Nora Ify Igbokwe is one of the hottest actresses in the movie industry today. The graduate of Marketing from Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Enugu has featured in a couple of movies notably Touch, a soap opera currently running on the popular Africa Magic Cable Channel.In this chat with SAMUEL ABULUDE, the Abia State-born actress speaks about her new television show and Nollywood experience among other issues
What have you been up to?
For sometime now I have been shuttling different movie locations within Lagos. At the moment, I’ve about six movies in which I played lead roles and are currently in movie shelves. I also have a couple of soap operas currently running on Africa Magic on Saturdays and Sundays. One of them is entitled “Adaeze” which means ‘King’s Daughter.’ I played the lead role and that is how lots of people began calling me Adaeze, instead of my real name. I also featured in Total Experience, Touch, etc. I also have a couple of works to be released any moment from now. I’m also working on my TV show entitled “Who Am I?”
Tell us more about your TV show?
‘Who Am I?’ is a TV show aimed at motivating, discovering skills and positively affecting the orphans, thereby challenging and providing them with opportunities to realise their goals in life. We know that some of the orphans have those who out of charities have made them enjoy a tip of care by providing homes and feeding for them, yet they are not in limelight; they have no strong hope; they also lack self esteem and hardly think they can become somebody in future. ‘Who am I?’ is initiated to avail orphans the stage to showcase their skills, talents and abilities.
The show is entertainment driven, where the orphans will compete in the areas of debate, music, acting, comedy and dance. This will be done by selecting orphans from at least seven orphanage homes and made to compete for prizes and great rewards. While competing, apart from their talents being discovered and further groomed, they would also be entertaining themselves and members of the public, who expectedly would be glued to their television sets. The project is directly from God. It’s a vision God gave me immediately after the death of my lovely mother.
Was your mum in support of your acting career?
My late parents were always supportive. Right from my tender age, they saw me as one who is artistically gifted. So it was not surprising to them when immediately after my IMT graduation, I started tilting towards acting. Although initially, as parents, they were very skeptical about the entertainment industry, especially with the kind of negative publicities that emerged most times. But in the long run, having realised that is where my future and happiness lied, they ended up giving me their support. My mother being a hardworking woman took over from where my late dad stopped. I think we lost him in the year 2007.
Then in 2012, February precisely, another tragedy occurred; I lost my mother. When she passed on, it looked like the whole world came to an end for me. I cried my eyes out. It’s my most bitter experience in life, if you ask me. She was a mother and a friend. She was a nurse; a woman who feared and believed so much in God. I remember she always told me that I looked more beautiful when I don’t make up. Loosing such a wonderful and lovely mother is like the worst thing that can happen to anybody.
So how long have you been acting?
I embraced Nollywood in 2011 and since then I think I have recorded monumental success, especially in the area of acting lead roles. Not all fast rising actresses can boast of acting lead roles, especially in their early stages. On my side, I even started with a lead role and I have been receiving lead roles ever since.
Are there roles you can’t accept?
Depending on the kind of role! Most times, my interest is always the story line, including the entire production. I appreciate scripts that are educative and capable of helping the youths form good habits. On the other hand, I don’t fancy going stake naked on the screen. I can’t act nude scenes. My faith may not allow me to do that; we are Africans, womanhood is respected. I could put on skimpy dress that exposes cleavages and things like that. I believe there are ways nude scenes can be portrayed without the character really going nude. Good directors most times can cleverly produce nude scenes in different forms.
Obviously, the industry is highly competitive, how do you intend breaking through?
I think there are lots of things that always stand me out. Apart from the favour and grace of God on me, I’ve an uncanny knack for roles interpretation. But generally, I see myself as a good actress and lots of people, including producers and directors have been commending me. I have much more than natural talent for acting, I’m unflappable and highly self-confident.
It’s believed that most up and coming actresses trade their bodies for movie roles, what has been your response to ‘sex-for-roles directors’?
Firstly, one has to know what she wants in the industry. Then, how you present yourself also matters a lot and determine how you will be addressed. If you present yourself as a desperate young lady who is ready to do anything and go to any length to get what she wants, then you will fall into the trap and category of sex-for-roles actresses. Being a star is a gradual process, that’s what most people don’t know. To be in the limelight is not a matter of days but years of hard work. I’m not desperate; my good job will speak for me.
As an actress, are you not scared that most famous actresses either don’t get married on time or their marriages don’t last?
It’s everywhere, not just in Nollywood. We have marriages crashing everyday in different industry, even among journalists. I believe in growing old with whoever I’m going to get married to and he has to be my best friend so that whenever anything goes wrong, we’ll fix it rather than throwing away what we share. I’m not in any way scared; I believe so much in love.
You were recently appointed Special Adviser to Lagos AGN chairman, Victor Osuagwu; what earned you that?
I think it’s because of my commitments to the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).
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