Nollywood Actors speak

Top actor/comedian Victor Osuagwu speaks

Where do you get your inspiration from?

"I’m a trained Theatre artist, and my role as an artist is to interpret a particular work the way it should be. It must be in the agreement with what my director wants.If they ask me to play a mad man now, I have to do a research on a mad man, going to the streets to learn something striking about a particular one. So it’s for meto pick the character of the one that I’ve noticed something striking about. I can even go very close and watch this particular character and the way he behaves and then transfer that particular character to myself but in all the inspiration comes from God."

What distinguishes you from the other comedians in the industry?

"Everybody has their own attitude. So, I think I have a particular characteristic that distinguishes me from others. As a comedian, you must have outstanding features. And this helps in selling yourself to your audience. Every comedianhas identifiable features that they are being appreciated for."

Is this what you have always wanted to do when you were coming into the system?

"To be candid with you, I didn’t want to be known as a funny character because there is this thing that goes along with the industry: comedians can easily be stigmatised, so at the initial stage, I didn’t want to be a comedian. But youknow, even your friends would tell you "Victor, man, you are a talented comedian". Being a comedian does not mean I can’t play other roles, but the truth is that everybody has their own time. My brother, it’s really paying off and that is why I keep doing it."

Why Ini Edo was banned - Emeka Duru, the guy who petitioned Actors' Guild on Nigeria, AGN, on Ini Edo

Can you give an account of what led to Ini Edo’s ban?

"Ini Edo was on a movie location that I managed. The movie is entitled ‘The Most Wanted Bachelor’ produced by Get Rich Productions. On the first day of the movie production when we were supposed to be on set but Ini told me she would be coming late because she had a police case. I gave her a whole day off. I told her to resume at the movie location by 9.00am the next day. But she did not showup until mid day. There was another instance when I called her that she is expected to be on set in Surulere. She promised to come but Ini switched off her phones and she did notcome to the location that day. She came the next day and I told her for delaying production she has to pay us a fine of twenty thousand naira. Her reply was that she would not talk to me because I am a bloody production man. She said she can only talk to the executive producer. Though I made sure the matter ended like that and we kept shooting.On the last day of the shoot we had worked for about twelve days. We were supposed to shoot an office scene. On that location we artistes like Mike Ezurunoye, Uche Jombo, Uche Elendu, Monalisa Chinda, Justus Esiri and other artistes. I had to plan the shooting in such a way that non of the artistes wouldfeel bad that he or she is not being attended to. I made sure we shot the scenes at random. Initially we had planned to shoot overnight to make sure we endedthe production. I pleaded with her to report to the location by 6.00pm. she came and we started shooting.She had two scenes left and she was to do a voice over. she shot a scene and I told her to go and change but to my surprise to executive producer called myattention that Ini was leaving the location. I looked through the window and I saw her driving off. The executive producer and I followed her with his bus but we couldn’t catch up with her. We both called her at different times and her phones were switched off. I later called Uche Jombo who told me they were at RockView Hotel in Festac Town. We drove down to the hotel claiming we were guests but I think Ini had instructed that we should not be allowed into the hotel. While atgate the Executive Producer called my attention to her car which had been covered by a tarpaulin. I immediately created a scene and the manager of the hotel came and confirmed that Ini Edo was a guest in the hotel but she is not expecting any visitor. He advised that we call her on her mobile phones. I made the man to understand that her phones were switched off. We returned to location that day but we all felt embarrassed and insulted by Ini’s action. The next day the movie director, Afam Okerere called Uche Jombo to inform Ini to go to Surulere to do the voice over but she did not call or come to the movielocation.I reported the case to the national president of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) who told me to make a formal presentation of complaint. I wrote a petition to that effect. She was summoned to a panel on 16th of April by 12 noon. She did not come until 2.25pm. The chairman of the committee, who also doubles as the nation secretary of AGN gave her a grace of one hour thirty minutes. By 2.25pm the committee took an action to ban her."

Aside being indicipline were there other reasons for her being banned?

"No. But there were insinuations that she was drinking and smoking on set? I don’t have any business with what anyone takes. What I am concerned with is movie production as long it does not affect movie production. But I will frown at any artiste who does not take his or her job serious. Ini’s disposition to her job as become an attitude of sort. I have only acted who is professional about his job."

Joke Silva talks about why she's on low cut

Why low cut?

"Well, I think it is because I got to a point where my hair wasn’t as healthy as it used to be, and I really got so tired of perming, or braiding. I just chopped it off. This is how I started my career anyway. I was hoping that if I chopped it off, it would still look nice."

Dressing.

"Anything that makes me comfortable. At times I wear trousers; at times, it is boubou; at other times, I wear keftan– even the way I dress now."

Most prized possession.

"Maybe it will be my phone. I have become so attached to my phone, really.

What turns you on in people?

"It is a combination of intelligence and integrity.

What turns you off?

"Nastiness. Those who go out of their way to be nasty put me off."

Why would anyone want to be nasty to Joke Silva? She's such a talented, sweet woman.

I body Scrub every two weeks - Top Nollywood actress, Clarion Chukwura Abiola

Beauty routine

"I don’t have a standard. The only thing that is routine is that every two weeks, I do body scrubbing with massage. Every Thursday, I give myself a facial. Every alternative Saturday, I body-scrub. I am a very hygienic person, I don’t use soap for my intimate hygene, I use the same fresh range for intimate hygiene. I use Dudu Osun every night and Lux soap every morning.

Turns–ons in people

"Laughter, communication. I have to be able to communicate with you, I have to be with one who can talk, someone who is knowledgeable about so various issues, not one who talks about people.Turns–offs Lousiness, gossip and unnecessary arrogance and snobbishness."

Nollywood Actress Oby Edozien speaks on why she dated her friend's ex-boyfriend

Attention from men

"I cope with it, I talk to them nicely. I don’t chase them away but when they get the message they go away. I don’t just go into relationship for going sake. I will settle down very soon by God’s grace, God will bring me my husband; every woman’s dream is to get married"

Sacrifices

"The sacrifice I made was to trek to long locations because there was no GSM, people also take advantage of my kindness and goodness, and I’ve leant to manage it. Some people said Oby is arrogant and rude but others have different notions about me, I carry myself very well I know some people are known for such notorious attitude. People see actresses as wayward and loose person, but that didn’t distract me. I don’t think I’ve got to the height because I’m thinking of Hollywood."

Regret

"Yes I took a decision to romance my friend’s ex-boyfriend she stops dating for three years without telling her. That caused a lot of troubles, lies, rumours and misunderstanding between us. Wao! I didn’t know I would be blackmailed to such extent. I could have just told my friend that I’m dating her ex-boyfriend. That is why I don’t have any best friend in the industry but I only have colleagues that are friends, my mother and sisters are my best friends."

Top Nigerian actress Chiege Alisigwe speaks on why her marriage lasted three months

"I was once married and I have a baby girl. The marriage crashed. The marriage did not work out. The marriage was consummated in 2002. For me, it is past tense and I won’t talk much about it. We were incompatible and it didn’t work.

Was her husband the wrong choice?

"I won’t say I made a wrong choice of a husband. May be I was naive when the affair was contracted. May be it was a wrong choice. I won’t call it a mistake but I call it experience which I have learnt from. The marriage, lasted for only three months you won’t believe it. I had concieved the baby in my womb before we fell apart, three months later so I had the baby and have taken care of her all by myself since she was born. When I am working, she stays with my sister and as soon as I am back from location, I take her. She lives with me and I love her so much. In fact, she is my jewel.

On being a single mum

"It is not easy but I cope. My baby is my jewel and I am very happy I have her. It’s a blessing and not a stress as people want to say. Her name is Munachimsoaga.

Will she marry again?

"Yes, if the time is right and the guy is right. Why not? I am young and can’t live my entire life alone without a man. But the time and the guy have to be right. I can’t afford to make the mistake I made earlier so I am watchful and very careful the way I fall this time around." I say goodluck to Chiege

All stories Thanks to my friends at Nigerianfilms.

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