The wonders of the movie industry in Nigeria has been on for some time now and will not stop any time soon, so when you see a lady like this on your street be careful not to jump in to conclusion. We know you might find this had to believe but this is actually Oma Nnadi, one of the highly respected actress in the industry hawking banana as she is intercepted by a customer in a jeep. This recording is actually a scene from her next movie titled Heart of a Father. The movie trailer is currently on youtube.
Omo Nnadi who currently owns a successful hair shop in Lekki posted this video on her instagram page with the caption #MyJobIsTheBest## guess it truly is...
Within few seconds of talking to
OmaNnadi, I knew that I was going to enjoy the conversation. She’s a hard working actress who has been blessed with a
plethora of great acting roles over the years.
Her work on the hit shows, “World of Lust”, “Delicate World and Nowadays” and “Illuminati”
have gained her a lot of respect in Nollywood, and by the looks of her resume
that hard work has paid off. Her quest for professional excellence took her to
the New York Film Academy, shortly after her youth service in 2008.
She returned to the country few
years later to re-launch her acting career, and since then, she has not looked
back. In this engaging interview, she talks in depth about her career.
How has the journey been so
far?
I have passed through a lot of
challenges since I returned from the New York Film Academy. But I thank God for
where I am today. Many people are appreciating my work today just as they have
started seeing the potentials in me. The training I got from the Film Academy
has started paying off. So, I am happy beyond words.
You talked about challenges.
What challenges?
When I returned from the New York
Film Academy, my colleagues and other Nollywood practitioners saw me as a green
horn. It took me so long to convince them that I was good at my craft.
But at a point, I started playing
one or two scenes in movies. Even after putting in about six years in the
industry, I thought that I should be able to get lead roles in movies. But
here, I needed to convince the producers that I have what it takes to be a good
role interpreter.
And after playing few scenes in
movies, they begin to see the stuff that I was made of. That was how I had my
breakthrough in the industry. But before then, it took me a lot of travelling
to, and from the eastern parts of the country, where I was going to work.
What
kind of roles have you played so far in movies?
One thing about me is that I can
fit into different roles. I can play the role of a teenager, a young girl, an
old woman as well as a lady. I have played different roles in movies. And I
think it’s one advantage I have over my contemporaries.
So, what
has changed about you since you returned to the industry?
A lot of things have changed
about me. Like my trainers would always say, the more practice the better you
become. The more jobs that I have done, the more experience I have gained in
the industry.
Nothing much has been heard about
you. Did you decide to maintain a low profile?
It’s not because I wanted to maintain a low profile. If you look at our
country, we are Africans and we have a culture. There are things that do not
agree with the way one is brought up.
Everything has to do with your
background. I was brought up in a way that I didn’t need to be loud or to seek attention. You have to let your work speak
for you. Genuinely, acting has always been my passion. I have always loved to
act. And I’m not into acting because I want to be famous.
No, I am into acting because I
have a strong passion for it. But the only disadvantage is that acting comes
with popularity, fame and loss of one’s
privacy.
Becoming famous is something that
denies one his or her rights of privacy. Naturally, I am a very private person.
I don’t like people to pork nose into my affairs. I like
keeping things to myself and I don’t
like to be in the public domain.
That way, things can work out for
me; People always believe that nothing works in the entertainment industry; no
husbands, single mothers, crashing of celebrity marriages everyday and other
negative things.
But all these things depend on
how you project yourself. That’s
why it looks as if I’m a bit quiet in the industry. I
can’t hide forever. But there are some things I still
believe should be private.
In the cause of finding
your feet in the industry, were you tempted to use money to induce producers in
order to get juicy roles in movies or ‘sleep’ your way to the top?
I don’t need to pay a producer in order to star in his movie. My work speaks
for me. Somehow, it’s the reason my growth in the
industry has been very slow.
It’s not false when you hear these stories that some actresses either sleep
or pay their way to the top. I believe that they way you climb the ladder of
fame, is the same way you would climb down from it.
But when you allow your works to
speak for you, you don’t
need to pay for anything. They would be the ones coming for you, and that’s what I am currently experiencing.
They are coming for me, not because I have paid
my way to the top. People are wondering how I was able to make it to the top.
They forget that I have been there for 12 years, struggling to have
my break in the industry. I
cannot sleep with a man because I want a favour from him. That’s not my style.
I have to be in love with you
before I can agree to sleep with you. My family members can attest to that. In
terms of money, why would anyone pay for a role? That’s something I will never subscribe to. There are some actresses
that did not tread that path, yet they are ontop of their gamestoday. I’m one of them.
Could you share one of your
worst experiences on a movie set?
It was one time I was casted for
a role and I showed up on set. The producer believed in my craft but when the
director saw me, he refused to go ahead with the production.
His argument was that I didn’t fit into the role. It actually dragged for hours
as he insisted that a fair-complexioned, flashy-looking lady should be casted
for the role.
I felt bad as I went into my car
and cried my eyes out. While all these things were happening, the producer was
not around. But the director kept calling her, insisting that I should be
dropped.
But the producer refused to
listen to his complain. At the end of the day, I was allowed to be part of the
production. The face-off really affected me.
Surprisingly, when the movie
finally came out, the producer was impressed that I did not disappoint her. The
director was short of words when he saw my performance in the film. It was an
experience I would never forget in my life.
What
part of you do you think is most attractive?
If it’s about exposing your boobs, I don’t indulge in such things. I like to cover up a lot. For instance, if I’m playing a role where I’m required to put on a bikini, I would prefer to get into the pool with
my towel before doing so.
I like to cover my body a lot. I
think every woman’s body should be preserved. Let
your man be the one that will see your nakedness and not the whole world. I am
old enough to take my decisions. But I have decided not to expose my body
indiscriminately.
Have you
thought of dating a Nollywood actor?
Nobody knows tomorrow. I will not
say, I cannot date a Nollywood actor. But I have not felt anything strong for
any Nollywood actor. So, if I have not felt anything strong for them now, when
will I do that? Honestly, I see them as my colleagues.
If
any of them propose to you, wouldn’t you accept him?
But most of them are married.
There are still bachelors
among them
I will never date or marry a man
that I am older than. I have never done that before now, and I will never do
it. That’s my slogan.
How
many times has your heart been broken by a guy you loved?
Only once.
What
happened?
I was naive and still growing up.
It got into me then, because I was very young. It happened that the guy I was
dating then, whom I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, was
married. Somebody broke the sad news to me that he actually travelled out of
the country to marry his girl friend who was based abroad.
When I heard the news because I
was enjoying the relationship, I broke down for nearly two years. Later, he
returned to me, attempting to lie. But I wouldn’t give him a second chance as I picked the broken pieces of my life and
moved on. That happened when I was in year one in the university. But I am
wiser now. I hardly give my all in a relationship again.
What
would you consider your weakness in a relationship?
I want my man to always be in
constant communication with me. If I am dating you and you don’t communicate frequently with me, it not only makes
me to feel bad, it equally makes me to withdraw from you. But some girls don’t care. May be, it is because I am not the kind of
lady that dates two men at the same time. So, if I’m dating a guy, I give my all in the relationship. I want a situation
where I can always pick up my phone and put a call to my man.
How close are you to tears
especially when someone you love hurts you?
It flows freely. If I’m hurt, I cry like a baby. And once I do that, it
goes away with the tears.
Don’t you have a crush on any Nollywood actor?
I don’t. This is because I don’t
allow myself to get too close to them. Except when I am on the same movie set
with most of them. After the production, we hardly relate again.
Have
you ever been carried away while playing a romantic scene?
Of course, I get carried away
sometimes if I am into a role. But I’m
this kind of person that once the director says cut, everything disappears from
my head.
In the process of playing a
romantic role, would you allow the actor you are paired with, to grab your
breasts, as required by the script?
I will not expose my boobs on
set, not to talk of allowing any actor to grab them. It has to do with my
dignity and pride as a woman.
Do you
cherish your boobs so much?
It’s not only my boobs. I also cherish every part of my body.
How are
you coping with acting and running your business outlet?
It hasn’t been easy but, I’m
trying my best. Recently, I expanded my business outlet. I own a hair shop
called “Sasha’s
Hair” where I deal on different types of hair products.
I started running my hair shop in
2008, then, it wasn’t a big shop. But I have always
loved hair extensions, and because of the passion I have for hair, I started
selling the product immediately after my youth service in 2008.
You know, I started acting while
I was in the university but had to put it on hold until after my graduation.
However, before returning to acting, I strive to set up a business that
sustained me for a while.
Nollywood actress OmaNnadi has got
alot going her way from all indications online, and the haters are right behind
her as they have reluctantly decided to talk trash about her looks... she
posted the above picture on instagram a few days back with the caption
"Beauty Beauty## some people have no knowledge of beauty## So far the
comments from blogs and forums have refused to stop coming...can't exactly
ascertain what prompted such a post, however I really think she is gorgeous.
See more pictures after the cut:
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