Nollywood actress, Ebube Nwagbo, speaks with ’MODEBE AMECHI about her career
Why I don’t appear in movies any more
It is because I am involved in other
things. Film acting is part of show business. And it is not easy to do
business and still act in the movies. But I dedicate most of my time to
acting because it is my first love. I have been able to succeed in life
only through this platform. Although most of the movies I have appeared
in are yet to be released, some are currently making waves in the
market. My recent movies currently in the market include Yellow Sisi, Shakara Babe and Shades of Shame.
I may not be as active I used to be in the past, but I am still an
actress. I wanted to grow bigger and have something to fall back on in
the future. You know, nobody will act in films forever. But I’m still
very much in the game.
My stay in the USA
I didn’t stay in the USA for a long
time. I was trying to start a business and so I had to be there to
supervise even the tiniest detail. The kind of business I do demands a
lot of travelling. As I speak to you, I’m out of Nigeria. I have to
source products and keep up with demands from my customers. That is how
it is done. And we engage in large scale production. I had to devote
time to the business in order to ensure it came out well. I am happy I
did because starting a business is not a small thing. It requires a lot
of capital and if not well managed, you will lose your hard earned
investment.
Nollywood
Nollywood is a very big place. So there
is plenty of space for everybody. Nobody can take anybody’s place. We
are all different in what we do. Although there are many new entrants,
everybody is comfortable because it is a large industry.
Why I want to produce films
I intend to produce my own movie soon. I
am not going to do it because everybody else is doing it. I just want
to do it and at the right time. To produce a movie is not a big deal,
God has blessed me with the resources to do it. But for now, I am
concentrating on my business.
My kind of business
I own a hairline brand called Posh Hair.
It is for fashionistas who want to look good without having to spend a
fortune. We have different products for the upwardly mobile and average
Nigerian. We have the Posh Luxury, Posh Classic, Posh Panache, Posh Divo
and the newly-added Posh Glam. It’s all 100 percent human hair. We have
the Indian hair, European hair, Brazillian hair, Spanish hair.
Why I’m involved in the hair business
It is all about good looks. Show
business is about glamour and fashion. As a woman, you are not complete
without good hair. Every lady wants good hair. It is the trend now. I
love everything about fashion. So am doing what I love. Posh Hair is not
competing with any product. I am overwhelmed by the response from fans,
colleagues and customers. It’s doing very well commercially. What
stands us out is that we have something good for everybody at a very
good rate.
Dress sense
I just love to look good. It makes me
happy. I express myself with the way I look. I have to represent the
Ebube brand very well. So, I always have to be on point. My dad brought
out the fashionista in me. He always made sure I looked good even when I
was much younger. As a little girl, many people admired the way my
parents dressed me up. And I grew up with that.
How I became an actress
I attended an audition for a movie in
Onitsha and got the lead role. I am grateful to the Amaco Company that
gave me the opportunity to be what I am today and to my friend, Obi, who
told me about the audition. A big thanks to all the cast and crew of
that movie and the director, Ifeanyi Azodo. They believed in me and
encouraged me. I never believed I could do it. God has blessed me
through what I do, but everything has its limitation. My first movie, Arrested by Love with Jim Iyke and a host of others brought me into limelight.
Life as a celebrity
Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t a celebrity.
Most of the times, you are monitored by members of the public. Many
people are quick to judge you and they believe everything they hear or
read about you. They believe actresses are not nice people. You live
your life for the public. You have no privacy and your life becomes
public business. It is not fun all the time. I guess that is the price
you pay for being in the limelight. There is always a price tag.
My dream car
I drive a Hummer 3 and I’m also a lover of Toyota cars.
Scandals
Sometimes when I hear and read things
about me, I feel like going crazy. But I have learnt to always put on a
smile and take them with a pinch of salt. It is not easy for people to
appreciate you and admire what you do. Take for instance, the story of
how I went to church to pray and fast because of a man. I was born into a
very strict Christian home, those who know me can attest to this. So I
was brought up to go to church and do the things of God. I went to
church on a Sunday, like every other person, and offered to do something
for God. But some people blew it up into a silly story. It is a thing
of the past now and it has not stopped me from helping or giving to the
church or to the needy. That is the way I was brought up. I enjoy doing
it and I will never stop. I thank God for all the people who have stood
by me and believed in me, despite all the bad press I have endured.
My relationship with Kingsley of KC Presh
I have no regrets for not marrying
Kingsley. We are both happy people living our lives separately and we
are still very good friends. Even relationships that are not in the
public eye break up, let alone what we both had. It is the nature of our
jobs.
Marriage
I won’t tell you who I am dating at
present. As a young lady, marriage should be on my agenda. But it is not
top priority right now. I shall get married when I am ready for it.
Celebrity marriages
Nollywood is not synonymous with failed
marriages. It happens everywhere and nobody goes into marriage hoping to
break out of it. It’s not a good thing for a marriage to break up. But
we cannot dictate what happens in our lives. We do the best we can and
leave the rest to God. Marriage is a union of two different people with
different backgrounds. It is not easy at all. We just have to look up to
God for his guidance. I am not single because I am an actress. That is
not true. The fact that you an actress is no reason why a man should not
marry you. Acting is your job, just as other people have their own
jobs. Maybe the men who feel actresses don’t make good wives have a
complex, after all. Many colleagues of mine are married. It is all about
getting someone who will trust and believe in you, as well as
appreciate what you do.
Aspiration
I want to make my Posh Hair a household name like Michael Jackson’s music or Coca-Cola.
My embarrassing moments
I have been embarrassed by fans. The
latest one occurred when some hoodlums impersonating me on social media
collected money from innocent people and promised to deliver hair
products to them after asking them to pay money into a bank account that
is not mine. A lady walked up to me once and insulted me for receiving
money without delivering the goods to her. It took the intervention of
people around to calm her down. I had to explain to her that it wasn’t
me but some impostors out there trying to spoil my name. I looked into
the matter and acted swiftly. I reported the case to the police and gave
out the phone number and BlackBerry PIN for further investigation. It
has been taken care of and I have taken steps to put an end to it.
Friends in Nollywood
I do have friends in Nollywood, but I would rather not mention their names. My friends know themselves.
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