When did you start acting and which movie brought you to limelight?
Wale Adenuga Productions discovered me in 2003 or 2004 when I acted in Super Story (One Bad Apple) where I played the character, Caro. That movie brought me to limelight and since then, it has been good.
Did you experience a long wait to get to the stardom?
I was fortunate, but it was still difficult. I still had to be in very long queues at audition venues. Then it was tough, now we have Blackberry, there is the social media and you just hear there is an audition going on somewhere. You even decide if you want to go or not. But back then, you will get to the audition venue before you discover that it has been postponed or they had already done it. You just had to always get there first as there was no communication as such. All the hassles that actors had to go through, yes I did go through then.
Which of the movies you starred in will you say has been the most challenging?
Each one of them has been challenging, that is because they all come with different stories, present different backgrounds, researches and commitments. There is none that is the same and all of them require a level of hard work and commitment to pull it off. They are all different in their different ways.
Your latest movie is October 1. What was your experience?
The storyline is fantastic. It was written by Tunde Babalola. Working with Kunle Afolayan was exciting. In the movie, I played Tawa, a school teacher, who was caught in the middle of so many controversial issues like serial killing, political manoeuvrings and a lot more. What is special about my character was that she was the delectable sweetness in the entire bundle of confusion. In the long run she is the connecting dot to every other person in the story.
What would you describe as your unique feature as an actress?
I’m a mixture of Western and African. When it comes to acting, what makes me unique is that proficiency to switch from this to that. I am not strictly this or strictly that. I am a good speaker of the Yoruba language and I speak English as much as I can try. I like to balance it, I think that is what stands me out. But, most importantly, I think it is hard work.
What do you consider before accepting a script?
There are three things that I consider. The first is the story, second is the story and third is the story. I want to know if the story is similar to something I have played before, if it is challenging, if it is relevant to what I am going through at that time and if I can commit to it. So, for me, the story is very most important.
Is there any role you would reject as an actress?
I hardly do, you do what is required if you can do it. The bottom line is: ‘can you play that character?’ I think what would make me reject a role is if I think I am not connecting. It may be that something is wrong somewhere, it may be the story, maybe it’s me telling myself even as I am reading the script that I don’t think I can deliver this. But I don’t think there is a role I can reject.
Do you normally have preference for a male actor you’d like to be paired with?
No, I don’t. I can be paired with anyone as long as he can deliver, help me to be better and I can help him to be better too.
How was growing up?
It was interesting. We are a family of eight, six children and parents. I am from a close knit Christian home. There were lots of fun things when we were growing up. For instance, I cherished my lessons at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Agege, those after school hour lessons, my primary and secondary school days. I attended a boarding school, but then I didn’t like it but now when I think back on all the things that used to happen, boarding school was interesting.
Also, growing up essentially with my family, I think those are the memories I cherish.
What has life taught you?
Life has taught me to be humble. It is very difficult especially in a country like Nigeria where there is pressure. Everybody is angry, everybody is tensed and there is a lot of tension. I think you only make it worse by adding your own personal ego to the tissue.
How would you describe yourself?
I am simple, blunt, exciting and complicated. I am a mixture of everything.
What motivates you in life?
I would say God, nature and life.
How do you relax?
I love to see movies, play and spend time with my family and loved ones. I love to cook too. What is that side of you that people don’t know about? It is the fact that I cannot tolerate attention seekers. I dislike people who will do anything just for attention. I think it is one of the things people don’t know about me.
Sexually harassment is said to be quite prevalent in the movie industry; did you experience anything in that regard?
People do get molested but I wasn’t molested because even before you could get out of the house to go for an audition when I was growing up, my parents had to question you and maybe an elderly person in the house would go along with you. So that at least saves you from any form of molestation. But it is still going on. I keep saying it, maybe one day I will have a platform where people would be informed and educated on how to protect themselves from such things. Sometimes, the young ones want to come into the industry but the first few steps they should take is what they don’t know. They don’t know who to call, where to go and no websites to say new actors should pay a formal fee for registration and all that. They just see random information everywhere. So for now until this issue is solved, maybe parents and guardians should pay a little more attention to the processes of how these young ones are trying to get into this industry.
Who are those you look up to in the movie industry?
I would say Wale Adenuga himself and his entire family. It’s like a team. Then Kunle Afolayan who is obviously doing exceptionally well and giving Africa a voice and some young hardworking producers who are doing well too.
What would you be doing five years from now?
I would have gone into music but I don’t know whether as a recording artiste and whether I would stay there for long. I said music because it is a talent I have and I would hate to wonder what would have happened. So if I go into it and it is just fun, let me just go and do it. And if I go in and I am rusty, let me go in and be rusty. I have a group called Rave, which I co-founded with Nkechi Ajayi, my partner who has been very encouraging. She keeps telling me that we can do it. In five years’ time, I would be producing something by then. But the question remains whether it is going to be a talk show, movie, soap opera or series. But I would love to own something of mine.
What music genre?
It is going to be inspirational, not necessarily secular. It is going to talk about life generally but everything will point towards the direction of God.
What did you study?
I studied mass communication at Olabisi Onabanjo University. Besides that, I have had the influence of a number of people, organisations and even the church contributed to my life in terms of counselling, teaching and trainings
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