Award-winning actress, Adesua Etomi sits down with Guardian Life Magazine as
she talks about Nollywood, her career, how she got her role on The
Wedding Party, close friends, future plans and more.
Read excerpts from her interview below:
On what her strategy was when she came into the Nollywood industry:
I didn’t come here thinking I am going to meet this person and meet
that person, my strategy was prayer and divine connections. That was
what I was going for, I wasn’t trying to look for who was going to help
me or give me a handout. I knew what I wanted to become and I didn’t
know how I wanted to get there but I knew the things I didn’t want to do
to get there. I knew there were certain things that were associated
with success and that’s preparation, staying prepared, keeping the work
at the forefront of everything that I do.
On how she got her role for The Wedding Party: I
auditioned just like everybody else. On the first day I came for the
audition I read with three guys, so that’s three different stages then
on my fourth audition stage I had to read with Banky and that’s when I
got the role and that was when he got the role too because he went
through the audition process as well. He had to read with myself and
someone else before they finally decided on myself and him for the final
pick.
On her inner circle: I’m very particular about my
inner circle, you can count my closest friends on one hand and that’s
because I believe you just need a few good friends, I am very friendly
to everybody else. Also my family, my mum, those are the people that
keep it all together for me and they are always there and you can’t beat
that.
I wake up, I pick up my phone, I try to
say a prayer and then I make a particular phone call” (she laughed,
obviously alluding to Banky W)
On how she balances her job: I just do it. As I’m
talking to you since the beginning of this year, I have worked every
single month, I have shot in South Africa for two months. I came back
and went to shoot for a month in Nsukka. I just remember that I am a
vessel and I just have to keep going because I owe it to myself, the
fans and people that love watching what I do to do this. I also try to
make a conscious effort to take a break, so once I am done with my
projects towards the end of July, I’m going to give myself a little
break and then come back.
On her plans for the future: At some point, my
ten-year plan, maybe even less, is to open an orphanage, I love children
and I am very passionate about people and children that need help, so I
feel like I am going to be a mum to many.
