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Monday, July 16, 2012

Pictorial Glance at Stella Damasus of Nollywood, The Daughter of an Opera Singer

Blog http://stella-damasus.blogspot.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stella-Damasus-Show/167499046636615




QUESTIONS.: Damasus is an unusual name. What part of the country are you from?

STELLA.: I’m from Asaba, Delta State. Damasus was actually my grandfather’s first name. It’s a Greek name. The family name was actually Ojukwu, but when the war broke out, the Nigerian Civil War, a lot of Nigerian soldiers mistook my family for the real Ojukwu himself, so a lot of things happened to my family members until my grandfather came and said look, instead of them killing our people thinking we’re Biafrans, let’s just change our name, so we’re safe. That’s how the name became Damasus.

QUESTIONS.: And it has remained the same ever since?

STELLA.: yeah.

QUESTIONS.: Interesting. You grew up in Asaba or in Lagos?

STELLA.: I grew up in Benin City actually. I only lived in Asaba for about three years when my father was transferred from former ACB Bank in Benin to Asaba Branch.

QUESTIONS.: So you did all of your schooling in Benin City?

STELLA.: Yes. But my JSS 3 to my final year in secondary school I did in Ibusa, in a private school in Ibusa about 15mins away from Asaba. But from the time I was born to that time, I did most of all my education in Benin.

QUESTIONS.: In what way did your childhood prepare you for a career in the entertainment industry?

STELLA.: I think it was basically my mom. My mom used to be an opera singer. She used to be a stage actress. When we went to church together, she used to make me sing with the junior choir and all that. And then whenever we were in school and they wanted to do a school drama, she would tell me to go for it. Since I was in primary school, she was always there making sure that I did one drama piece or one song or something.

And when I was growing up, they bought tapes of Boney M, Abba and she made me sing along and things like that. I would actually hold the electric kettle cord as my microphone and all that in front of a mirror. Ever since then, she just basically knew that I was going to do something in the entertainment world and she just kept encouraging me to do that.

QUESTIONS.: That is also unusual. The typical parent in Nigeria would never encourage you to go into the entertainment business.

STELLA.: Yeah. My mom’s case was different because she was in it. I had a problem actually (with my father) when I started acting because of the impression a lot of people had about actors. My mother was always supporting me and she was there telling him its not like this, have you forgotten how we met, though I was a banker but then I was doing my singing and acting on the side so let her do what she wants…

And my parents are very liberal people, you know, so they let their children be who they want to be. It was easier for me because my mother was already an entertainer before I joined them.

QUESTIONS.: Wow, you’re one of the lucky few.

STELLA.: Yeah.

QUESTIONS.: It appears you did a lot more acting work in 2003 than any other year… What happened?


STELLA.: I honestly don’t know. I can’t say for sure. I just know that each one I did, people just kept calling me. I won’t lie to you, the money got better and bigger, so it was difficult for me to say no. As a fact, I used to say let me take time off for my kids or let me take time off for… Last year, it was just like a blow out. Everybody remembered that I was around. I also realized that the scripts that came my way were very good and they were characters that would project me more. So, I guess that’s why. But I can’t tell you why they wanted me all the time. I don’t know.

QUESTIONS.: What kind of roles do you accept?

STELLA.: It has to be something that is based around me, something that makes me important, something that challenges me, something that will make me really work. I cannot just take a script, look at it and just go and talk. Something that will make me rehearse in my house, look at my mirror, have someone to read with me at home, something that will make people to be blessed, so every day and say please can we break down these scenes and let’s do a character analysis, something that moves me that I don’t really need to do anything artificial, something that will make me bring out the best from the bottom of my belly, you know… Something that will make me work like the one I’m doing right now… Its really making me sweat. Scripts that make sense. Scripts that will talk to you - as you’re reading it, you’re imagining it and you’re going through the motions with it, not just any story, you know? Stories that you can relate to, that you know that whenever people see it, they will remember you for doing one thing or the other… That’s it.

QUESTIONS.: Which is the one you’re doing right now?

STELLA.: Dangerous Twins, the one with Tade Ogidan.

QUESTIONS.: I know they shot a series of scenes in England. You’re not in the England sequences?

STELLA.: No no, I’m the wife of the other twin in Nigeria.

QUESTIONS.: Dangerous Twins id promising to be an explosive thing.

STELLA.: Oh yes, oh yes it is. And then with the cast as well, it’s going to be fantastic. We have Sola Sobowale and Bimbo Akintola also in the movie. It’s going to be very nice.

QUESTIONS.: And Ramsey Nouah?

STELLA.:Ramsey Nouah is a fantastic actor. He’s doing so well. In fact, I’m really really complimenting him. I do that every day because it’s not easy playing a twin. You wear one costume, play all the lines of one person, wear another costume of the other twin and start doing all the lines and remember what the other person said and how he dressed, and you know things like that. And he’s been doing it so well. I’m really really impressed with what I’m seeing.

QUESTIONS.: What is it like, STELLA, to have two talents? I’m talking about the singing and acting now. Do you get pulled to explore one more than the other?

STELLA.: Em… Maybe. I’ve been doing both together at the same time. I think I prefer it like that because I don’t want a situation where I would have to choose between the two. I manage my time very well. My husband and I, we have a band called Synergy, and we have a lot of shows. Private shows for weddings, launching and things like that. And then I do my movies as well, but if you ask me to choose between (two) of them, I will tell you I probably can’t because I love both of them and they complement each other. You know, now I’m being offered scripts to play as singer in a movie and I’m telling them the highest bidder will take it. If people are planning to use me as a professional singer… I have something that I perceive as being an edge over a lot of other because I can do – and I’m a dancer as well. So I combine all of these things to try and make me a perfect actress, you know… At least the best I can be.

QUESTIONS.: You sing, you dance and you act?

STELLA.: Yes.

QUESTIONS.: Interesting. So how did you sharpen all these skills STELLA? At the professional level, did you have any special training or did you just start doing it? How did you get into it formally?

STELLA.: I’m a theatre arts graduate. I’ve been doing theatre arts for (long distance gabble). I’m doing a part-time course. And in these five years, I think I know a lot. As a theatre student, you must have (more long distance gabble). The acting, to be a theatre arts student, you have to go through different acting techniques, acting styles and people that have propounded a lot of theories about expression, movement, bodywork and things like that. So I guess I try to put a lot of that into practice whenever I do a movie or anything else because I try to translate what I have read into practicals – into motion. I read a lot of books. I love to read, so I try to educate myself… Each character I play, I try to talk slightly different from what I have done. I try to change my style of acting, my style of walking, things like that… I think its basically my education that really helped me. And then my husband used to do movies as well. He used to be an actor as well, and since he is more experienced than I am, he helped me out a lot when I was starting. I guess I do try to improve in everything that I do by reading more. I’m studying other foreign actors as well cos I have this artist that I like a lot – Cicely Tyson. I think she’s fantastic so I learn a lot from her.

QUESTIONS.: Aside of Cicely, is there any other person you would call a role model?

STELLA.: Jack Nicholson. I love him as well. And I think they’re fantastic because I’ve seen them do these same roles and they’re so convincing. I mean Cicely Tyson played a role…She played the role when she was a very young girl and she grew up into a great grandmother and she was so fantastic because her voice changed, her style of acting changed, everything changed, so for someone to do that, it takes a lot of work and I respect it…

QUESTIONS.: Are there roles for instance that you would not play?

STELLA.: I don’t think so. I think I can play every role because it’s my profession and if I play a very bad role or a loud role, it means I am doing it to correct something. The script has to be right. If I’m just going to play (for instance) a prostitute just for the sake of being a prostitute and it doesn’t make sense and the story is not centered around that particular person so she’s able to change at the end of the day and make people realize how bad it is, then I don’t think there’s any point in doing it. But if I’m playing roles like that where I have to really loud but at the end of the day there’s a message, a positive message, that’s going to be passed across, that people need for the ills of the society. Then I probably would do it. You have to learn different acting styles and techniques to be able to play things and make them convincing without being extremely vulgar or do things that are very extreme that people will frown at. There are ways of doing different things that I try to learn every day, so I don’t think I will shy away from any role. It just depends on the director I’m working with and how we can work together to bring it out without having to irritate people or be vulgar about it.

QUESTIONS.: Let me ask you a vague question. What’s the most challenging thing that has ever happened to you?

STELLA.: Oh my God, what do I say? I think that it’s being a young wife. Because of who I am and what I do, its not easy, because in this part of the world, its not easy to keep your home intact because when you in-laws, you have families and then there are some things that you would probably not accept or take and because of the negative publicity we get and things like that… I think that’s my greatest challenge because sometimes they hit on us the females who are married and it takes a lot of work to try and repair the damage and also a lot of work to try and make sure that your spouse trusts you enough to stand by you and believe you… And also to be that wife that your in-laws expect you to be, no matter what, even if it breaking your back or killing yourself. I think its more challenging than any job or anything I have to do outside because if you regard something as the most important thing in your life, I think that is the think you fight hardest to keep intact. Its more difficult for an entertainer – an actress - to keep her home, especially when herself and her husband are very young and are going through a lot of things and trying to be adults and trying to be mature and trying to be role models and parents and all that. I think that’s basically my greatest challenge in life and I am determined to succeed. Really really determined.

QUESTIONS.: You briefly addressed my next question in your last response. I was going to ask you what it is like to have the husband and wife in the entertainment industry? How does it impact on the home, the children and everything?

STELLA.: We have a way of doing it. We always make time out for the kids. We never abandon them. And we found out recently that whenever we have shows outside Lagos or outside the country, I find that I stay back so that he goes and I stay with the kids – or sometimes, if I have to travel on location or something, he stays in town. But if both of us have to go, then there must be a family member who will stay with them. And its not easy, you know. It’s not easy… That is where we fight the most… Because we work together, we don’t always agree on things. Of course we’re two different people. He’s a human being; he has different views and things like that. I’m a human being; I have my own set rules and principles, even though I try to do what the Bible says… You must submit to your husband. Of course I try to that, but at the same time, there are some things that I will need to stand on or grab on to and say no, this is how I want it and he may not like it and we fight a lot. But being in the entertainment world together is one of the most – in fact, I’m very lucky because even though we have our problems when we fight, we find that we always have something to talk about, something to bring us back together, you know… If there’s a problem in your house, and we have a show tomorrow, what are we wearing? Okay let’s do this and before you know it, we’re already talking. I have a movie… Okay, let’s read it together.

And again, it’s easier for me to go, shoot, stay out late, come back and he understands because he’s into it as well. We basically try to help each other out and do our work, but he’s still the same person that says if you have to do this job, do it well. Don’t say because of me you will not do it to the best of your ability.

QUESTIONS.: Do you see your kids going into the entertainment business?

STELLA.: My first child, no. My second child, probably. I think she’s getting because she cannot stay in one place if she hears the slightest sound. She would stand up and dance or do something. My first child is more subdued. She’s more of a technical person. She like remote control, she likes cable, she likes phones… She doesn’t like toys actually. She doesn’t like things that are entertaining. She likes things that are very technical like the computer; she likes working with her father, things like that… So, I’m still watching them to see what will happen.

QUESTIONS.: Synergy… You guys only perform in exclusive circles?

STELLA.: Yeah.

QUESTIONS.: Is there any special reason behind that? Or is it the kind of music you play?

STELLA.: No, it’s not just the kind of music. We started out playing regular shows in places like Jazzville, Eko Hotel and places like that. But as you grow older and you expand your band, you find that you need to grow more because you find that in Lagos it is when you play private gigs that you’re respected more and you’re paid more. When you do regular shows at the Jazzvilles and Eko Hotels, they pay you just a little bit of money to get by. In everything you do, you try to expand and move up and earn more and gain more and be more recognized. I guess we moved up and people started accepting the fact you cannot just come and see us every week. We are only at exclusive places where you must have really paid well for and things like that. Its not just the kind of music, cos my band, we do copyright songs most of the time, apart from our own songs. We play highlife, we play funk, we play disco, we play oldies, we play all sorts of music. We even play at traditional weddings. We’ve played at a Nikkai before. We’ve played at even Owambe. We have different people in the band that specialize in different types of music, different genres of music.

QUESTIONS.: Sounds like you guys are having a lot of fun.

STELLA.: Well, we’re trying. It’s been a lot of years of hard work, but we’re getting there.

QUESTIONS.: Did you know your husband before you started acting?

STELLA.: No. I started acting… I’d done two movies before I met my husband. I’d done… My first major movie was really my breakthrough. The name of the movie was actually Breaking Point and that’s how he recognized me the first time he saw me. So I was already in the movie industry before we started dating.

QUESTIONS.: And he did not know you could sing when you met?

STELLA.: The first day we met, I actually grabbed his microphone. I went to Jazzville (with) one of my friends. And he was on stage with his sister and his sister’s husband. I got on stage, I was carried away… I loved the song they were doing. I got on stage, grabbed his microphone and started singing with them. And at the end of the night he came to me and said look, I like your voice. I hope to set up my own band. Are you interested? And I said why not? So, we started working together. The first time he saw me, he knew who I was. That’s how come he let me take his microphone like that on stage. By the time he heard me sing, he saw another side of me and he liked it. That is the side he prefers. He prefers me as a singer because he says I’m a better singer than I’m an actress. He loves my acting but he believes that I’m a better singer than an actress.

QUESTIONS.: So the poor guy saw you on stage and fell head over heels in love.

(GENERAL LAUGHTER)

STELLA.: Well, I always tell him that, but he still tells me that I was the one that fell in love first. I’m not gonna argue because I actually tripped when I saw him.

(MORE LAUGHTER)

QUESTIONS.: How sweet. Jaiye (that’s your husband’s name, right?), I read somewhere that he composes in French, Spannish and in Yoruba and English. Where did the French and Spanish come from?

STELLA.: He studied languages. He’s French graduate and he lived in London for a long time so he did Spannish in London. He studied that and a little Italian as well. Then he came down to Nigeria and got into Unilag and he studied French, so he’s actually a French translator as well.

QUESTIONS.: So are you picking up any of these languages?

STELLA.: Well, sometimes, when we’re in a place and he doesn’t want people to know what we’re talking about, there are some words in French that he has taught me, so when he says any words like that, I know what he’s talking about. I’m not very good with languages, but sometimes when he says things, he says something in it that makes it easier for me to understand what he’s saying. I didn’t pique interest early enough, so I guess that’s where my problem is. I can read French, but I might not understand what I’m saying. And then I can understand a little Spannish, but I don’t speak very well.

QUESTIONS.: Your husband is obviously comfortable with you acting because he’s also in the entertainment business, so this rumor on the Internet that he wants you to quit acting is just a rumor?

STELLA.: I don’t know what they’re talking about. I have a husband who always tells me that he loves women that are hardworking and have a drive. He tells me if this is what you’re meant for, if you’re very popular because you’re an actress, (then) make the best of it while you’re young. He doesn’t stop me from doing what I like to do. Judging by the kind of negative publicity that I’ve got, the things that some people have written about me, if he wanted me to stop acting I would have stopped a long time ago, a long time ago… He believes in me. He has faith in me and he knows that I will go places if I work hard at what I’m doing. And he’s not one to stop your dreams or put a stop to your career because he feels or she’s my wife, she can’t be seen doing things like that. He wants me to really really be big and he encourages me, he helps me. So he has never told me to quit acting.

QUESTIONS.: How does the acting part of you facilitate the musical part of you?


STELLA.: When it comes to music, my husband is more popular than I am. He’s the one that people know as a musician. He’s the one that they know as a family of music people because of his sister and the others. So his fame gets more job for us when it comes to the music aspect than my fame, because – don’t forget a lot of people still don’t know that I am a singer. It’s just recently that we released one of our videos that people got to know. So they know him as the musician. But when they see me performing with him, they say aha, that actress o, she sings.

QUESTIONS.: A couple of questions from the members of my website, Naijarules.com: you’re a mother and working lady. How do you manage to remain so good looking?

STELLA.: I don’t know, really. It’s God. I don’t have any special routine and I’m not a designer freak. I probably don’t know the names of these facial or body things… I think I stay trim because I work round the clock. If I’m not shooting a movie, I’m going to school or I’m running Synergy or I’m running my African shop. I sell African things. I’m doing one thing or the other every given time. Whatever comes with it, I believe its God because I know I have good skin and I don’t do anything special to maintain anything. I just try to be very clean. I try to wash my face all the time. The products that I use are basically the Ginseng products and Vaseline. I don’t have any funny thing that I do in the morning. I’m sorry, I might not be of help on that because I think its all God.

QUESTIONS.: Another question from the website: Rattlesnake 4, is it going to be released anytime soon? And are you still in it?

STELLA.: I’m still in the part 4, yes. But I don’t know when they’re going to release it. I have no idea. Amaka Igwe will be able to answer that question. I shot a lot of things and it is not all of them that came out in the part 3, so I’m thinking that they’re going to put all that in a part 4.

QUESTIONS.: Okay. Can you tell us about your African shop?

STELLA.: Yes, Monafrique. I like to make things. I like to create things and design things. And I’m also someone that I don’t know how to buy gold or silver or diamond or things like that, but I like a lot of beads and I like African fabrics, so I just started traveling to Cotonou, Ghana, Lome, and I just buy fabrics from all these African countries, come back and design things – bags, table clothes, earrings, moccasins – you know things like that. But I found out that when I started wearing them, a lot of people liked them and they would come to me: How did you get this? And I’m like I made it. And they say instead of buying all these boutique clothes that they tell you buy one for 15 – 20,000 Naira, why don’t you make something simple for me, something nice, and make an African handbag that will go with the fabric. And I started making it for some of my friends. Before I knew it, a lot of orders started coming in and things like that. As I am now, I don’t even know how to satisfy all my customers because so many people have been calling me and I don’t know how many I can make at a time.

QUESTIONS.: You’re having a very busy life. What’s a typical day like?

STELLA.: Frankly speaking, I don’t have a typical day. I know that from the time I wake up in the morning till about 10-11, I must make sure that in that space of time, I try to see my kids for at least one hour. The rest of the time, I’m either shooting a movie, I’m at the office working for Synergy or I’m designing one thing or the other for clients of Monafrique or I’m doing a write up for something I want to send on the ‘Net, because there are some people that sent me mail from London and tell me I want you to write this for this magazine or things like that… I work on my computer. I’m always busy. I always have one thing to do. And it’s not just about the money. I think I’m a very restless person. I can’t stay in one place a long time and I always want to do something to keep my mind working and keep busy. I buy a lot of books… I don’t have a routine life. I’m a very spontaneous person. I can wake up and say okay, I’m going to Ghana to buy fabrics.

QUESTIONS.: The movie industry in Nigeria is growing and that is a good thing. But from all you have said so far, one can tell that if anything happens to the movie industry, you have so many other options, so many things you can do…

STELLA.: You can say that because I have a thousand and one other things that I do on the side, but believe me, if you asked me, deep down inside, I would tell you that the one that I really really really think I love most is the acting and that’s the movie industry. I really wouldn’t want anything to happen to it and I doubt if anything is going to happen to it cos I want to be part of it. Really really grow big and go international, you know… If you asked me to choose between acting and everything that I do, I probably will choose acting, although acting is the one that doesn’t guarantee a steady income per se. But it’s the one that I love most. At the same time, I get regular income from the other things that I do, more than the acting thing. The movie industry is very peculiar and I don’t like to slot myself in every movie, so I try to do one in like two months so people don’t get tired of seeing my face on every poster. So when I do that, you know the income is not going to be as regular as the next person who does movie after movie after movie.

QUESTIONS.: What does the future hold for STELLA the actress and STELLA the singer?

STELLA.: STELLA the actress and STELLA the singer is really going to be big by the grace of God. I want to be a source of inspiration to everybody. I want to come to London and say I want to do a show and people will say Oh God, STELLA is having a show, I must see the show. It’s not just about popularity. I want to be able to affect the life of people positively. I want to be able to affect the life of the youth. I still see me being someone who is looked up to, someone who does things just to better the community, the society and things like that. Of course I want to be rich. Believe me, I want to be rich. If not for my sake, at least for my children. I just want to go all over the world. I want to be remembered as that person who was really really really good. I just want to be a good person.

QUESTIONS.: When you say you want to be rich, what is your definition of wealth? How much is rich?

STELLA.: I can’t tell you in numbers, but I know that wealth to me is being able to afford anything that I want. I’m not naturally a materialistic person. I’m not flashy, I’m not extravagant or anything. I’m very simple. Rich to me means I can sit down and a thousand and one people can come to me and say we need to pay school fees, I need this, I need that… I want to be able to say oh, take money. Do whatever you want with it as long as it makes you happy. I want to be able to take care of my parents. I want to be able to take care of my cousins. I want to be able to spoil my kids. I want to be able to tell my husband happy birthday and give him the key to a car that he has been dreaming about or talking about, you know? Things like that. I want to be able to surprise my sister and tell them I’m giving you – your husband and your children – an all expense paid trip to Hollywood or Disneyland or something. I just really want to make people happy. I like to be happy and I like people around me to be happy, that’s it.

QUESTIONS.: STELLA, I try to give every star I interview a chance to react to stories in the media or anything that’s been written or said about them that they feel is untrue and they want to give their own side of the story. Is there anything that has been written about you that you would like to react to?

STELLA.: I don’t really like to respond to such things because my life will definitely go on. People won’t think about me every day. I got tired or trying to defend myself. Like a few weeks ago, there was (a publication) that came out that said that on the 11th of December (2003), I was at the Bar Beach and I was making out with Richard Mofe-Danijo. And I thought that was so crazy because it was on the front page and they gave date and time. That date that they gave, my husband was with me at the beach. He was there with the driver and (lost in phone static). They needed to fly to Abuja and he called me and asked me where are you? And I’m like, I’m shooting at the beach o. Will you come? And he said no problem. And he came there. On that particular day, I was there with all our friends and I didn’t enter this particular car that they were talking about and you know there were a lot of people on set. You had the director, you had the cameraman, you had the technical crew, you had the other artistes on set. …Where was the town that we did whatever they said we did? My lawyer wrote them a letter demanding a retraction or we would take them to court and I just turned to the lawyer and said how many do you want to fight? After that one, other magazines picked up on it and started writing rubbish. And people just expected me to break down or cry or things like that. Eventually we got home and laughed over it because it was so crazy that the day they decided to pick was the same day that my husband was with me all through. People will always talk about. Be good. Be bad. They will still talk about you. And it looks like they need me to sell their magazine, well fine, if they think that I’m that important. All I just say is that I’m glad that the people that matter most to me know who I am and they’re always supportive, they’re always behind me. Things will come, temptation will come, the devil will try to use people to bring you down and destroy you. If you’re a child of God, as long as your conscience is clear and you know that God sees all, just put everything in the hands of God. As long as your husband needs you and knows that whatever it is, you’re in it together, and he supports you, I don’t need any other person to vouch for me or anything. Because it will continue, not matter what I do or what I say or how many court sessions I go for. They will still write whatever they want to write. You can’t kill them and you can’t stop them. I think it will be easier moving on.

And believe me, since that publication came out, I’ve been twice a popular as I ever was. Nowadays, people are coming to me wit scripts, with jobs… I’ve had people from London telling me they want me to be their representative, they want me to provide local programs for them. I’ve had people telling me I want you to be my editor in chief, I want to start an entertainment magazine. You know people said they read about this thing and everybody wanted to know who STELLA was. And when they met me, its like ok I want to do something with you actively. So it actually opened doors for me that I didn’t expect. So I’m like okay God, if this is the way this has turned out, I’m grateful.


 MORE INTERVIEWS
You mentioned sometime ago that you don’t  brand every product that comes your way.  What’s the reason for the rejection?
 There are certain things I don’t like to talk about. But the truth is, I only look out for things that will benefit me in the long run. And one of the things that puts me off from some of these contracts is the  attachment of a time frame.
For instance, a one year,  two year deal is unacceptable to me.
I have been discussing for the past two months with the management of AM Victorious. We have spelt out terms and conditions for this deal.
My lawyer as well as my manager who is currently in America looked at the project thoroughly and we found out that it’s beneficial to both parties.
In terms of agreement  and duration of the contract,  its okay. So many other brands have approached me in the past but because of the unfavourable terms and conditions, I turned my back on such deals.
I don’t want to start a journey that will end in two years. It takes a longer period to make impact on something. Moreover, it’s not easy to represent a brand and help that  brand become a market leader.
What  I agreed with the company is that instead of making it a duration thing, let us make it a life-long business plan. My business plan is to make money and also get myself involved in something that will be beneficial to me. So, this deal is beneficial to me as well as it is beneficial to AmVictorious. We are not into this deal based on  duration. I’m also building a relationship that will last in my lifetime and also allow my children   benefit from it.
That’s the reason I accepted the deal, and why I haven’t accepted other contracts that came my way in the past.  The fact that the Amvictorious is giving me an opportunity to do business with them that can last for a lifetime is a factor.
How do you feel about becoming the brand ambassador of Amvictorious?
I’m excited and I looked forward to it.
I actually flew into Lagos from Abuja to seal the deal. It’s very important that finally, I have seen it come to pass. This is the first time I would be signing a contract of this nature before the media;  to publicly identify with a product.
I’m humbled knowing that there are a million and one other celebrities out there, who are more popular than I am; celebrities who are doing bigger and greater things internationally than I am.
So for the company to chose me over these celebrities not just as a Nigerian but for the whole of Africa, means that I should continue  doing the positive things that I have been doing.
I’m honoured that Amvictorious singled me out to be part of this project. For me, it’s God’s blessing because I have been praying for something that I can be proud of. And today, my dream has come true. I’m very excited.
Stella Damasus is into acting, music and fashion. What are you doing at the moment?
I’m involved in a lot of things. I’ve just finished the final audition for my foundation: Stella Damasus Art Foundation where I am offering a three-month training for talented young Nigerians free of charge in the areas of acting and singing.
I’ve also just finished auditioning applicants for the second session. I did the first session last year, and I have graduated some people.  I also have a new company, which is based in Abuja. We are doing a lot of things ranging from organising seminars to producing movies.
We organised a seminar in Cameroon recently , and after the seminar, we decided to make a movie for the people to see how quality movies are done. We are currently editing the movie titled: “The Unspoken”. It will be out very soon.
I am also doing a documentary now, which is very dear to my heart. And when it commences I will let the press know about it. My new deal with Amvictorious took a lot of my time . We had series of  meetings and consultations. The company is planning to set up a branch in Abuja. All these things took a lot of my time.
At the moment, I’m a columnist with PM News. I make sure that I write my column every Wednesday in PM News.
I’m trying to be the best I can be in whatever that I’m doing.
For sometimes now, your have not been regular on screen. What happened?
I’ve done three movies that are yet to hit the market. I did “Behind Close Doors” Part 3 and 4”. I shot the movie about three years ago.
I don’t know why it has not been released into the market up till now.  I also did “Bent Arrows” a  Lancelot Imasuen production which is yet to be released too. And recently, I did “Two Bride and a Baby” by Blessing Effiong,”. The premiere has been done at the cinemas.
The most important thing is not about flooding my face in movies that would make me a better person. Within this period, I went back to school to study acting in the UK. In fact, I’m actually going back there very soon.
I want to improve on my acting skill and my diction. I must continue to avail myself of the opportunity of being retrained.
Recently too my production company did a 13 episode TV Show called “Changing Life”, showing on AIT, OSTV, UK and Ghana. Soon we will begin airing it in Canada.
Right now, I’ll soon start shooting the second season of the show as well.
When you have all these projects in front of you, I need time to sort out  my life, business and my children.
My first daughter is going to be thirteen, in August, while my second daughter will be ten too. I  need time to stay with my children. I want to be part of their growing up.
I take out  a few months in a year, do the things I need to do, and go back to tender my children. I try not to expose them to the public, until they have come of age and decide what to do with their lives. Whether they want to become stars like their mum, is left to them. Paying attentions to my kids is very important to me. That is why I’m not so particular about featuring in movies nowadays.
All these projects in your hands suggests that your music career is suffering?
Not really. My music is not suffering. I’m not a recording artiste, but I own a band and I still do my live performances. I don’t go to night clubs to perform, instead I perform at weddings, product launching, naming ceremonies and all that. You might not see me on screen doing music, because I’m concentrating on my band now.
For the past one year, I have been working on my own songs, trying to arrange them well because after over 15 years in the industry, my fans are expecting something good from me.
I have to be careful not to come out with something that will not meet their  expectations. And before the end of the year and by God’s grace I will drop two singles.
When you look back today, what would you say may have gone either wrong or right in your acting career?
I don’t ever regret anything that I have done or gone through. They are all part of my working experiences. I like the pace at which my career have gone.  And if after 17 years of being in an industry and  I’m still so relevant that people still believe in me and want me to endorse their products, then, it means that God dictates my pace.  I can’t run faster than my legs can take me. Since I surrendered myself and my career to God, He’s been able to order my steps. I’m not allowed to be everywhere. I’m only at places where I have to be attended to. I don’t have any regret at all. I’m happy the way my career has turned out. I’m happy with the pace with which I’m going.
Over the years, how have you been able to cope with the temptations and criticisms associated with acting ?
If you have asked me this question ten years ago, I would have answered it. But  after more than 17 years in the industry, I don’t bother anymore.
They call me old layer now, since I’m not among the hottest and freshest actresses around. They have those they run after now.
I’ve been able to carry myself in the industry in such a way that God has been providing for me and my children.
So, I don’t succumb to male’s  advances because of money or fame. The small fame that God has given to me, I’m contented with it.
How is your present love life?
I love Jesus. I’m in love with Jesus and He loves me so, more than anything else  in this  world. I’m  happy.
Would you say, you have been unlucky in marriage?
I don’t know,  God has an answer to the question. But I’m loving my life right now, and I love the way things have turned out for me.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Presenting Nollywood Actress Chinyere Wilfred




You have been in the industry for more than 15 years. But of recent, your face hasn’t been regular in movies. Have you left the industry to younger ones? There is no way I will leave the industry for the younger ones. Old soldier no dey die. Actually, I have not been around. I have been out of the country and I spent so much time abroad. I just came back, and since then I have been on location. My fans have been calling me. I had something doing in London, I just rounded it up.
You look like a correct chic, compared with the elderly woman you play in the movies. Not many would believe you are really chic
Well, that has to do with the scripts that come my way. Some of our producers here are fond of typecasting. If they give you a particular role and you do it well, every other script that comes your way would be like that.
Are you okay with playing stereotyped roles? You seem to play the role of a bad woman more often.
Some other people think that I play the cry cry woman more than any other role. I am here and there. My scripts are always mixed up. But I think I play the emotional woman more. The bad woman role comes once in a while. I like it when I get those parts, so that I can show the other side of me.
So you are versatile...
Yes I am. The latest movie, which will come out soon, is very different from what I used to do. It is entirely another character.
With your looks, how come you have not played the part of a high class chic?
I have, but very few times. In Government House, I played such a part. It is just that I am not really known for that. In my movies that will come out soon, I played such roles.
You are a producer as well
I just produced one movie, and I am about producing another.

Why go into movie production? Are you not satisfied with being an actress?
I am. But I have to expand my coast. I want to do other things as well. If an opportunity comes for me to produce, I will grab it. That was what happened. I needed to see how challenging it was. I needed to see the difference between producing and acting.

How has your experience been in the industry?
It has been wonderful.

Have you ever thought of leaving the profession for any other thing?
I have never felt like quitting. This is what I enjoy doing. From childhood, I have always wanted to be an actress. When I was in school, I was in the Dramatic Society. I have always been a part of this industry.

How did you get into Nollywood?
I started years back in the days of soaps like Ripples. I went to NTA (Nigerian Television Authority) and I met Zeb Ejiro there. He invited me to come over for audition. I did well and I was given a role to play in Ripples.

When Nollywood came on board, I was going for auditions as well. Taboo was my first movie. Then I featured in Circle of Doom.
Did you hit the limelight instantly?
Yes. Taboo was my breaking point. It was a sell-out. From there, I started getting jobs.

Obviously, you no longer go for auditions
No, no, no. Audition ke? Not at all. Those days are long gone. Producers just call you and send the script to you; if you feel you like the character given to you, then you go ahead and take the job.

We hear that for you to get jobs, you have to belong to a clique
I don’t believe in all that. Which clique do I belong to? I don’t belong to any clique, but I am working. I don’t know why people say this. I don’t agree with that misconception at all. I don,t buy that idea.

Do you beg for roles?
Why would I beg for roles? I don’t beg for roles! Whoever needs me calls me. Listen, I have paid my dues in this industry. I went for auditions many times. I was just climbing up, till I reached this height. I didn’t beg for it when I was coming up. Is it now that I will beg for it?

Who do you see as a rival in the industry?
I don’t have a rival. The industry is big enough. We have many marketers and producers. We have a lot of artistes and directors. There is no need for you to compete with anybody. There is space for anybody who comes in tomorrow. There are a lot of jobs.

Have you ever done a movie you regret doing?
No. You don’t have to regret a role you played. You were given the script in the first place. It was your choice to do the movie, so you don’t have to regret it. I have never regretted any movie I did.

How do you cope with fame?
I am used to it. People see me and admire me and all that. It has become part of us.

So it does not get to your head
No way. Do I look like somebody with that kind of attitude? This is my job. I see it as a profession, so there is no reason why it should get to my head. I have been in this industry for more than 15 years. If it didn’t get to my head in all that time, I don’t think it will get to my head now. I just go there, do my job, get my money and then I go.

You sound as if you are very satisfied with your job.
I am very satisfied. If I weren’t, I would have left it since. The reason I have been in the industry all these years is because I am satisfied. I am very much fulfilled.

If you weren’t an actress, what do you think you would have been?
I don’t think I would have been any other thing. I just love acting. I can’t even imagine doing any other thing. This is a job I like doing.

But how come you didn’t study Theatre Arts in the university?
I had Theatre Arts as one of the elective courses. It wasn’t as if I didn’t have an idea of what the course is all about. However, acting comes natural to me. I thank God for the gift.

So your family was okay with their daughter venturing into the make-believe world?
The kind of parents I have allowed you to do whatever you wanted to do. I have a very strict father. If he felt acting was bad, he wouldn’t have allowed me to get into it. Then again, I was playing decent character, so they were happy with me.

Are you what you act?
There is a difference between what you see in real life and what you see in the movies. As I am talking to you, this is me. You even observed I don’t look this chic in movies. As long as it is acting, it is not me.

How have you been coping with male admirers?
Immediately I did my first movie, I got married. That was in 1993. Since then, I have been with my lovely husband and my kids. He is my pillar. From time, the admirers knew I was married, so I didn’t have to cope with them.

So you didn’t have the opportunity of being rushed by the guys.
Yes, that is true. I got married as I hit limelight.

Your husband wanted to marry a star.
I knew him before I went into the movies. We courted for nine years. We were really together before we finally got married. It wasn’t as if he wanted to marry a star. I had only done one job before we tied the knots.

I would say he even grabbed me fast before I became a star. He married me when I was still coming up.
As a married woman with kids, how do you manage leaving your home and staying on location for days or weeks?
It has not been easy, but I thank God. I will always be grateful to my husband. He supports me a lot. Then again, my mum is always there for me. She helps me out most times. My dad has been wonderful as well. Each time I have a job to do, I don’t have fears because my house will always be in order. Now, I don’t even complain because my boys are all grown up.
Would you allow any of them to become an actor?
Why not? If my parents had stopped me from acting, where would I have been today? There wouldn’t have been this Chinyere Wilfred that you know. I think it is proper for parents to allow their kids to follow their dream.

When you are on location, do you fear that your beloved husband could be out there chasing other babes?
Na today? Lailai. It is impossible, not with the kind of husband I have. I know the man I married. I am not saying this because this is an interview. My husband is a very different person. He is used to my job. In those early days, he used to follow me to locations. At times, he would waits for me in the car so as to bring me back home.

There was a day we finished shooting by 1am and we were not lodged in any hotel, my husband was with me that day. He couldn’t believe it. He said, Oh mummy, is this what you see? I was happy that he was there watching us. So he now knows that it is not easy to be an actress. Whenever I come back, he asks me how the day went.
But is he comfortable with you playing love scenes?
How many love scenes have I played, come to think of it? But he understands my job. At times, he would even tell me that I didn’t play the love scene very well and he would yab me. He doesn’t mind what I do at all.

If he doesn’t complain about that, does he complain about scandals that come with your job?
It depends. It is not as if he complains about anything. It really depends on the scandal.

There was a time you were in the news.
Yes. But I tell you that my husband was with me all the way. He is one out of a million.

Was the scandal a figment of people’s imagination or were there pictures of you naked?
I don’t really want to talk about this. It has been a while and I would want everything to die. When a story comes up, people don’t really bother to find out the truth. They go to press without any information.

That is why I am asking you to tell me your own side of the story
It gets me angry each time I think of that incident. I don’t want to talk about it at all.

But did you fight with an actress over a guy?
What? I have never! How can? I have never gone physical with anybody. Please, this is not a story to talk about. I don’t know why this keeps coming up in any interview I grant

But the story must come up.
I know. I still don’t want to talk about it. What has happened has happened. All I know is that the incident made me stronger. Now, let anybody come and blackmail me again. They will see another side of Chinyere Wilfred.

Let us talk about other things. This is a story that spoils my day and I am going for a contract negotiation somewhere. I don’t want my mood to be spoilt. All I know is that I am a stronger person.
Was it blackmail?
Yes. What else would you call it? Somebody used my picture to collect money from me. The only sad thing was that it came from a very close friend and colleague. But I have learnt my lessons. Now, I am careful calling anybody my friend. That time, I was just flowing. I was too open to a fault to the so-called friend. After that whole thing, I am very careful. Thank God I came out of that incident.

Did your husband believe in you that time?
I tell you, when that thing was happening, my husband bought me a new car. Scandal or no scandal, he does not care. He could not believe that my so-called best friend would connive to blackmail me. He used to warn me about her, but I never took his advice.

So you and this actress are no longer friends.
If it were you, would you still be friends with somebody who blackmailed you? If you see me with her, won’t you be angry with me?

bgg
Well, I see myself going higher. I have not started. When I start, you will know.

Do you think you can compete with any Hollywood actress?
Why not? You don’t need to blow your trumpet. But I know I am a good actress.

Any advice for up and coming actresses?
Follow your dream. Don’t force yourself to be an actress if you don’t have the talent. Have a focus. Don’t try to hit the limelight immediately. Start from the scratch. Go for auditions, and then the sky will be your starting point.

 

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Justus Esiri of Nollywood - The Older the Wine, the Better it Tastes


Justus Esiri, was born in November 1942 in Oria, Abraka, Delta State. He started his academic studies in 1948 at the Catholic School, Warri. He was at the Maximillan University, Munich, German, 1964, Prof. Weners Institute of Engineering, West Berlin, 1967 and the Ahrens School of Performing Arts, 1968. Esiri, detoured into motion picture production in 1968 as a staff of the Schiller Theater, Berlin, Germany, where he stayed till 1976. During the 1977 FESTAC held in Lagos, he choreographed the Modern Dress exhibition. From then onwards, the sky was indeed not the limit for Esiri. He was Production Manager for Dinner With The Devil. He worked as News translator and Newscaster with the Voice of Nigeria (German Service).

He has been a regular face through the stage, national television and of course Home video since the early 70s that he needs no real introduction. However, very few know the story of his life because he is not the kind who will readily give in to an interview that will talk about such. Some journalists dread his disciplinary disposition because he has no room for so called dullards who are not up on their feet. He gives audience to Home Video People and this is it. An explosive bang. Enjoy the story of his life.

“I am an urhobo man, come from an African aristocratic family. My forebears were educated. My great grand-father could speak English at least.
I went to Urohobo College and my principal was a very principled man who attended the world famous Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone and later to Dublin in Ireland. He later became a parliamentarian of the western region. Late Senator F.G. Ejaife. May his soul rest in peace. He was a great man, a man who allowed his students to believe in logic. We had a fantastic debating and dramatic society, we had a beautiful library which told you about every kind of things including costumes.
If you wanted costume of many years back, there were books in the library to equip you. In 1959-1961, my school came tops in the Festival of Arts and I was part of that troupe. In form four, I had already taken charge of the society. When the brief came that we would participate in the Festival, the principal called me and handed them over to me, so I was the one who put everything down. I had to make the script available to others and rehearse them. I had to go to the library to read up about the costumes required. We were well brought up in that school to be able to use our head. Maybe that was the talent that I wasted studying engineering. But God brought me back here.


Berlin
I went to Germany to study engineering so I lived in the West Berlin but I had several friends in the East of Berlin because there were fantastic theatres in the east, so I often went to see them. For instance, I watched Poggy and Bess in the East of Berlin where there was a lot done for culture and the arts. The issue of the wall was not there then, just the arts. It didn’t stop a foreigner who was a student from going to the east from the west. I did go there frequently. They had great actors and actresses and beautiful theatres. I enjoyed my stay. There was nothing like racism then. The Nazi regime had gone and the government was trying to make everything available for the people. I still visit Germany now and then. I still speak German.

In those days when I returned to Nigeria, I translated and read news in German in Voice of Nigeria, I presented my own programmes in VON in German, when the late Zeal Onyia was there. We were all in Voice of Nigeria, German Service. I also remember Bayo Martins, who was drummer in those days in Germany, a fantastic one at that. May his soul rest in peace. He was a fantastic guy and there are not many artistes like that these days. The Voice of Nigeria (VON) was a part time programme for me. When they heard I spoke German, they called me to translate the news and when you did that, you read it yourself. From there, I went to present a music programme for VON. It was fun. Really fun.

Return from Europe
In Berlin, I was the only Nigerian on stage about 1968/69 when I started. I can’t remember any other Nigerian on stage and TV in the whole of Germany at that time. There were some French speaking Africans. I returned to Nigeria because I was performing on stage one evening and I saw some men in Nigeriaagbada as part of the audience. Later, news came that these people wanted to see me. They told me about FESTAC and that the Federal Government needed Nigerian artistes in diaspora to return for the festival. I was impressed. I returned for FESTAC and since then, I have been here. We have tried to do our own thing. With the attendant publicity of FESTAC, we wanted to do our own productions and travel with it as travelling theatre the way Ogunde and his likes did it.
We thought we might create another opportunity to educate and enlighten our people. But one soon realised it could not be done because of the logistic problem of transportation. Theatres were not available at that time and not available up till now. I was working with young people and any time I wanted to travel, I had to take special permission from their parents and it had to be at weekends. It wasn’t very easy for me, so I decided to do some other things, yet not forgetting the call. If you have a talent, you must make use of that talent. The bible says with thy talent shall thou feed. We have tried to use the talent to do one or two things. I am very impressed so far. We could still do more. But we haven’t used it effectively for our people. We are still there and find every other day a challenge.

Village Headmaster
Before I featured in that programme, I never liked Village Headmaster because of the pidgin English. It was already in Lagos. One day I was at home when someone came to tell me that I should come for an audition for Village Headmaster because according to him, they had tried a lot of people and decided I should come. At the National Theatre on that day, everyone was seated and they said they were going on location by the weekend. I had never seen the script before then, so I took it home and read it through. The location was in Badagry. On that day, everyone including Late Elsie Olusola, Kabiyesi Funsho Adeolu, Joe Layode, Ibidun Allison, Kabiyesi, Wole Amele, everybody sat down watching because I had not worked with them before. To my surprise, by the time I finished that sequence, they were all clapping.

When I am on set, I am a very deep person because of the belief that words have life and must be given life. People appreciated the way I handled Village Headmaster. Then Supple Blues which was a different thing entirely. Then Things Fall Apart. There was a time I was three times weekly on network television. That is why I feel very bitter that of all the programmes I had done, those who took part in Samaja that came from the North of Nigeria, those who took part in Masquerade and those who took part in other Yoruba programmes were given National honours while I have featured in several plays and have not been recommended. I am not judging them, I just feel bitter. It would come when it would. One thing I am happy is that people appreciate what I have done. One day a car was chasing me around and almost bumped into me when the woman in the car peered out of the window to tell me she was sorry but she had told her driver to chase me so she could tell me something and that is that you ‘make acting look like real life’.

My day was made. There are so many things one could do with this talent for the benefit of our country. But when you write a proposal, they sit on them or give them to their cronies to do or they ask you why you should make money when you already have fame. What is wrong in making money when you have fame? Actors are not properly paid. Maybe some of them are now getting a better pay. I believe that some of those who are coming after us will get better pay. But the actors and actresses should be clapped for. Out of nothing we have made so much. There are no cinema houses where producers or executive producers should go and show their films. You finish making a film and put it into direct VCDs and some lazy persons dub these things and pirate them.

Older the wine

In the last AMAA 2006, I remember saying that there is a saying that the older the wine, the better it tastes. I don’t know why I said it but it just came. I also remember when I was on stage in Berlin, Germany and there was a misunderstanding between the man who was directing the stage play and the actor, a well known actor and this actor had gone against the direction of the director. He bluntly refused to do the director’s bidding. This director had said to him, you are not 40 years yet and the actor said yes. He said until you are 40, you won’t know what you are doing on stage if you have a director which means the older you get, the more you appreciate certain things that you do. Every movie that I take part in is a challenge. One appreciates these things and I just feel that you must keep yourself up to date. You must try. I have not gotten to the point I want to get to. Some people think that every one who wants to act must be handsome or beautiful. That is their own cup of tea. It is how you act and how you express yourself. If you can lift your audience from their seats into the box, you have got them. It is an art and you must learn this art. You must understand this art. You must just be there. I believe that some actors are born but they must work hard to be made.

Movies all the way
I don’t like talking about my movies and you want to move me to that area. I hardly watch my movies because I am very critical and if you work with the numerous directors we have worked with, you would come to understand that some of them are not very deep. In most cases, they just want to shoot people love Forever, The tyrant, Corridors of power. etc There are so many of them. I have not watched all of them. But I still need to be challenged.

Engineering as academic accident
I actually spent time in studying engineering. When I consider the course work and the practicals, I wonder. As a young man, one had ideas. One was fascinated by the things you see. When I got to Europe, and got to Germany and studied engineering. I did not practice this course for one day. That tells me that when God has a way for you, He opens it without you knowing it. I had gone to what one would call the bureau of employment where I had friends and the woman says there is a production company who were in need a black man who was good with the Dutch language. So she recommended me and kept the letter for me. I got a date to meet with the producer. And you won’t believe it, my audition was like a joke. It lasted for a week.

Someone would come and meet with me, chat with me over a cup of tea and leave. Another one would come and leave. These people turned out to be my production cast and crew. After the production was through, the leader of the entire thing said ‘Yustus’ (Justus) you are good. I like to recommend you to the school of performing arts. By the time I completed the studies, I was part of the travelling theatre travelling all over Europe. There is hardly a city in Germany where I did not perform. There is hardly a theatre in the entire Germany I had not performed. I was in Austria, Switzerland. That is what God wants me to do. That may be, is why I am still being sustained when some of my mates are out of the line.


Style
I love suits and I have several of them and I wear them as well. The fact is that you have not caught me wearing them my dear. I also love to dress as an Urhobo man. I have these types of caps that I wear when the occasion arises. The other day you saw me with my walking stick. I do not have that all the time. I dress very simple.
It is hot out there and you need air. When you see me wearing suits, you’d love me. I used to buy designer suits. When I was in Germany, I used to model for Selbach. I was one of the first people who wore denim in different patches of colours. My denim trousers used to match my briefs. Even my shoes were made directly for me. I just put my foot down and they measure it and make them for me. For perfumes, I love it and use them in different names but I won’t advertise for them by mentioning the names of my perfumes. I mentioned Selbach because they are not here.

I won’t tie wrapper on Monday or Tuesday. I will do that when I am going for an event that has to do with tradition. I will dress according to situation. I wear agbada if the occasion calls for that. But the bottom line is, I love to dress simple.

My children

God has been very nice to me. I have very disciplined children. Six of them. Five are already graduated. My last baby is going to the university. Three of my children are married and have given me grandchildren. One is a banker and a finance man. He is a chartered accountant, I have a daughter who is a accountant. I also have one who is an economist. Apart from these one of my sons is a dental surgeon while the other is a geologist. It is my son who is a dental surgeon that is into hip hop music (Dr. Sid) and he is doing well at it and I wish him the very best.

White wife?
I didn’t think was very necessary. Not that I didn’t have girl friends then. Marriage is when you get to that stage you get married. I knew where I was coming back to and some of the problems peculiar to us. If I had returned to Europe after my FESTAC experience, maybe I could have picked up a white wife, I don’t know. I didn’t want to run away from the situation. I decided to stay. I am married to Omiete and very happy with my wife, a wonderful woman from Kalabari land, Rivers state. At times I go out for weeks, ooh she has been wonderful. She has been a pillar of my home. I am just happy. You won’t believe it, she is a textile designer and does all my local wears. Whatever I wear that is not foreign is made by her. It is what I call Ormi’s Designs. She makes them for me. Selects them herself and sews them.

Leisure
I play golf, If you were not here now, I would have been at the golf course. I play anywhere but my club is Ikeja. When you play golf, you have no time for any other thing. It is the golf course and then your house. But it is very interesting to play golf really.






Dedicated to the memory of Teslim Olamilekan Suleiman (1992 - 2005) [Click Image to read about him]