I have mastered the art of handling male attention —Adunniade

For reasons known to her, popular actress and fashionista, Adunniade, always stays away from the media- She hardly grants interviews. This explains why she is granting her first major interview in recent times. Never much of a talker, the beautiful mother of two wouldn’t want to reveal much about her private life as she insisted that the interactive session should only dwell on her acting and fashion interests that have helped her to become the woman she is today. The fair-skinned diva speaks with SEGUN ADEBAYO on how she combines elegance, class, style and poise to communicate the true essence of her brand to the world.

You have come a long way in your career and you seem to want to keep pushing on. What’s the motivation for you?

It has been God.  God has been kind and timely in coming to my help.  So, every time I thought of giving up, I heard his gentle voice in my head, telling me He has my back.  This always renews the drive in me and keeps me going.  Also, the fact that I am a mother, taking care of two fastgrowing boys, is a serious motivation for me.  I brought them into this world; I need to provide for them, so, I have to keep going, regardless of distractions or temporary setbacks.

Coming this far would have come with its tons of issues and challenges that could have pressured you to give up. If there is one thing you have held on to, what would say it is?

Oh, I assure you, there have been many challenges but the thought that I have a great destiny ahead of me and the fact that I know there are quite a number of people that draw inspiration from me and my journey helps me to hold on.

To some, you are an actress; to others you are a woman with a great sense of fashion, which comes first for you?

I am a very fashionable person that happens to be an actress.  If I was not an actress, I’d still be fashionable.

You seem to have a stint with modelling as well, how have you been coping with this?

Modelling is actually an integral part of what I do.  I started modeling over 12 years ago, so it has become second nature to me.  I am a brand ambassador for a couple of companies and brands for whom I model. I also model for a couple of fashion brands that require a combination of elegance, class, stlye and poise to communicate the essence of their brands to the consumers. It is what I enjoy doing, so I don’t have a problem with it.  In fact, a few of my friends joke that I am happiest when I am in front of a camera.

Some people say producers love to cast you because you are fair-skinned and beautiful, does it really get into your head that you are charming?

Let me quickly address the first part of your question.  Contrary to the popular belief, the fact that I am “light-skinned” has not necessarily been a blessing in getting acting roles for me.  In fact, I have been dropped from a few sets on the basis of my skin-colour.  So it is not accurate to say producers cast me for being light-skinned.  Now, for being beautiful, I am grateful to God for giving me a modestly appealing appearance, but all the jobs I have had have been on the premise that the producers or directors thought I could deliver on the character they wanted to project and I am glad I have been able to live up to the confidence reposed in me on the many projects I have worked on. Now, if it gets to my head that I am charming, I have been this way all my life; so I have no reason whatsoever to change my personality or relations with people. I am still the same happy-go-lucky girl that will park her car and discuss with street hawkers and buy roasted plantain when I feel like.

How did you get your first contact with acting and how rewarding has it been for you?

Before I came back to settle in Nigeria, I started recording funny skits, which thankfully, gained some popularity.  From these, several producers reached out to me to work with me and the rest, as they say is history.  On how rewarding it has been, well, I am not complaining and I keep aspiring for more.

To some, acting alone does not seem to pay the bills, they tend to find alternatives by diversifying. In your case, what have you been doing to sustain the Adunniade brand?

Well, I am a model, a brand ambassador and an entrepreneur.  I currently run a domestic and office-quarters cleaning company in addition to all the entertainment industry gigs that I take on.  So, I am not idle and I thank God for blessing the works of my hands.

What can you say about your career and its appealing power to your audience and how do you intend to keep the momentum going?

It is my considered opinion that only God can make you appealing to people.  That’s what is called being favoured or graced.  God has been kind to me and I don’t take His favour for granted.  He has put my love in people’s heart and all I can do is continue to work hard, remain humble, make my brand as relatable and simple as it is, and continue to give my fans more qualitative, entertaining works.

You are one woman who loves to put herself out on the social media, especially on Instagram.Does it not come with a price you can’t afford?

Before we set out on a journey, we must weigh the pros and cons and decide whether we can deal with the fallout of our actions.  Putting myself out there has its positives and its negatives and I decided to focus more on the people that appreciate, support and constructively criticise me.  All other negative reactions, I ignore.  The late business mogul Chief MKO Abiola once said, every man will have people that hate him enough to kill him and people that love him enough to die for him.  He said a man will live a happy life if he focuses on the people that love him enough to die for him. That philosophy works well for me.

With your many years of experience in the game and the level of work you have put in, does it come as a surprise to you that you have not tied down a major endorsement deal?

In my opinion, “major endorsement deal” is relative. The point of endorsement deal is a collaboration between two brands on a mutually beneficial basis to assist in promoting each other.  Service is rendered for value and parties are happy.  At the end of the day, for the creative, like myself, fame, increased sales and money are often the reward for signing endorsement deals and I have a couple under my belt already.  I am fortunate to have a solid team of lawyers and manager that get hefty payouts for me on my deals, so as far as my bottom line is concerned, I actually have major endorsement deals.

How successful are you at this point and can you say you are fulfilled?

At every stage of my life, I continue to work hard to improve my standard of living of my children. And, as expressed in the Bible, godliness with contentment is great gain.  I am fulfilled and contented with what I have as much as I continue to work hard to achieve the destiny that God has ordained for me.

What is the greatest misconception about you that you wish you could change?

That I get things handed out to me because of my skin colour.

What do you consider first before throwing your entirety into a character?

I put myself in the shoes of the character, immerse myself in her and ask myself, what would I do if I found myself in that situation.

You have two gorgeous boys and your shape still looks very intact, how have you been keeping yourself in check?

Oh thank you for the compliment.  Well, I have quite a hectic work schedule that keeps me burning calories, I work out once in a while, I drink water as much as I could and I watch what I eat; special mention to Amala – it is super light and a combination with gbegiri and ewedu helps to keep me in shape.

As a beautiful mother of two, how do you cope with men who are constantly attracted by your beauty and cheerful personality?

Over the years, I have mastered the art of handling male admiration and attention.

When a script says you have to kiss on set passionately, are you always turned off?

I am an actress.  Acting is make-believe. You have to portray the character in a believable manner.  If there are roles that I am not comfortable with, I have a discussion with the director on how to work around it to achieve the desired result.

How has life been treating you as a beautiful single mother of two lovely boys?

God has been kind. I am happy.  My children are the centre of my universe.  I really don’t know what my life would have been like without them.  I am forever grateful to God.

I am forced to ask if you would ever give love a chance again?

(Laughs).  Of course, when the right person comes along.

What projects of yours are you currently working on and how do you intend to make it acceptable to your fans?

I have quite a number of them. I have quite a number of movies due to be released into the cinemas within the next few months.  I am currently starring in Ebony Life TV’s “Sons of the Caliphate” television show; I have a television show I anchored coming to TV soon, details of which I am not at liberty to discuss. I also have some personal projects lined up for 2018, God willing. I assure my fans that I will continue to deliver good, family-oriented entertainment content to them.