The Mass Communication graduate has seen it all, but vowed never to throw in the towel. In this exclusive interview, the role interpreter talked about her rough journey to stardom. Enjoy it:
Give us an insight into your background
I am Onyinye Okafor. I was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, but hail from Imo State. I attended Queens Nursery/Primary School, Alagbado, Lagos, and then proceeded to Elonam Secondary School, Alagbado and later Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye where I bagged a degree in Mass Communication.
How did you venture into entertainment?
I used to sing and act in my Catholic church. I remember we had a small drama team and during Passion for Christ, I would act Mother Mary and the rest. I later featured in this strictly for youth show on AIT. And after some other little acting, I went for the Miss Galaxy pageant. Since then, I fell in love with the camera. In 2003, I registered as a member of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Lagos chapter. After this, I started going for auditions and later did two films, Day of Atonement and The Cornel. I later went to school and it has been like that.
Were you nervous on the first time you faced the camera?
I wasn’t nervous, but the person I was to act with gave me a tough time. She said I could not act. I cried and vowed never to act again. I don’t want to mention her name because she’s a top actress. I was crying and shaking seriously. Nonso Diobi, who was also on the set, called me and said, ‘calm down, you will be a very good actor’. I had this thing with stammering, and that time it was worse, I was so scared. The person I was acting with put me in a very uncomfortable situation, but all that is now history.
Can you recall the movie you did for the first time as a lead character?
It’s My Wife’s Wish, which I did with Ken Erics. What I like about the character? It was tears all through. A lot of people see me as being always angry in films; they don’t know I’m a very soft person. A lot of people think I’m a harsh, no-nonsense person, but I’m very soft actually. That movie brought out the other part of me. People didn’t know that I could cry for three hours non-stop.
How many movies have you featured in?
I’ve lost count. However, my top five movies are Retaliation, My Wife’s Wish, Sabina Makosa, Malaysian Money, and Bad Omen. Right now, I’m currently working on another movie, The Journey of Being a Man produced by Emeka and directed by Cabet Esosa.
What has acting denied you of?
Acting has denied me of my normal playtime. You can’t leave somebody’s job and go to a cousin’s wedding, or even go and have fun; you don’t have the time. Acting is a jealous job; you can’t combine it with something else. Acting is time-consuming.
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