In this amazing feature for Ventures Africa (written by author Uzodinma Iweala), we get a look into Genevieve Nnaji‘s life like never before.
The Nollywood superstar talks about her
childhood and how that helped shape the woman she is today. She also
talks about her journey in Nollywood in the past almost twenty years and
how her new movie ‘Road To Yesterday‘ was her way of re-branding and making a comeback into the industry as an actress, a producer and a media entrepreneur.
Her company, The Entertainment Network (TEN) founded with BFF and business partner Chinny, is her way of giving back to the economy and helping the Nigerian movie industry grow beyond all measures.
Genevieve Nnaji has a game plan, and we love it!
See excerpts from the feature below.
On her childhood: I was
a tomboy. I had three brothers right behind me. My sisters were too
busy with themselves – you know how elder sisters are. I played football
on the street. I got into a fight with a neighbor of mine who was a boy
and I beat him up… I was six years old. We were mates and he was fat.
He definitely asked for it and he got it.
On her dad: My dad was
the kind of person you didn’t want to speak to you because you would
actually feel the disappointment that you are at that time. In fact he
had a way of – its not even pleading to your conscience – I think it’s a
silent threat to your conscience.
On how helping her mother sell things shaped her:
She traded, she sold stuff, she got her children to sell stuff for her
and we had to. We had no choice. We were living in her house. We cried.
She did things you needed to do at that time. Your friends are not doing
it. Why should you be the one to be doing it? You’re embarrassed about
it, but I’m grateful for that because I think if I wasn’t even given
that chance to be humble, I probably wouldn’t appreciate what I have
today and understand that it doesn’t make me better than the next
person. And [I] just know that everyone is equal and everyone is
entitled to love and respect.
On always being artistic:
I watched a lot of TV as a child, so I think I was pretty much screen
trained. Of course there was no Nigerian cinema then, so everything was
on TV. As a primary school student she excelled in the arts, painting
and even producing a comic book series that became very popular in her
school. I would have my classmates bombard me to write the next one
while they were reading.
On her first role in ‘Wanted’:
My role was to interview Regina Askia, a former beauty queen turned
actress who was a goddess at that time. That was major. I had to pull it
off as a pro and I did it, and the producers asked me if I had done it
before and I said no. They were amazed at my confidence—probably I had
some training in church or something— but I remember I enjoyed doing it.
On leaving school to pursue acting:
My dad didn’t find it funny. He wasn’t happy about it, but I kind of
reassured him that I would go back, that it wasn’t over. He was mostly
concerned about the amount of exposure film was going to bring me,
coming from a very conservative, almost prudish home of a Catholic Igbo
family.
On her first salary:
Even the kind of car I drive right now cannot give me that kind of joy
that my first ride gave me. I must have a minimum of my first salary in
my wallet — two thousand Naira. I can have more, but that’s the minimum.
It was my first salary. It’s dear to my heart. That was my welcome fee
into the world of entrepreneurship. It’s just there. I love it. I spent
more than that to get the two thousand though on transport faire, cause
by the time they tell you to go and come back so many times, you’ve
spent way more than that, but that was who I was. I worked for it. I
have to get paid for it. I’d probably squander every money that is
dashed to me, but the one I would sweat for, I don’t play with. I don’t
talk money because I want people to focus on work. Money is not good for
creative people. I don’t value myself materially. Take everything.
On how the storyline ‘Road to Yesterday’ came to be:
I’m someone who’s dark a lot of the time. I just wonder a lot. My mind
really travels a lot and I think during one of these mind journeys of
mine, I was wondering about the thin line between life and death and I
was thinking about something my mom had told me, stories in the family
and stories from random people about how their loved ones who have
passed, have appeared to them, right before they passed or the time
they’re passing.
On deciding to make the movie:
I made this film because I realize people grow and move on. Things
change in their life, but they don’t expect things to change in yours.
People don’t expect that you are human because you are a superstar. In
other words, you can’t grow, learn, and make mistakes. They don’t expect
those normal things from you. You are expected to know it all because
you are famous.
On her celebrity status:
I didn’t set out trying to be the next somebody, to be like this
person. I just set out to do something that I didn’t understand, but
something my heart wanted, something that comes out from within, and I
just wanted to be given the chance to let it out and express myself. I
am me, but I am also conscious of the fact that am being watched. I have
a responsibility not just to myself but to young people. I didn’t set
out to be anybody’s role model but you grow up, you grow into yourself
and become aware of how much impact you can have on the lives of other
people. I don’t take it for granted and I believe in setting an example.
That’s all I’m trying to do.
I’m not saying I’m a saint or I’m going to
be perfect. But I’ve learned that acknowledging my imperfections and my
mistakes has enabled me to become wiser and smarter in the choices I
make in my life. For me it’s all about being true to yourself. When you
do that you will never be a ‘wanna be’, you will be who you want to be.
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