Angela Okorie is one of the beautiful stars that make Nollywood tick. In this exclusive interview with Isaac Olamikan she talks about how she started acting, role models, her mother’s warning that she should never bare her body in movies and other issues.
How was your first experience on the set of a movie?
It was awesome. I was actually into modeling before I came into Nollywood. I wasn’t like a novice when I came into the industry. Since I was already in the showbiz game, I didn’t find it difficult to navigate my way.
What kind of reception did the old hands in Nollywood gave you, how did they relate with you at that initial stage?
I was given a warm welcome. Sometimes when I don’t know what to do I walk up to them and ask them how to do it right. They would direct me.
They were very encouraging.
Which was your first movie and what was the role you played in it?
Sincerity was my first movie. It was produced in December 2009. It was directed by Ifeanyi Ogbonna and produced by Stanley Egbonini. It was shot in Lagos, with Chigozie Atoanya, Nonso Diobi, Yemi Blaq, Oge Okoye and some others on the set. It was a star-studded movie.
Were you not intimidated acting alongside such established acts?
No, I wasn’t. I don’t ever get intimidated by anybody.
What was your parents’ reaction when you told them that you wanted to be am actress?
When I came into the movie industry I was studying public administration at the Lagos State University (LASU). My parents, my mum particularly, because by then my dad was late, didn’t like it since she is a Christian. She didn’t like me exposing myself to the world and all such stuff. She knows I sing in the church choir. She wanted me to continue with that until I got married.
What was her reaction the first time she saw you on screen?
She was saying, “I hope all these things that these people are doing in the film you’re not doing them?” She wanted me to be doing more of Christian movies. Then I asked her, “Is it all the films that are shown on screen that are Christian movies?” She started laughing. Sometimes she would express anger with her countenance but I would just look away as if I did not notice her mood, with a strong resolve to keep on doing what I am doing. There is a saying that when you flog a
child with one hand you use the other hand to draw the child closer. That was what she did with me. She discovered that her complaints about my acting were not making me change. She had no choice than to start supporting me, although with a warning that I should not bare my body. ‘Don’t forget that you’re from a Christian home,’
she would always admonish me.
Looking back five years after you started acting, how has the journey been?
It has been beautiful and I have done over 100 movies.
Have you won any award?
I have been nominated for an award in the United States. I have even gone there to host an awards event.
How much of your course, public administration, have you been
applying in your Nollywood career?
Public administration has nothing to do with acting. But I am currently studying Theatre Arts at the University of Lagos. I am in my final year now.
How do your course mates relate with you considering your star status in Nollywood?
They just see me as a star who is one of them. There are a lot of other stars in my school. In fact, a lot of stars have graduated from my department just as many others are still there. The only thing is that they bug you with requests for pictures and autographs. They’re your fans. They made you so you have to attend to them whenever they seek for your audience.
Considering what obtained when you came into the movie industry and now, would you say there has been progress?
The industry is progressing because you’ll notice that the equipment
that was used to produce the movies those days are now outdated. We’re now more exposed in filmmaking.
Have you ever been embarrassed on set or in the street?
I remember one time when a woman accosted me in the street and she was shouting, ‘You’re the girl that played the role of a rude girl in that movie? Why were you rude?’ then, I said ‘madam, it is all make-believe. I am not ride in real life.’ She responded: ‘Ok, I understand.’ That has been the only ugly incident so far.
How do you characterise by playing an elderly woman or a young lady’s role?
It is transmission. If you’re an actor you have to do everything. You should be able to play the role of a bad girl or a good girl. You don’t have to be a one-way actor. Playing the role of an old woman, you have to put it in practice. You have to know how they behave to play such roles convincingly. For the uninitiated, acting is not easy, but for actors it is because that is what puts food on our table, so we have to take it seriously.
Could you describe the most challenging movie you’ve acted in and what was the challenge?
It was the movie in which I played the role of a vampire. The challenge was that I had to eat a live chicken. There was a part where the character I played was looking for blood to suck. She didn’t see blood to suck so she started looking for animals to get blood from them.
What movie was that?
It was Royal Vampire and Palace of Vampires.
Can you act nude in a movie?
I can never act nude.
What if you’re paid handsomely for such a role?
I will never act nude. You know we are Africans. To be precise, we are
Nigerians. We have culture. If acting nude in movies did not make me who I am today, why should I start doing that now? It doesn’t make any sense. People already like me the way I am. People already like what they see on
screen. How many nude films have you ever seen Genevieve Nnaji act
in? There are some roles you’ll act in a movie that will kill your career.
Who inspired you to start acting? The first is Genevieve, because I watched her on
TV for a long time. And Angelina Jolie, she is one Hollywood star I would want to act
with. She inspires me a lot. She is a great woman. She does everything. She is just too good. When it comes to acting, that girl is mad. She does every kind of stunt. She knows what the job is all about and she has passion for it. She loves doing challenging movies and I love doing them too.
Are you also a tomboy?
I am, in a very sexy way. When I was growing up, and even till now, I
had more of male friends than female friends. When a female has male
friends they teach her certain things. She learns a lot from them. When you’re with women you don’t really learn much from them.
Recently the media was awash with the report of your quarrel with
Prince Eke while you were in South Africa for a movie production. What really transpired between the two
of you?
The more I talk about it the more I make Prince Eke relevant because, as far as I am concerned, he is not relevant. It is my money that got
wasted, definitely; whatever you do in life and you think it’s gone it will catch up with you one day. It’s the law of Karma. The evil you do will live with you for the rest of your life. If you kill by the sword you shall die by the sword. That is what my Bible tells me. I have left him for God’s judgment. You know when God judges people it is terrible. Let us not talk about it.
Have you discussed with his wife, Muma G, considering that she is a showbiz personality too?
She called me before I left South Africa. She wanted to stop me from talking to the media about it. I told her that her husband threatened to shoot me when I found out he was the architect of the whole thing.
And the threat was on tape. I recorded it. I told him that I was going to tell the whole world who he is. He threatened that he was going to shoot me.
What have you learnt from the incident?
I have learnt never to trust people.
The post I will never act nude, no matter the fee – Angela Okorie appeared first on Daily Independent, Nigerian Newspaper.