As one who has spent three years in the highly challenging film industry, Ifeanyichukwu Edna Onoja admits that it hasn’t been a walk in the park. But that is not to say the years have been unkind. She also says that she has had fun moments.
With such films like Festac Babes, Bold 5 Babes, Diamond Ring, Desperate Models and Reloaded Models in her kitty, the actress believes that she is here to make her mark. She speaks with OVWE MEDEME on such issues like her taste in men, sexual harassment in the industry, and the challenges she has had to deal with, among other issues
FOR how long have you been an actress?
I have been acting for the past three years. I have done about ten movies. Among the films I have acted in are Festac Babes, Bold 5 Babes, Diamond Ring, Desperate Models, Reloaded Models, Efe the Benin Girl, Okada Girl and some others. Like I said, this is my third year in the industry and it has been fun all the way.
Why did you choose to be an actress?
Did you study too become an actress?
No, I didn’t study anything acting related. I studied Accountancy.
With all the love you have for the profession, why didn’t you study to become an actress?
I also love Accounting and the truth is that, I won’t be an actress forever.
But there are people who have been actors all their lives…
You are getting me wrong. What I’m trying to say is that I might act forever but I won’t be in the profession forever. What I mean by that is, with or without studying a course like Theatre Arts, acting is already in me. So what is the essence of studying it?I studied Accounting because I want to do something apart from acting. I want something that when I eventually get married and I settle down, should my husband give me a condition to quit acting, there would be something for me to hold on to. I want to act forever but nobody knows tomorrow
Talking about marriage, is there something in the works?
Not really? For now, I am still single.
Why is that? Are you not thinking in that light?
Let’s just say I have not found the perfect person.
How would you describe the perfect person?
It is true what they say about aperfect person being hard to find but for me, I need only one thing from a man; and that is truthfulness. If I have a man who tells me the truth all the time, there is nothing more I will be looking for. We can go ahead and get married.
Three years in the industry, how challenging would you say has it been?
Well, it has been challenging in so many ways. For instance, when I started out, in some movies, there are scripts that they give to me that got me so carried away. When I first started out in the industry, it was very challenging and the issues I had to deal with are different from the ones I face today. I can boldly tell you now that as time went by and as I got more attached to the profession, it became a bit easier. The movie industry in Nigeria is easy and at the same time, it is hard. At the end of the day, it is just how the industry is. Sometimes, you just have to push on.
So far, have you been a victim of sexual harassment?
No, I’ve never had to deal with that kind of issue. I guess maybe it’s because of the kind of person I am.
A lot of actresses complain about being harassed. How did you manage to escape that?
I won’t say there has not been any or that I have not been approached. Therehave been so many incidences but one thing I always tell myself is that I am not a desperate actress. I know how to act. I was born to act. I will not bring myself too low to sleep with a director just for him to give me a script. If you call me for a job, you give me a script and you tell me I must do this to get the script, I will tell you to hold your script. If you want me to act, you give me the script and we negotiate. You pay me and I do your job. That’s as simple as it gets. I cannot do less than that. I cannot sleep with an actor or anybody to get a job.
Aside acting, what else are you into?
Aside acting, I intend to go into some other stuff like travelling abroad to bring in consumer products. I am still processing it but hopefully, soon, I will swing into action. There are so many other things I intend to go into but I don’t want to disclose them now. At the right time, I will let the cat out of the bag.
Like most of your colleagues, do you intend taking a course in filmmaking?
For now, I don’t think I want to do a course in filmmaking or movie directing for that matter. I just want to be an actress.
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