Excessive attention from men don’t get to me —Toyin Alausa

With 20 years as an actress, Toyin Alausa continues to enjoy patronage from many movie producers and win the hearts of many movie lovers with her role interpretation. The mother of one, in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, speaks about her life, career and what to expect from her this year.

How hard has it been managing fame and keeping your head down?

In keeping my name intact, I thank God because no one is a saint. I trust my conscience and I don’t try to overdo things in order not to give room for scandals. I stay away from trouble and negativity. These have helped me to keep my name intact. I’m of the opinion that irrespective of whom or where one is, it is better to stay true to oneself. That’s what I’ve managed to do all these years. I’ve managed fame quite well. Every day I step out of my home, I meet fans at malls, parties, among other places. I’ve been able to leave a lasting impression on them. I don’t behave as if I’m special or a celebrity when I’m off the screen. I know I only have the opportunity to be an actress, so I don’t act like a demigod. Staying humble has helped me to manage fame.

You have been in the industry for a while, but it seems you are only getting much attention now. Why did it take a long time for you to be noticed?

When I tell people that I’ve been in the industry for 20 years, if not more, they find it hard to believe me but as soon as I tell them the people I’ve worked with and my experience, they keep quiet. For some years, I took a break from acting solely out of frustration, when the jobs were not coming as they should. I went into catering business. At that time, I did soap operas; one was Chico Ejiro’s Treasure where I was a major character. Others were Super Story, This Life and a couple of other movies in English including Beautiful Faces where I starred alongside Stephanie Okereke, Ini Edo, Oge Okoye, among others. At that time, it was as if the competition was so fierce that I was getting overlooked. After a two-year break, I had to start all over again. I got minor roles, sub-leads till I moved into the Yoruba movie industry. Omotara Johnson was my first job and that gave me a huge break. Since then, the story has been different.

Are you bothered about the misconceptions about your personality?

At times, it happens that people have some misconceptions about me. When such happens, I always say that I hope this person has another opportunity to correct the impression because I am human. A person could have encountered me on a bad day and I would have appeared as a snob and a difficult person. Although I could play a tough-looking character or be uptight, I am fun and lively. I try not to let these character prejudices get to me. I stay true to myself at all times and do things that make me happy.

What do you think has worked for you till this moment?

I believe that in life, when the time is right, everything becomes beautiful. I tell younger people around me that when you look at people like Iya Awero, Iya Rainbow, you will see that the job does not have an expiry date. You are as good as your last job. Just keep doing it whether you’ve made the break or not, as long as the jobs are coming and you’re doing it right. Someone I admire so much is Funke Akindele. She has been in the industry for years till she did Jenifa. Jenifa was the bomb and a turning point in her career. Today, Jenifa is a household name and a brand. So, you don’t know which job or role will eventually bring you into the A-list circle. I would then say that I have not got to the pinnacle of my career. I thank God for my career now and the people who have entrusted me with various roles knowing that I would deliver.

What about your colleagues in the industry and how you relate with them? What do you make of the fake love that seems to be the order of the day?

Something that has worked for me is that I leave every location I go to in peace. Even when I’m pushed to the wall or have issues unresolved, I try very hard to leave an open avenue for repair. I don’t burn the bridge completely. When I was feeling sidelined in the industry, I spoke with one of the stakeholders concerning it and the feedback he gave me was that my fee was high. If my fee was high and they know my quality, they want me to come with my costumes and play a major role and they don’t want to pay. He suggested that I should make a compromise. The call was worth it because I got projects consistently. The pay isn’t too good but consistency they say is the trademark of success. The fact that I am consistent will also help my brand.

As an actress and as a lady who catches the attention of men, how have you been coping with the attention?

It is a natural thing to get attention from men, either as an actress or as a single lady. I don’t let it get to my head. I always try to be as friendly as possible to those that are bold enough to approach me. Some people have formed the opinion that I’m difficult to relate with, but those that come close eventually realise that I’m easygoing and fun to be with. I accept friendship from people who are decent and who are going to respect me. If you approach me in a disrespectful way, I simply decline. I don’t feel any pressure to be associated with any man.

Does it bother you that actors in Yoruba movie industry are poorly paid?

The reason most of us stick out our necks instead of quitting is because of the passion we have for what we do. I have tried my hands on a lot of things but acting is my thing. It is what I’ve been doing since I was a kid. I can’t do office work. This is where I want to grow old. The fees may not be encouraging, especially because of the market factor, but I think things will get better with time. With time, we’ll also break into the international market because we are still testing the waters. The meagre budget affects the actors and actresses as a N500,000 budget won’t satisfy them not to mention the cast and the crew. We end up begging ourselves to act. Though it hurts as we all need to put food on our tables and earn something, a half-bread is always better than none. What we do is that we gather income and start up a business on one side while we act. A certain time would come that one would reject certain fees.

Rising to the top is one thing, staying relevant is another? What is your take on actresses and actors that fail to maintain their celebrity status for long?

Failing to maintain their celebrity status? I don’t know what I can attribute that to. What I can say is that if you start with a foundation of lies, it will surely crumble like a pack of cards. It is good to be true to yourself, to your fans. Don’t be black and say you are white. Those who would love you would love you, those who would hate you would do. They might love you later when they notice that you have improved and stayed consistent. Those that fell short of their celebrity status must have done something wrong somewhere. It is okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from your mistakes. We have a lot of people who were in the limelight years ago and they are no more there. Some have even left the industry and relocated. Marriage, child-bearing, family commitments are also factors which contribute to decline in celebrity status.

What are your plans for the new year?

While I would be involved in a lot of movies in the first quarter of the year, I will begin the shoot of my movie projects in March and April this year. I really can’t wait to share the story with my fans and friends in the media.

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