How was life before your journey into Nollywood?
It was very interesting and very free, unlike now that you [have to] watch where you go to. I miss that life, I do miss it. I really miss the people I grew up with. I really wish to see them again, especially my secondary school mates. I really wish the old school reunion things will work out.
When did acting come into the picture?
I have loved it right from when I was young but I didn’t want to come into acting, although I liked the industry. I wanted to operate in the industry, but from behind the scenes, perhaps as a producer and pulling the strings without being seen. I wanted the name to be known and maybe not the face, but unfortunately, I was told I can’t hide the face.
Did you face challenges breaking into the Yoruba acting sector, since you’re not Yoruba?
I didn’t, because I saw them as hospitable people who embrace the non-Yorubas. Most of the producers then took pride in being the first to feature a non-Yoruba person in their movies, especially ones that could speak the language well....
Are you part of any caucus?
I wasn’t. Whether or not to be a member of any caucus is a thing of choice, but it doesn’t affect how people get jobs. If you are good at what you are doing, producers will definitely look for you, even if you are underground.
Do you agree there is a great disparity between English speaking actors and the Yoruba speaking ones?
It was so s few years back but not anymore. It’s getting better now because these days, you now find actors from the different circles coming together to shoot films and celebrating things together. This is something we have been longing and praying for and we thank God it’s working out well now. It’s quite close now, we are now one, as friends and colleagues and that is what we want people to see out there.
Are you a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria?
I am presently not but I want to be. I’ve been pursued by the President herself. I really should and I will soon
Are you part of any acting body?
Yes, ANTP [Association of Nigerian Theatre Practitioners]..
The Yoruba circle has got ANTP, TAMPAN and most recently, TMA. Does this not suggest an impending war in that zone?
I came back and I met all these things but I still need to go sort that out before I’m able to say which one is which. I am an actress and a Nigerian.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
Working on my TV talk show called Faaji Xtra on Africa Magic and ONTV. I am partnering with the producer to make it happen.
How have you juggled acting and presenting?
It is a different ball game, but at the same time one has to put in the acting thing and be original too, to avoid appearing fake. So as much as it’s an avenue to show that one can do other things with acting but of course to make this work, one may have to blend the acting thing and one’s personality. A lot of actors these days, including you, have begun producing. Which of the two fields is most challenging? Producing is really challenging. [There's the] stress of having to source for a script, cast, crew and finance. It’s a lot of work for the producer and as is always the case, the person might [also] want to play a part, a lead or few scenes in the movie, but producing is quite tedious.
You have a beauty salon in Ogba, Lagos. Did you open it because you felt acting jobs might stop coming?
It’s been in my plan from the very beginning. My mom was a hair dresser and fortunately for me, I learnt a lot from her, so I had always wanted to go into the business when the time and the money came.
Are you close with Toyin Aimakhu?
We are all colleagues, so yeah.
Did you know she recently tweeted something many thought was a sub at Stella Damasus and could have been done in your support?
I didn’t know. I didn’t see it either, I only heard about it. I feel my marriage is a past issue. Everybody has gone their separate ways and life goes on. I don’t dwell in my past, I [focus on] the future and the very one that is right before me.
Do you think she was right to have done that, if she did?
Like I said before, I don’t want to dwell in my past. That’s why I don’t reply comments from fans, friends and colleagues about the issue. Time is money for me. I wouldn’t waste it on anything.
The Nation Newspaper recently reported that some armed men visited your ex-husband’s residence in Abuja and demanded to see him and Stella Damasus. Are you worried about the safety of your son?
I am hearing this story for the second time, not that I know anything about it other than that my child is well and good. I have my problems, they have theirs.
When last did you see your child?
I’m his mother. I know he is well and good.
But do you sometimes wish you and Daniel Ademinokan never separated?
Like I said before, life goes on. Whatever happens in life, its either we learn from it or we dwell on it. If you learn from it, you move forward, which is what I am doing. I am facing my business and my family, especially because of my duty as a celebrity in the society.
Does moving forward insinuate your plans to get married anytime soon?
It could happen. I might say it won’t and then I meet a man and fall in love with him and wish I didn’t say that. I’m not God. I don’t know what will happen in the next minute. It might, it might not.
Is there a possibility of you both getting back together?
I don’t dwell in the past. Its history and I don’t want to talk about it anymore
How true is the story that both of your parents never supported the union?
I need to ask people where they get their stories from.
Are you then saying the union had the blessings of both of your parents?
No comment, because I said I don’t want to talk about it
Since the break up, you haven’t given your side of the story. Don’t you think it is high time you told your fans the truth about it so as to curb the many assumptions there are?
I think my fans should focus more on the positive things I am doing in society and what I’m doing for myself and them. I’m well and alive, so is my son and of course, my ex [husband]. That alone is enough to thank God for.
Are you both legally divorced?
We are still in court.
So technically, you both are a still a couple?
Legally, yes.
Finally, is there a reason you hardly feature in English speaking movies, despite being popular as a cross-over act?
The Yoruba scripts come more often but I have been doing some English TV series with Africa Magic and other producers, including the late Amaka Igwe, which we hadn’t even completed. Some haven’t started airing while others have. I just came back from South Africa [where I was] shooting ‘Lincoln’s Plan’...
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