Pretty Nollywood actress, film producer and Chief Executive Officer at New Dawn Productions, Lilian Amah-Aluko, has been in the Nollywood industry for over two decades. Soft-spoken Lilian in this chat with us she said her most challenging role is yet to come. She also explained why she left her banking career for the movie world.
Tell us a little about yourself?
Lilian is a Nigerian, an actress and a film producer. I went to the University of Lagos. I am the fourth of five children and I am married.
When did you start acting?
In 1987.
Which was the first movie and how was your first time on set?
The first was Richard MofeDamijo’s Out of Bounds. It was interesting and challenging because it was the first time I was doing it. I enjoyed it and that was what kept me coming back.
What would you say are your major achievements so far?
I leave my achievements for other people to say. I just try to get by from day to day.
What is your motivating factor in life?
It is the desire to fulfill the reason why I am on earth. I believe that every human being who comes to the world is here to achieve something; you’ve come to get better, to be able to find your way back to your origin which is paradise. So, what motivates me is the desire to live in such a way that I would find my way back to paradise.
What is the most challenging role you have played since you started acting?
That role hasn’t come yet. I have played many challenging roles but the most challenging one hasn’t happened. I am sure it would still come.
We have not seen you in movies for some time. Are you working on new projects?
It is a bit of all of that. I’m doing some other things. I am producing events and theatre events and I don’t think there is that much happening on the movie scene. Yes, there are always films but are they films I want to be seen in? I have done a couple of quite good television programmes but when it comes to movies, there are not many out there that I would want to be part of.
So, in what kind of movies do you want to feature?
I want to be part of movies that have good production values; the script must be good, the team working behind it has to know what they are doing and the story has to make sense.
What is your kind of style?
Comfort. I just want to be comfortable. Occasionally, one needs to get all dressed up with the high heels and the blings but most of the time I wear something simple and casual. And the kind of work I do, you don’t need to be formally dressed. When I was in the bank, I needed to wear suit everyday, but now, I can wear what I like.
Why did you leave the bank for acting?
The world of entertainment gives me great joy, you create different things everyday. It is because acting is what I want to do. The world of banking gives some people great joy; for me it did for a time but it is not what I want to do for the rest of my life.
So you don’t regret leaving the bank?
No way, never.
What would you say has been your contribution to Nollywood so far?
I don’t know about contribution. I am not going about trying to make a contribution to Nollywood. I am just trying to do the things I enjoy doing, help whoever I can along the way and generally make the world a better place. I don’t know whether I have contributed anything to Nollywood.
What is Open Door Series all about?
The Open Door Series started last year. It is an international cultural exchange programme. We are all about restoring the dignity of man through the use of arts and culture. Last year, it was Project ‘Preemptive’ and ‘Seven’. We took a tour of different countries of the world and different states of Nigeria. We focused on global terrorism and how arts and culture can help to tackle it.
This year, it is Project WS7728086 and we focused on love for country. We felt that it was time that charity started at home and let us teach our children to love Nigeria. Let them see the good things in Nigeria, hopefully that way; we can get to start to change the perception of our country and thereby change the country itself.
We started by asking students all over Nigeria and the Diaspora to do an essay on the topic “I love my country”. From that essay, two students were shortlisted from each state, one from a public and one from a private school. So, we had 74 students from the different states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory. We then linked them up with three students from the Diaspora, and at the end of the day, we had 77 of them. We brought them to do the finals of the essay competition which took place at the Muson Centre on July 13, 2011.
What is Professor Wole Soyinka’s involvement in the Open Door Series?
When we started last year, we were looking for a symbol on which to base everything and one man readily came to mind, Professor Wole Soyinka. He is a global icon in literature, arts and also a powerful figure in the world of human rights and looking after the dignity of man. So we said that is the kind of figure we would like to use as our symbol. Everything revolves around July 13, his birthday and it has become our traditional day. Last year he was 76 and we brought 76 celebrities from the world of theatre to the red carpet in Muson Centre and they did different snippets from his works.
This year, he was 77 and we gathered 77 students. He loves children and he believes that his generation is a wasted one; he believes that the future lies in the hands of the children, so we said let us focus on the children. Last year, the students wrote an essay on the topic “The Wole Soyinka I know”. But this year, they did an essay on the topic, “I love my country”. Incidentally, the song was also written by Wole Soyinka and he gracefully received the children on the July 14 in his house. They had a lot of fun, met the Ogun State governor and his wife at the cultural centre and gave them a talk on how to be good citizens.
So will the Open Door Series be a yearly thing?
Yes, it is an annual event, this is the second edition. But we will try to take a different format each year and will always involve the children because we believe they are the future.
What makes your day?
Different things on different days but generally if at the end of each day I feel that I made one person happy, it makes me feel better.
What do you think is the misconception people have about you?
I don’t know and frankly speaking, I really don’t care.
Why is it that when a woman rises very fast to the top in an organisation, it is often believed she is sleeping with her male bosses?
Those who say that are quite demented. I know some people do that but it works both ways. Some men can also sleep their way to the top, but I never believe in generalising. Each case should be taken on its own merit. Life is short and we spend too much time bothering about what the other person is doing. We should turn the mirror on ourselves; look at ourselves for a change. Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing? Am I making life better for those around me? Am I in any way living the life my creator wants me to live? If I am not, then I have no business looking at the next person and wondering why they are doing what they are doing.
What are some of your childhood memories that you hold very dear?
My family being complete but it will never be complete again. I lost my dad on March 9, 2011 and that is a sour point. He was special.
Why are mothers blamed when their children stray?
I think the main reason why that occurs is because mothers are really the ones who bring up the children. Fathers do too, but the mother is supposed to be the ever present person in the child’s life especially at the formative stages. So when the mother is not there or abdicates her duty, then things will go wrong. But again, there are times when the mothers are there, they have done everything they can but some children are just born bad. So, I don’t think it’s right to blame the mothers because both parents have the responsibility to bring up any child they bring into this world.
What are some of the movies you’ve produced?
The last movie I produced was Jungle Ride; I also produced the Triangle, She Devil and Sweet Revenge.
How can you describe yourself?
From my own point of view, I think I am a friendly person and I also have a bit of a temper and I really don’t suffer fools gladly.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Even tomorrow I can’t predict. I have learnt in a very shocking manner that we don’t know tomorrow. I spoke to my dad in the night, he was fine and there was no hint of an illness. Next morning, barely 12 hours later he was in a coma and less than 48 hours after that he was gone, so I just live for the moment. I don’t think about tomorrow, I don’t wonder where I will be or what I will be doing by Christmas. If the good Lord gives me life, then I will take whatever I see in my stride.
What are your hobbies?
I like to read, sleep, watch television and listen to music. I like to travel and I like going to the beach.
So, what kind of books do you love to read?
I read all sorts of books. You will never catch me without a book. If you check my bag, you will see two, three or four books. I read biographies, fiction, non-fiction and historical novels. I read everything.
How do you relax?
I relax reading. I relax best when I have a good book.
What is your most cherished fashion item?
Nothing. I am not particularly into fashion. I dress in something nice or that I like. I don’t cherish anything material.
How do you handle your male fans?
(Laughs) well, I handle them the way I handle every other person. If somebody steps out of line, I tell you politely. If you don’t listen, I just cut you off. There are people whose calls I don’t pick once you become a nuisance. Otherwise, generally, I think I am a very polite and friendly person. I pick calls, I chat with people but if anybody persistently steps beyond the dictates of good manners, I just cut the person off.
What is your beauty routine like?
When it comes to all of that, I am a bit lazy. I cannot really say I have a routine. I wash my face, but I cannot swear that I do wash it every night. Sometimes I just use the facial wipe to wipe off my make-up when I am too lazy to take a bathe or wash my face. But then, I don’t use that much make-up. I use eyeliner and lip gloss. For my hair, I either braid it or put on a weave as the case may be since I cut off my dreads.
What kind of clothes won’t you be caught wearing?
(Laughs) I won’t be caught in anything indecent. I am quite adventurous when it comes to clothes but I never want to wear something that when I see people I know or people my parents know I will be ashamed. For me, that is always the trigger. So I try not to wear anything indecent. Other than that, anything nice and clean I wear.
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