writer because I wrote for the school magazines. Of all these, I was at loss to choose a carrier. I didnt have money to go abroad at that time. So, I worked in Enugu. I followed my principal 's advice rather than that of my Maths or English teacher. But then, we had what we called festival of arts. The festivals were held in regional centres like Enugu, Ibadan, Zaria. I was good in writing, music and drama and painting. You could take examinations in music, but couldn't take examinations in theatre. I took examination in music and I won a Federal Government schorlaship to study music. That was how I left the country.
Were your parents able to suport your education abroad?
They couldn't. In fact they couldn't afford to take me to Government College, Umuahia.
So how did you go to Umuahia?
Don't think I'm being self-centered or that I am blowing my own trumpet. But at the time we went to Umuahia, you had to be very brilliant and lucky. I say that because it is the truth. My primary school headmanster, the late R. O. Iwuagwu, was a very good man. He prepared 12 of us to go to different secondary schools. GCU was the first. The first test was on mental arithmetical. It was used as an elimination process. If you didn't score up to a certain point in that arithmetic, they wouldn't bother to mark your other papers. We did test in English, Mathematics and General Knowledge. Average students could do well in English and General Knowledge, but not in Mathematics. Out of those of us that went for the entrance from Ekwulobia Primary School, we took the eight subjects. About eight among us got seven out of the eight subjects. They did not come to GCU. Three of us remaining went for the interview. There were another four subjects. One of us got three out of the four subjects, he didn't come to Umuahia. Two of us were just the ones taken finally. That was why I said luck had to do with your being accepted in Umuahia. One mistake, you are out. At Umuahia, we had three square meals a day, we had soap, we had iron to iron clothes. I had a scholarship. My late uncle paid the equipment fee. If hadn 't gone to Umuahia, I wouldn't have got scholarship to further my studies. Many of us became doctors, many became engineers and a few went into the arts. Umuahia has produced great number of writers like Chinua Achebe, Gabriel Okara, Saro Wiwa. But many of them didn 't go into the arts. Achebe initially went to study Medicine. I gave up Medicine, because the smell of formaline makes me throw up. When I started my music, I didn't leave drama; I continued studying Drama in England. Also, languages we did in Umuahia, I found them necessary for music studies at the degree level. I had to do a language course in Italian and German.
So how many languages can you speak now?
English and Igbo very well; German and Italian, fairly well; a little Yoruba here, a little Efik there. I am just trying to explain the diverse interest that made me go into different things. While I was in England, I did a lot of acting and modelling. People thought I was good looking when I was young. If you go for ten casting session and you were chosen in all sessions, you don 't need a priest to tell you that you are good looking. I did a lot of modelling and advertising in England. I was very much also into religion. I was a Lay Reader of the Anglican Church at the age of 20. Despite my sins and all, I was pure until at least 24. I had too many interest and that may have obscured my choice of a career. I thank God that things happened that way, other wise I would have ended up as an engineer which I didnt like. I would have been a very unhappy engineer.
How come you decided to come back to Nigeria after your studies abroad?
That is a million dollar question. When I was studying in England, I was always analysing and thinking, ah, this would work in my home, this would not. I believed that when I come back, I would be the authority in music. Very few people had degree in music. I Have been very lucky to have had the best of education and having the best teachers in the world. All the shortcomings were of my own making. God has given me opportunities that are so rare. One has to be realistic. You may be a good conductor but you can 't imagine the London orchestra being conducted by a black man at that time. I had to come home. There wasn't even a question of not coming home. I came back to University of Nigeria, Nssukka, as a lecturer. I then got another scholarship to go and do a Ph.D at Yale, which obviously is America's number one university though some may say, Havard. The temptation might have come for me to stay back in the U.S. especially during the war in Nigeria. I was there in the U.S., 1966 to 1969. That was the peak of Nigerian civil war. But then, go east go west, home is still the best particularly in 1974 where there was plan to hold FESTAC '75. Prof Ade Ajayi had this vision of making UNILAG the best university in Africa. He invited the best scholars in different parts of the world to come home. I had been in America for eight years and I felt it was time go home. The war had finished in 1970 so I came back in 1974. FESTAC was moved to '77 and I played my part.
How did you adapt, coming home to teach?
I was the second person in Nigeria to hold a bachelor 's degree in music. Two other people had a bachelor of arts in music, not quite the same as a bachelor in music. Coming back to teach at Nsukka then, I was just a young Nigerian coming back from England to teach in a Nigerian university. I founded the University of Nigeria Choral Society. We became a vibrant department. UNN was the first university to introduce music as a subject. I was one of the pioneer teachers then. It was challenging but I enjoyed it. Thank God I had set my goals in England. I was sorting myself out on what was appropriate to be taught in Nigeria and even when I went to Yale for my Ph.D, I was more careful, selecting and distinguishing what was necessary for our society.
Did your parents support you when you chose to study music?
I am reminded of a mad man in my town who made a very witty statement though he was mad. A younger nephew of his started being mad, he was at the threshold of madness. The old mad man called his nephew and told him, 'my friend, the thing you are trying to get into is madness. Are you sure you can cope? I have been into it for so many years and look at how I am.' Anybody who watches those of us who have been in music and see how poorly we have fared financially, will not advise his wards to get into it. Nevertheless, popular music is the one that pays and not arts music. Nigerians love arts music anyway, but they are not prepared to pay for it. My father died when I was six and I had three brothers. The first one entered Ibadan when I entered Umuahia. He died early. He didn 't marry before he died. My second brother went to Kings College. He read Architecture, the first vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme. My younger brother had the best West African result in higher school. UAC gave him a scholarship to read Medicine at Ibadan. My mother was a teacher, she didnt have much say in whether we went to Kings College or GCU. There was nobody to tell us what to do or not. If you have a Federal Government scholarship to go and study music abroad, who is there to say you should not go? Will the person pay for you? My younger brother had gone to America and returned before I went to England. He had no qualms in what I was doing. He was even the one that advised me to go to Yale and not Harvard for my Ph.D.
How did you cope without a father figure in the house?
We all gave our mother big stress. Boys will always be boys. My mother used to tell us, 'All these problems you are giving me, your children will give you more.' But my mother was a fantastic woman. She didn't spare the rod. If I tell you things we went through, you will not believe it. We had uncles who helped us, but I tell you, we had a difficult childhood. There was hardly any term in my primary school that I was not sent away for fees. We would crack kernels to sell and use the money to pay our school fees. It was just God that saw us though. My mother was a widow for 50 years before she passed on at 84.
How come you didn't marry a white woman?
That is a very difficult question to answer. The relationship one gets in one 's youth with people one lives with, may vary from individual to individual. In England, many Nigerians were not very happy. The standard of living in England was not very high. Many of the homes were not heated. You come back home from school and you use a paraphine heater in your house. Your face will be burning and your back would be freezing. Many could not afford to live in centrally heated houses. Many of our people were not so well-to-do as to mingle with the upper class of the whites. But if you were happy in England as I believe I was, you would mix freely with the best of the society. You date white and black girls. It would be tempting to marry one of them, but if you have come from a fairly good home, even if you are not rich, you will know that it will not be convenient for you to bring a white woman home under the circumstances of your society. We found that many of those marriages didn't quite work. An average white woman would look very beautiful in her teens, but once they clock 35, they age more rapidly. An African woman will keep looking beautiful even in her 60s. I didnt go straight from Umuahia to England, I worked for some time. Even before I left for England, I had friends who were white and I went to their homes. I interacted a lot with them when I went to England. But before I went to England, I had got engaged to a Nigerian. She was my first love and nothing could distract me from marrying her. I was a member of Students Christian Movements and I had my morals. The question of marrying a white woman did not arise. It was not as if I wasn 't tempted but I learnt self-discipline in Umuahia.
Tell us how you met your first love
You must remember that I am 73 and memory fades. Everything cannot be as exact as it might have been then. The girl I was engaged to was my godfather 's daughter. We grew up together, eight years younger, innocent and beautiful. We had same characters and we were naturally attracted to each other. But we parted ways. I was in England and she was in Nigeria. As at the time I came back to Nigeria teaching at UNN, she entered University of Ibadan. There was a war and she came back to Nsukka. For about nine years, we weren't together. By the times we came together, things had changed. Many waters had passed under the bridge on both sides.
So, you eventually married someone else
Yes.
As a traditional ruler, it is allowed for you to take more than one wife?
It is not allowed, it is said to be allowed. If you are not a Christian, you can take more than one wife. I am a traditional ruler that can 't afford one wife not to talk of another one. I have enough headaches trying to maintain one wife and three children. I dont have girlfriends.
There is this belief that for you to be a king, you must appease the gods. Did you get to do that? What are gods? When an African Religion practitioner erects a shrine in the name of his forefathers and puts a stature there and he comes to offer libation and make sacrifices there. Is it that he is just using it as a symbol to reach the main God? I believe that is his intention. Since he cannot see God, he has a visible, tangible token which represents, for him, the unseen God. He is not worshiping the idol, he is worshiping God, but using idol as a symbol. To come to your question, I didn't have to go through any ritual other than the Christianity I know. When I was coronated, there was a bishop there. There was an archdeacon. People from different churches were there. But there was the head of the Ozo. I took Ozo title. If there is anything against Christianity in the Ozo title, remove it and take the title. If there is anything wrong in masquerade, remove it and continue with the festival. It is a sport and a culture of the people. No traditional ruler in my town has to go through any pagan rite to be made an Igwe or Oba. But some so called sanctimonious Christains think that you have sinned if you take an Ozo title.
As an Igwe, does your elder brother, former vice president, Alex Ekwueme, prostrate to you?
My niece got married recently and somebody asked me if my brother would stand up when I arrived. I explained this way. He would have been the Igwe but he felt, and I agree with him, that he would be more useful to the town not being the Igwe. There was no need for him to be tied down. Moreover, as at the time my uncle died, he was still in politics vying for the presidency of Nigeria. Because he couldnt be the Igwe, the town decided that they would accept whoever he nominated. It fell on me. I wasn 't prepared for it, but if I didn't accept it, the throne would have left my family. But the constitution has been amended now. The Igweship would be rotated from now on. You see, in Oko, Anambra State, everybody stands up when the Igwe comes, but when the Ide comes (and he is my brother), everybody, including the Igwe, stands up for him.
What do you miss as a teacher?
I have many things in my head I need to put down on paper, but I dont have time for it because I am called upon every time. After 38 years of teaching, my pension is only about N8,000 a month. It doesnt last one week. Our governor does not pay traditional rulers much. We are paid 75, 000 a month. I have to find a means of surviving. As to what I miss, I miss much, yet nothing. We dont have quality students any longer. We have many illiterate graduates and it upsets me.

Who is who at the 2012 Nollywood Movie Award

2012-06-05T12:52:00.001+02:00

The year 2012 Nollywood Movie Awards was held on Saturday June 2nd at the Civic Centre, Lagos. Here are who is who at the event.