Veteran Nollywood actress Rita Daniels who has nurtured her daughter Regina Daniels to become a Nollywood Star, has opened up on the assumptions she pushed her daughter into acting because of money.
In a recent interview with THISDAY LIVE, the mother of 4 children – Rita Daniels addressed few issues concerning her relationship with her daughter, and also disclosed other things she does besides acting.
Regina Daniels and her mom
Q: Aside from acting ma what else do you do?
Rita Daniels: I am a very busy woman. I am into
so many things. First, I am the chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria,
Delta state chapter, (AGN). I am a politician; presently, the majority
leader and counselor, Aniocha South Local Government Area. I hail from
Ogwashi-Ukwu town. I am also the managing director of Last Point Resort;
the CEO Reginal Daniels Children Foundation; the CEO, Chris Daniel
Nigeria Limited; an officer in Director Guild of Nigeria; and a
producer.
Q: People feel you pushed your daughter into acting because of money and that you want her to take after you an actress?
Regina Daniels and her mom
Rita Daniels: Not really; nobody makes one a
star. It’s only God that has the power to lift from nobody to somebody.
Yes, I am a good actress who is also talented. But my daughter started
when at the age of seven. She loved watching movies and acting at home.
Though I didn’t allow her to watch Nigerian movies because of her age,
she followed me to locations and made friends with a lot of actresses
and actors. Anytime she saw little children on locations, she would beg
me to allow her to be part of the cast but I would refuse. She kept on
pestering me until one day, I allowed her to act in a movie. She was
very happy. She started practicing at home.
Everything my daughter knows about acting I taught her. I
encouraged her not to be nervous and she listened to me. She started as
low as N5,000. She still acts for free to date if I want her to act. She
is humble and very obedient.
Q: How often does she get a movie role?
Regina Daniels and her mom
Rita Daniels: She is a lucky child. She is
always on set. I just thank God for everything. As soon as she is
concluding a particular movie, they are calling her for another one. It
got to a point that I had to plead with some of her directors and
producers to allow her concentrate on her studies. If not, there is no
week that she will not be on set. Has your celebrity status deprived you
of anything in life? I believe it is a normal thing for you not to be
everywhere as a star. But, I am not mindful of that. I have a business I
run. So, I still go to the market to public places like every other
person. I am not affected by celebrity status. If you don’t go out how
will you meet people?
Even when my fans are screaming, ‘Mama Regina! Mama Regina! Mama
Regina!’, I will just smile and hail them back and continue what I am
doing. I am a politician and I am used to crowding.
Regina Daniels and her mom
Photo of Regina Daniels and her mom Rita
