Nollywood actress, Grace Amah easily passed for the screen goddess of the early 2000s. She was featured in almost all the known TV and Nollywood movies until she disappeared a few years ago. Back and hot, the Ebonyi State-born actress and mother of one told Newton-Ray Ukwuoma in this interview about her journey off and back in the Nigerian movie industry and what has changed. Excerpts:
What was it like coming back into the industry after a long break?
Coming back into the industry wasn’t easy, but the good thing is that we are playing different roles and interpreting roles differently. My fans were excited to have me back. That is a good thing and a plus for me. It’s a good thing we have new acts, I was also a new act at the time I came into the industry. I had senior colleagues; I still have senior colleagues, so it’s a good thing. I am back for good and coming back again with something huge.
You used to play girlfriend and single girl roles, but most of your current roles are either those of a wife or mother. How does that make you feel?
When you play a character very well, they tend to want to see you in other movies like that, forgetting the fact that you are an actor and you are versatile. You can interpret any role. Nothing has changed in my height and size, the only thing I can say is that I am a mother now. May be that is the reason I play mother roles and they now see me as a more matured woman and I could play something different.
I was raped by a superior officer ― US Senator
Do you think the stereotype roles are not justified?
I don’t know, like I said, nothing has changed in my height and size except that I have added weight a little bit. The role I am playing in ‘It’s a Crazy World’ is a different role entirely. That is why I am finding it exciting to play it.
What is responsible for your agelessness?
To be honest, I don’t have any regimen, God has been awesome, I don’t do ‘this is what I do when I wake up’. I am not a makeup person. I tend to go natural as often as possible. When you see me outside when I am not shooting, I am just myself the way God created me except that I have clothes on. It’s just been God. People ask me this question a lot. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke .I stay away from things that will make me age.
How has it been being a single mother who acts? Does your child always come with you on set?
Coincidentally, my son joined me today because they are on mid-term break. I have a house help and my mum is also available. He stays with them when I am on set.
Would you love him to be an actor?
That will be dependent on him, it’s his choice. I have gotten several offers of having to make him act as my son. I wouldn’t want to force him into anything he won’t want to do. I don’t see him in that light anyway. Someone will definitely take after one, may be the children to come.
You said may be one of your children to come will take after you. When are they coming?
I have always been a low key person in terms of my relationship. I don’t put my relationship on social media. I don’t think it’s an ideal thing with the industry I find myself in. It’s better to stay out of it and be safe. For the wedding bells, I will send the invitation when the time comes.
What would you say about celebrities who put their personal lives on social media?
Funny enough, it’s their choice. Everybody is entitled to whatever he or she wants to do and especially my female folks really. I am not just the person that puts my life on social media. We are now in the age and time where everything you do has to be on social media to be able to either get endorsements or followers. It’s a good thing to put your work out there, but for me putting my relationship on social media is a no-no. My work can be on social media, but not my private life.
Being a single parent, what has it made you discover about yourself?
I have always been strong, but it made me a stronger person, it made me see life from a different point of view. Years back, I can throw caution to the wind, but today, I cannot do that. There are times I want to take some decisions, but when I think of the fact that I am now a mother and I have someone who is looking up to me, I tend to have a rethink on it. It has taught me a lot. It is still teaching me, I am still learning and putting in my best to be a better person.
Have you given up on love?
Why should I give up on love? You don’t particularly rule out things just because a particular step you took wasn’t the right one or didn’t favour you. I love to love and whatever has happened hasn’t taken love away from me. It has not, to be honest with you.
How long did it take you to come to this realisation that you won’t allow the experience you had hurt you?
Don’t let me go into details because whatever happened wasn’t like things went bad, the only thing is that we didn’t go to the altar. At the right time, what will play out will play out in terms of marriage.
What is that one thing you are most proud of about yourself?
The fact that I have a son – a handsome son!
What advice do you have for young talents coming into Nollywood?
I will say established Nollywood stars make fans desperate to be like them. I don’t want to mention names. But if you want to excel here don’t just follow what you see. The industry you looked forward to coming into is an industry of potential. When I got into the industry, my vision was to be a role model to the younger ones. I also got into the industry because I wanted to fend for myself and for my family.
Fast forward to this moment, there is a whole lot of competition within my colleagues, especially the actresses in the industry. But you must want to outshine yourself, not the other person. You must want to outshine your past. I attended auditions when I came into the industry. Sometimes, I wake up as early as 6am to go back home, to go do my house chores and then go back for the auditions proper. After 20 auditions, you don’t get to see your name.
When you look back at those days knowing God has smiled on you today, you don’t want to throw those years away. Some of us got into the industry on a platter of gold, may be you were just walking on the road side and someone puts you on a movie. Lo and behold, the movies sell well and you become a star. When they see that their senior colleagues are doing these things, they tend to want to go nude or do things in a bid to outshine others. Don’t do it.
The competition is so high and we need to cut it down because we are not encouraging our younger ones at all. We are making them not to see life as it should be, step by step, taking it one step at a time. They just want to come in and become stars overnight. That is what I can say about it. We need to help our up and coming actors; we are also guilty of it.
Can you tell us about your role in the series ‘It’s a Crazy World’?
I am playing the character Kemi, the second wife of Chief Don Chucks and It’s been fun so far .The script has a lot of content and quite interesting and has a lot of comic relief as well. It’s been sweet with the research I have put into the character, making me want to play it so well. The character I am playing is a Yoruba lady who goes all the way to get what she wants.
How has it been for you playing the role of a Yoruba lady?
I am not Yoruba, I am Igbo but I was born and brought up in Lagos. Like I said some days back, I am surprised I am flowing this much with Yoruba on set. It’s been good.
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