The Nigerian film and movies industry popularly referred to as Nollywood is no doubt a very robust outfit that has witnessed tremendous changes and improvements over the years. The most profound change is the gradual phasing out of veteran actors/actresses, and their replacement with vibrant and energetic new stars who are equally highly talented.
One of these fast rising stars with an amazing acting skill is Chioma Emenike, who started her journey to stardom right from the busy streets of Onitsha. Chioma has had her own fair share of the back and forth that characterises acting as a career. She came back fully into the movie world in 2020 and has not looked back since then. News Echo crew had a very interesting conversation with the beautiful actress, and she made quite some remarkable expositions about her journey to stardom. Excerpts of our interview with her are replicated below for your reading pleasure.
Can you tell us about yourself briefly? Who is the real Chioma Emenike?
Well, I would describe myself as calm, understanding and very accommodating. I am not a harsh person naturally, I easily relate well with people, and I think that counts for something. So, the real Chioma is who you are talking to now, this is just my personality, nothing hidden, always trying to be nice and most importantly always being helpful when I have the means to.
Tell us about other interests you have apart from acting. What do you have the most passion for?
It is already obvious that the thing I’m most passionate about is acting. I love acting with all the passion I could ever have in this world, and I don’t see myself doing anything else apart from acting. But, I could delve into other fields like business, or politics, and I know I would really do well because I have interest in those areas as well.
Have you been denied a role before? And why? Tell us how it made you feel, and what kept you going?
Hmmm…yes o! There was a time I was denied a role. They said it’s because I don’t have a car. Yea, you heard that right. They said they needed someone with a car for that role so they can use the person’s car, and I felt really bad. At that time, I had no intention of getting a car. I had other interests I was planning for, but when that incident happened, it made me start considering getting one this year. In the industry, if you don’t have a car, oyo is your name o, and what really kept me going was the simple fact that I later understood that it was not an act of spite, it’s just the way the industry is, so yea, we keep pushing.
Do you see yourself interpreting certain roles? Or are you selective of roles that you accept?
If you mean going naked on set, or wearing only pants, sorry I cannot do that. But I can take and interpret any role at all, I am not selective of roles I accept, at least not in this stage of my career. I can only wear a bikini when I am going swimming, and you will obviously see me in the pool or close to it, but apart from that, I am not going to dress indecently in any movie because I am acting, no no, that’s not my person.
Where do you see yourself in a few years from now in your acting career? Do you have specific plans? Please share…
By the grace of God, in the next few years I see myself being much better than I am now in my career. I have plans to set up and run businesses all over the world, and I also have a keen interest in politics, yeah that’s right. I would like to be a politician and I would like to own businesses. Can’t go into details of that for now, but be rest assured, I am still very much going to be in the game.
What do you wish the Nigerian movie industry could do differently from what is obtainable at the moment?
I think Nollywood is really improving, because this is not how the industry used to be, we are really getting better and better. But there is always room for improvement, and I think with time, the improvements will begin to show. At the moment, I think we are really doing our best, I cannot say in certainty what I wish could be done differently, but I just feel improvements will always come up as the years go by.
Tell us about how you started acting. Your journey so far?
Oh my God!! (smiles), I think I started acting in 2012, march 15th 2012, but I left in 2014 for reasons I don’t want to disclose here because it’s my personal life. But I came back again last year, 2020. My journey so far hasn’t been easy, but I know that no journey is easy, you know, no journey is rosy. Everybody started from one, and then to two, and so on, that is just life. It wasn’t easy, but to God be the glory, everything is making sense, and I know it will make more sense very soon. Thank you.
Do you have a role model in the industry? Tell us what is the most fascinating thing about your role model?
Of course I do have a role model, and that is Tonto Dikeh. I love Tonto’s carriage, I love the way she interprets all her roles effortlessly. If you want her to play the role of a poor girl, she will play it perfectly, and if it comes to the role of being posh, ah! Tonto will totally kill that role. She is really good, in fact damn too good at her craft and I love her for that. Then her personality, I know most people don’t know that Tonto is too nice to a fault. She’s a wonderful person when you come close to her, she’s just too good at heart, she’s a child at heart, she’s lovable, she’s kind and she’s sweet, I just love her.
What is your opinion about this social media “dragging” of celebrities? Especially considering the fact that most of the things we see on social media are false and fake?
My dear, even minus social media, people do say things that are not true. So, social media or outside social media, people will always have something to say, even when they know what they are saying is not true. That is why we are celebrities, people must always talk about us, in fact they must definitely talk about us, but we move on regardless.
Tell us about an event in your life that you will not forget so quickly, and what are the biggest lessons life has taught you and you wish to share with your fans?
An event in my life I will never forget in a hurry was my growing up. I remember when I used to sell pure water for my mother at the main market, Onitsha. Hmm! My sister, it is well. Words cannot begin to describe how those times were for me, but I thank God for today, and I am still thanking Him for tomorrow because I know it will be better. So, lessons life has taught me, and the only thing I will tell all my fans, my lovers, my friends, everybody around me, is just to be focused, be prayerful and be determined, that’s all. At the end of the tunnel, there is always light.
Today might be sad, tomorrow you will be happy, that is why the bible says that sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. I believe in tomorrow, that is why they said that there is a place called tomorrow, only if you stay prayerful, focused and determined. Prayer is very powerful because only God can make a poor man become instantly rich. And remember that the heart of every king is in God’s hand, and only God can twist the untwistable. Cheers! I love you all. Bye.
