She may not be an A-list Actress but Nkem Ike definitely is not a
push over when it comes to the world of make-believe. Since she delved
into acting by chance in 2009, the Oji River, Enugu.
State-born Actress has been endearing herself to many people because of her acting prowress. In this interview, she speaks on a number of issues bothering on her career, private life and experiences
What has been happening to you in recent times?
I thank God for my career. The only thing that has been happening to me is that I have been working and I thank God for that.
How many movies have you done since the beginning of this year?
So far, I have done more than 10 movies. From January to March, I featured in six movies. I don’t want to exaggerate but I think I have done well over 10 movies.
How many of the movies are released into the market at the moment?
I think about five of them. Some of the movies are, The Rich Houseboy, My Selling Point and My Treasure
I am currently on the set of Church Affair. I am playing the role of Bianca, a village girl who believes she knows everything and can get anything she wants. There is this fake pastor that came to their village and she went ahead to seduce him because she believes she should be among the best in the village not knowing that the pastor is fake. Bianca got involved and later discovered that the pastor raped her kid sister and got her pregnant. The story is basically about some people in the village who feel they know it all and must always have their way.
Why did you choose to play the role?
They called me to play that role. I studied the script and because it was village setting, I decided to do something differently. It’s more like a comedy. I thought I could also try my hands in comedy.
What comes to your mind when you were given a script?
First and foremost, I considered the challenge that comes with the script. For instance, some time ago, I was asked to play the role of a Jamaican girl. I don’t know how to speak patois but I have to learn it. There is another job I did which will soon be released into the market. I played the role of a lawyer. The script was written by a lawyer who used a lot of legal terminologies in it. You have to be intelligent enough to understand what the script is all about. But I love challenging scripts.
What will make you not accept a script?
I will not accept a script if it is not challenging. Then, if it is not really teaching any moral because I believe people should watch and learn one or two things from a movie. The script should have a strong storyline but if it is shallow and meaningless, I don’t think I will accept the script.
Have you had any cause to reject a script before now?
I have done that a number of times especially when it has to do with the storyline.
What is your impression about Nollywood?
I think we are growing. People are comparing us to Hollywood which is well over 100 years and Nollywood is just 20, that means we are still babies. People need to give us some time because we are improving on a daily basis. My prayer is that government should begin to invest in the industry.Sometimes, you could see an actor jumping bike and living in penury. That is not good but if government should come to the rescue of the industry, definitely, we will live a comfortable life. What is missing today is funding.
How did it happen?
A member of my church asked me to accompany him to where he was scheduled to do a reading. It was Ebere Okaro’s job. Andy Amenechi was the director and when he saw me, he told me to act for him that I have the qualities of an actor. I was shy but I agreed. I was asked to seduce a guy, unfortunately, it was difficult for me because I have not done it before. I naturally do not believe a girl should seduce a guy. When I looked at the guy, I didn’t know what to say, I just said, ‘I love you’ and everybody started laughing. After the drama, I joined the cast to travel to Akwa Ibom State from Lagos to shoot the film. My first job was done in Akwa Ibom. It was fantastic. When I was leaving the set, I cried like a baby because I felt I was leaving a part of me behind.
What can you say you have learnt in the industry over the years?
I have learnt to be patient and being tolerant. It is not easy because youcome in contact with people from different backgrounds, beliefs working together. I have learnt to adapt. I have to learn to live with people even when you are not happy. Nothing comes your way if you are not hard working and wne you are far from your maker. Thank God I came from a Christian background. I know God before I came into the industry. You have to be hardworking, focused and determined to record a breakthrough in the industry.
Do you need to struggle to get to your desired destination?
It was not easy. I won’t say you will get to that level all of a sudden. I got my first job like that but I had to attend an audition before I got the second one. I went through a lot of stress, especially when I was attending auditions. Sometimes, you would hit the audition arena without any hope of being selected. If you eventually scale through that hurdle, you find yourself doing casting, you don’t even know if you will fit into the role or not. You also don’t know what you are going to face. It was a lot of stress but I thank God that He saw me through.
What has stardom robbed you of?
Without mincing words, stardom has robbed me of my private life. More so, some people have tried to misjudge me. People who refused to undrstand that you are also a human being. Somtimes, the fact that you are a star doesn’t mean that you don’t get angry. When you do, people will say you are over reacting. It’s part of the price of stardom.
What have you gained from fame?
Sometimes, you get unmerited favour from people because they know you. Most times, I go to the bank a bit late and they recognise me as actress and allow me into the banking hall. There was a day, I got to the airport very late. They had boarded but I was given a preferential treatment. Nigerians are loving people. They give their best to you. They want to reach out to you. Some people who don’t know you send you gifts.
What do you think of Ghana movie industry?
I think they are doing well. I have acted alongside Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson, Frank Artus, among others. They are nice people. I won my first award in Ghana in 2010, when I was six month old in the industry. I have not really worked in Ghana but I know they are also good.
How many movies have you featured in since 2009?
It should be more than 40 movies. Some of the movies include; Orlando the Terror, Beauties of the Night, Sexy Cult Ladies, World Richest Families, My Selling Point, The Rich House Boy, Onye ga-anum, Aso-Ebi Girls, My Treasue, Azonto Godess, The Sharp Guys, Jungle Mission, Campus Clash, The Bride Prize, Anger of a Prince, among many others.
So far, which has been the most challenging of all of them?
It was the one I played the role of a lawyer. I was brought into the job at the eleventh hour, and interpreting law terms was not an easy task for me. Maybe in future, I would study law. Another movie that challenged me most was Jungle Mission. We shot the movie in the bush in Igalla. We stayed in the bush close to 16 days, it was not funny at all because we saw snakes and dangerous animals. You want to sit on a stone, they will tell you it is forbidden, a woman cannot enter into a particular bush, you don’t have to walk with slippers.
What else do you do aside acting?
I have an NGO with my friend, it is called, Sound Mind. It is aimed at taking care of the less privileged kids. We visit orphanages and home of the elderly. Sometimes, we go to the handicapped children. We are trying to give back to the society.
How is your love life?
It is something I want to keep secret because some journalists are not doing justice to us . There are some things they write without considering how it affects other people’s relationship. I think sometimes, for you to have a lasting relationship, you keep it away from the world. I am just trying to have a private life.
You were recently rumoured to be dating a super Eagles striker, Nnamdi Odu-Amadi. Is it true?
Please, I don’t want to talk about it. It’s my private life. The person I’m dating knows I love him very much and I care much about him. It is not something I want to discuss. It’s not that I am hiding my relationship. It’s just that I want it to last. I just want to be happy. When I saw it on the blog, I said, God, let your will be done. I saw comments and people were accusing me of hiding it and all that. No. I am not hiding it. I am entitled to my private life. That I decided to keep my private life secret is not forbidden. It is not something that I should be crucified for. I think I want to keep it secret.
Are you dating him?
I can’t answer you but I have someone in my life.
Which part of your body do you cherish most?
I cherish every part of my body. I believe God took his time to create me
What turns you off in a man?
I detest dishonesty. Anybody that is not trustworthy can lie, cheat and do all sorts of things .
How many times have you been heartbroken?
I can’t really say if I have been heartbroken before but I think I have had terrible experiences in the past. But I thank God for healing me because if I still believe I was heartbroken. It means I won’t forgive the person. What I will say is that the experience was hurtful and nasty. I cannot remember how many times I have gone through emotional ordeal.
There is nothing really wrong about it but being able to suppress whatever you feel especially depression and believe that life must go on. If somebody does any nasty thing to me, I don’t dwell on it. I look for a way to move on because I like being happy. I have a free spirit. I don’t like it when I feel hurt. I don’t really remember hurtful things.
What kind of man would you want for a husband?
I want a God fearing person. If the person is God fearing, he will be able to take care of you and he will not hurt you. It takes the person that has the fear of God to desist from doing evil things. He must know God to do the right thing and realise that the woman he is going out with is somebody’s sister or daughter. Physical attribute should come later. The inner person should be the priority. I want an open minded man. When he is open, communication will be easy, you will know him well. I want somebody with the right spirit. Sometimes physical appearance can be deceitful. You can see a handsome tall man and the person is evil.Why settle for such things?
How do you relax?
I read novels. I watch movies. Sometimes, I hang out with my friends. I love being happy. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I try as much as I can to be positive.
source: www.vanguardngr.com
State-born Actress has been endearing herself to many people because of her acting prowress. In this interview, she speaks on a number of issues bothering on her career, private life and experiences
What has been happening to you in recent times?
*Nkem
How many movies have you done since the beginning of this year?
So far, I have done more than 10 movies. From January to March, I featured in six movies. I don’t want to exaggerate but I think I have done well over 10 movies.
How many of the movies are released into the market at the moment?
I think about five of them. Some of the movies are, The Rich Houseboy, My Selling Point and My Treasure
I am currently on the set of Church Affair. I am playing the role of Bianca, a village girl who believes she knows everything and can get anything she wants. There is this fake pastor that came to their village and she went ahead to seduce him because she believes she should be among the best in the village not knowing that the pastor is fake. Bianca got involved and later discovered that the pastor raped her kid sister and got her pregnant. The story is basically about some people in the village who feel they know it all and must always have their way.
Why did you choose to play the role?
They called me to play that role. I studied the script and because it was village setting, I decided to do something differently. It’s more like a comedy. I thought I could also try my hands in comedy.
What comes to your mind when you were given a script?
First and foremost, I considered the challenge that comes with the script. For instance, some time ago, I was asked to play the role of a Jamaican girl. I don’t know how to speak patois but I have to learn it. There is another job I did which will soon be released into the market. I played the role of a lawyer. The script was written by a lawyer who used a lot of legal terminologies in it. You have to be intelligent enough to understand what the script is all about. But I love challenging scripts.
What will make you not accept a script?
I will not accept a script if it is not challenging. Then, if it is not really teaching any moral because I believe people should watch and learn one or two things from a movie. The script should have a strong storyline but if it is shallow and meaningless, I don’t think I will accept the script.
Have you had any cause to reject a script before now?
I have done that a number of times especially when it has to do with the storyline.
What is your impression about Nollywood?
I think we are growing. People are comparing us to Hollywood which is well over 100 years and Nollywood is just 20, that means we are still babies. People need to give us some time because we are improving on a daily basis. My prayer is that government should begin to invest in the industry.Sometimes, you could see an actor jumping bike and living in penury. That is not good but if government should come to the rescue of the industry, definitely, we will live a comfortable life. What is missing today is funding.
How did it happen?
A member of my church asked me to accompany him to where he was scheduled to do a reading. It was Ebere Okaro’s job. Andy Amenechi was the director and when he saw me, he told me to act for him that I have the qualities of an actor. I was shy but I agreed. I was asked to seduce a guy, unfortunately, it was difficult for me because I have not done it before. I naturally do not believe a girl should seduce a guy. When I looked at the guy, I didn’t know what to say, I just said, ‘I love you’ and everybody started laughing. After the drama, I joined the cast to travel to Akwa Ibom State from Lagos to shoot the film. My first job was done in Akwa Ibom. It was fantastic. When I was leaving the set, I cried like a baby because I felt I was leaving a part of me behind.
What can you say you have learnt in the industry over the years?
I have learnt to be patient and being tolerant. It is not easy because youcome in contact with people from different backgrounds, beliefs working together. I have learnt to adapt. I have to learn to live with people even when you are not happy. Nothing comes your way if you are not hard working and wne you are far from your maker. Thank God I came from a Christian background. I know God before I came into the industry. You have to be hardworking, focused and determined to record a breakthrough in the industry.
Do you need to struggle to get to your desired destination?
It was not easy. I won’t say you will get to that level all of a sudden. I got my first job like that but I had to attend an audition before I got the second one. I went through a lot of stress, especially when I was attending auditions. Sometimes, you would hit the audition arena without any hope of being selected. If you eventually scale through that hurdle, you find yourself doing casting, you don’t even know if you will fit into the role or not. You also don’t know what you are going to face. It was a lot of stress but I thank God that He saw me through.
What has stardom robbed you of?
Without mincing words, stardom has robbed me of my private life. More so, some people have tried to misjudge me. People who refused to undrstand that you are also a human being. Somtimes, the fact that you are a star doesn’t mean that you don’t get angry. When you do, people will say you are over reacting. It’s part of the price of stardom.
What have you gained from fame?Sometimes, you get unmerited favour from people because they know you. Most times, I go to the bank a bit late and they recognise me as actress and allow me into the banking hall. There was a day, I got to the airport very late. They had boarded but I was given a preferential treatment. Nigerians are loving people. They give their best to you. They want to reach out to you. Some people who don’t know you send you gifts.
What do you think of Ghana movie industry?
I think they are doing well. I have acted alongside Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson, Frank Artus, among others. They are nice people. I won my first award in Ghana in 2010, when I was six month old in the industry. I have not really worked in Ghana but I know they are also good.
How many movies have you featured in since 2009?
It should be more than 40 movies. Some of the movies include; Orlando the Terror, Beauties of the Night, Sexy Cult Ladies, World Richest Families, My Selling Point, The Rich House Boy, Onye ga-anum, Aso-Ebi Girls, My Treasue, Azonto Godess, The Sharp Guys, Jungle Mission, Campus Clash, The Bride Prize, Anger of a Prince, among many others.
So far, which has been the most challenging of all of them?
It was the one I played the role of a lawyer. I was brought into the job at the eleventh hour, and interpreting law terms was not an easy task for me. Maybe in future, I would study law. Another movie that challenged me most was Jungle Mission. We shot the movie in the bush in Igalla. We stayed in the bush close to 16 days, it was not funny at all because we saw snakes and dangerous animals. You want to sit on a stone, they will tell you it is forbidden, a woman cannot enter into a particular bush, you don’t have to walk with slippers.
What else do you do aside acting?
I have an NGO with my friend, it is called, Sound Mind. It is aimed at taking care of the less privileged kids. We visit orphanages and home of the elderly. Sometimes, we go to the handicapped children. We are trying to give back to the society.
How is your love life?
It is something I want to keep secret because some journalists are not doing justice to us . There are some things they write without considering how it affects other people’s relationship. I think sometimes, for you to have a lasting relationship, you keep it away from the world. I am just trying to have a private life.
You were recently rumoured to be dating a super Eagles striker, Nnamdi Odu-Amadi. Is it true?
Please, I don’t want to talk about it. It’s my private life. The person I’m dating knows I love him very much and I care much about him. It is not something I want to discuss. It’s not that I am hiding my relationship. It’s just that I want it to last. I just want to be happy. When I saw it on the blog, I said, God, let your will be done. I saw comments and people were accusing me of hiding it and all that. No. I am not hiding it. I am entitled to my private life. That I decided to keep my private life secret is not forbidden. It is not something that I should be crucified for. I think I want to keep it secret.
Are you dating him?
I can’t answer you but I have someone in my life.
Which part of your body do you cherish most?
I cherish every part of my body. I believe God took his time to create me
What turns you off in a man?
I detest dishonesty. Anybody that is not trustworthy can lie, cheat and do all sorts of things .
How many times have you been heartbroken?
I can’t really say if I have been heartbroken before but I think I have had terrible experiences in the past. But I thank God for healing me because if I still believe I was heartbroken. It means I won’t forgive the person. What I will say is that the experience was hurtful and nasty. I cannot remember how many times I have gone through emotional ordeal.
There is nothing really wrong about it but being able to suppress whatever you feel especially depression and believe that life must go on. If somebody does any nasty thing to me, I don’t dwell on it. I look for a way to move on because I like being happy. I have a free spirit. I don’t like it when I feel hurt. I don’t really remember hurtful things.
What kind of man would you want for a husband?
I want a God fearing person. If the person is God fearing, he will be able to take care of you and he will not hurt you. It takes the person that has the fear of God to desist from doing evil things. He must know God to do the right thing and realise that the woman he is going out with is somebody’s sister or daughter. Physical attribute should come later. The inner person should be the priority. I want an open minded man. When he is open, communication will be easy, you will know him well. I want somebody with the right spirit. Sometimes physical appearance can be deceitful. You can see a handsome tall man and the person is evil.Why settle for such things?
How do you relax?
I read novels. I watch movies. Sometimes, I hang out with my friends. I love being happy. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I try as much as I can to be positive.
source: www.vanguardngr.com
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