Emeka Okoro is a versatile actor. The artiste, who spoke on his acting career and how the industry is growing also told Daily Sun recently that he has always dreamt of becoming a star.

The actor, who hails from Umuahia in Ukwuano Local Government area of Abia State, said Nollywood which is now a fast growing phenomenon will attain higher heights in a few years to come.

Motivation
I have always dreamt of becoming an actor right from my childhood days. Whenever I watched American movies, I would say to myself that when I grow up, I will like to be an actor. I met a friend Emeka Kurimo, who told me that an audition was going on somewhere. I attended and luckily, I was chosen. That enabled me to feature in my first movie entitled: Dirty Deal.

Success
It is all about determination, knowing fully well what I wanted. Despite the obstacles, I just have to continue, at least, compared to when I started.

Roles
I have played several roles in movies which I can’t even remember any longer.But I can still remember a few like The Senator, Occultic Battle, First Love, One Love, among many others.

Embarrassing moment
I don’t have any, because I detest living a fake life. I like to be what I am .

Most challenging role
It is the movie entitled: First Love. I played the role of a good and a bad guy. Switching from one character to another was actually challenging. At the same time, I was also on location for another movie entitled: One Love.

Kissing in Nollywood
It is not true.We call it make-believe, because there is a camera before you and there are members of crew all around you. So, there is no way you would go contrary to what the director is saying. We are only trying to be natural in order to convey a message. It may look real, but it is all fake.

Nollywood
The Nigeria movie industry is like a woman who gives birth to a child. You do not expect the child to attain maturity at once, it has to be gradual.The industry is actually growing considering Nigeria’s poor economy. People are making their living out of it.

Mentor
Jesus Christ is my mentor. I respect people, the only person I recognize is Jesus. I read the Bible and follow Christ’s footsteps.

Advice
It is wonderful to be an actor, but before anything, one needs to be well prepared. Moreover, a potential actor should undergo a training programme and build his or her talent. First, if you have a talent, develop it, don’t wait until the opportunity slips. I will also advise people who want to make ends meet at once. It is not a good way of life, one needs to exercise some patience.

Marriage
I’m yet to get married.

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Kalu Ikeagwu started acting as a student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he studied English. According to him, his father who was a lecturer at the University usually encouraged him to read. He soon developed a passion for Literature which ignited his interest in acting. Kalu who features as Jeny, a loving and very supportive husband to Ada in the TVsoap Domino, currently showing on AIT every Sunday, came into the country from England less than a year ago. Hear him: "A friend of mine who is a banker here in Nigeria encouraged me to come home and get involved in Nollywood. So, I planned to come to Nigeria just for two weeks to network and arrange for my final home coming." Ever since he arrived the country, Nigerian producers have been inviting him to feature in their movies. Following his debut movie, For Real by Emem Isong, in less than one year, the debonair actor has established his presence in the movie industry. Beaming smiles, the talented actor says he would love to be appreciated not just for his good looks but his potentials. He also spoke about his acting career, his fees, coping with female fans, the future of Nollywood and much more in this interview. Background My name is Kalu Ikeagwu. I was born in England. I returned to Nigeria when I was nine years old because my father wanted me to get closer to my culture. I had my primary education in England and Zambia and my secondary school and University here at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka before I returned to England. My father, who died two years ago, was a lecturer and a very good man. He was very strict too. Being a very academic man, he used to encourage us to read. My mother lives in England at the moment with the rest of the family. We are seven in number - two girls and five boys. I am the third child and the first son of my parents. I read English and graduated in 1991. Acting career My father had wanted me to study Medicine but I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t very good in the sciences. I developed the love for Literature and when it was time to go to the University, I chose Literature much to his disappointment. In my first year at the University, we had a drama to present. I was not really interested in it, I just wanted to go there and play about. Later a man came and made me read the script and before I knew it, he told me to pick up the role. It was hard work for me but I just found out that I enjoyed it. And ever since then, I have never looked back. I continued to act on stage throughout my stay at the university so much so that people thought I was a Dramatic Arts student. That was where it started from. I came into the country last year and featured in three home movies before I was invited to take part in Domino. The first one was For Real by Emem Isong; the second one was Darkest Night, but the third movie is not yet out. Picking the roles A friend of mine who is a banker here in Nigeria encouraged me to come home and get roles in Nollywood. So I planned to come to Nigeria just for two weeks to network. So when I arrived, I did not know they had already fixed me up with an agent who linked me with Emem Isong. So I went to see her, she asked me to read something for her. That was how she gave me the role. For the role in Domino, I went for another auditioning at the National Theatre, the then producer of Domino, Biodun Aleja, just saw me and told me that they were actually looking for new faces. So that was how I got the role. Most challenging role So far, the most challenging is the role I play in Domino. Moreso because I am usually more comfortable as a bad guy. But it is difficult acting a good person, you have to be disciplined enough in order not to overact. However, I really don’t want to fit into any role, I want to be as flexible as I can. As an actor, I think my responsibility is to express everything a human being can express to an audience, so I should be able to handle any role that is given to me. Acting in England and Nigeria In England things are a bit easier above all, more time is given to interpret roles which was quite a challenge. On arrival, I think that is the major difference. I also saw it here that they are not expression oriented. In England, the main thing is to make it as real as possible, it is more internalized – the way you talk, your eyes, body language, those are the things that are considered more important. I think we will still fit in, it is just that if we can have more time to do our work, it would be a lot better. Because our movie producers are in a bit of a hurry. Another thing I have observed is that the Nigerian movie industry is after quick profit. Nigerian movie industry In terms of recognition, Nigerian movie industry is rated high. Concerning quality, we have a lot of potentials. We are doing very well but we need to get rid of the short-term profit syndrome. I think that is what is affecting us at the moment. Initially I thought we were nowhere. But working in the industry, I have seen many directors who want to bring out quality work. Also our Nigerian audience are very critical of what they see. Nigerian movies abroad It is funny because we have a much larger market outside than we have here. But the strongest factor is that of nostalgia. People rush out to buy Nigerian films just to have an impression about the country. For instance, Osuofia in London, people watched it over and over again and they liked it. Africans and West Indians in London watch Nigerians movies because of the content. We should start gearing towards international recognition where our films can be shown at international festivals. If on the other hand we refuse to do that, we’ll crash out of reckoning. Role models One of the people I look up to in the industry is Kate Henshaw. She is a very humble person, and highly intelligent. As for RMD and Segun Arinze, when they read their scripts, it just sticks. I do not know how they do it. I like Stella Damascus-Aboderin. I have not worked with Stella but I have worked with the other people. Myself I am idealistic. I love having fun. I love God because he has done so much for me. I love people, but sometimes I do not have much patience. I can be moody sometimes. I am not that kind of nice person that people think Jerry in Domino is. I do not have Jerry’s patience. I like singing, but I also like to write. How I unwind I like to read and travel. I love driving but not in Lagos. I don’t like driving in Lagos. Most enabling moment I have never had stage fright. But there was this day I was on stage, at a point there was black out. But it was not my first time on stage. The first time I acted, it went smoothly. I was on stage playing Ezeulu, the Chief Priest in Arrow of God. I have been rehearsing on a much smaller stage. I have never been on the big stage before. So when I came out, the stage was so huge that I did not know how to go about my movements. I just stood there frozen. I just saw a whole sea of faces staring at me. Honestly, I do not know how I managed to get through that. Aspirations I would love to work in Nigeria and overseas as an actor. I don’t ever want to see myself as a good actor. I want to see myself as someone aspiring to be better. That for me will be a tremendous success. At the right time, I would love to produce my own movies and make an impact on what I think about life. Relationship Yes, I am engaged. I have a fiancee who lives in Kaduna. She is from Abia State and a wonderful lady at that. There’s nothing for my female fans who may want to take it beyond being fans. If they come close to me, they would realise that I am not that much of a catch. My fees Well, it could be better. At the stage that I am, I believe that it could be better. But actors in Nigeria are still poorly paid compared to other countries.

Caroline Uduak Abasi Ekanem is a princess from the royal family of Ekanem in Eket, Cross River State. She went into acting not only for the fame and glamour, but to use her talent to impact on her society. Born to a British father and a Nigerian mother, Caroline is from a God-fearing and disciplined family. This undergraduate of the University of Calabar loves singing, but has acting as her first love. Since she cut her teeth in acting, when she featured in Chico Ejiro’s Deadly Kiss, she has never looked back. Though blessed with ravishing beauty, Caroline is not one of those Nollywood actresses who allows the glamour of screen acting to get into their heads. She told Daily Sun that she would rather die in penury than bare it all before the camera. In this interview, Caroline speaks on her life, career and why parental influence would not make her do anything untoward as an actress. How I started I was into modelling for three years before I went into acting. I had always wanted to act, but something told me that the time was not ripe for me to go into it. I started acting through a friend called Mrs Dominic. She was the one who took me to Chico Ejiro and he featured me in the movie entitled Deadly Kiss. Although the movie was my debut, I played a lead role and people said that I performed so brilliantly. Best role My best role in a movie was when I acted alongside Ikechukwu Onyeka, Emeka Nnoecha and Tu Face Idibia. The role was challenging to me as well as the setting. I felt real good doing it and I believe that it brought out the best in me and for the fact that I had to play five different roles in the same movie. Inspiration I am always inspired by the role at hand. At times, people see me as someone who cannot hurt a fly. But the irony of it is that some of my roles present me as someone who could be very mean. Relationship with directors My kind of relationship with directors is strictly on business, nothing else. As a lady, I know what it takes to be in the midst of men. So, if a director wants a relationship other than business, I would make him understand that I am not one of those upcoming artistes that sleeps around with men. Challenges I don’t like people to know that I am a half-caste. I am a Nigerian and I love African culture and I want people to see me as an African. The challenges are quite enormous because at times, some people would conclude that I can’t play certain roles because I am thin, or I am not dark skinned, or because I speak with British accent. There are other times that people have the impression that I should not be well paid and so on. However, I want people to know that I am not into acting because I am a half-caste but because I want to play the role that I am given. Movies featured in Some of the movies include Deadly Kiss, A Second Time, Missing Angel 2 &3, Foreign Affairs, The Twist, Angel and the Beast, Real Love Part 2 and a Yoruba movie. Happiest moment Everyday is my happiest moment because God grants me the grace to see each day. I am happy for that. So, there is no particular happiest moment for me. Artiste fee I won’t tell you, it is a secret. Some people always put my fee in the range of N500,000. May God bless them for rating me so high. Anyway, I am still an upcoming actress and I don’t earn up to that. Night clubbing I can’t remember the last time I went to a club, but I love singing. My social life is a kind of boring one because after acting and everything, I would be so tired that I would have to go home and rest the next day. As a student, whenever I don’t go to school, I am at home taking care of my grandparents. But when I want to have fun, I would have it to the fullest. If I don’t have fun in a day, that day would be boring. Acting negative roles Damn it! I am from a disciplined home. My parents will disown me should I act nude in a movie for instance. Rather, I would wear a bikini or shorts instead. I will not expose my body to the public except to my husband. That is to say that I can’t act nude in a movie even if I am paid the money in the whole world. Advice to my fans My advice to my fans is that whatever they want to do, they should not allow anybody to stop them. They should always give it a trial even if they think that it will fail. They would be surprised that they would make it and in everything, they should remember God first. They should be determined, self-confident and learn to please themselves before others. They should always follow the dictates of their hearts. In everything, they should not allow fear to conquer them. Future plans My future plan is big. I would like to be somebody that people would see and they will say! I want to be like this lady. I want to achieve all my dreams even before I attain 30 years and I know that I will do it in Jesus name.

Despite her late father’s warning that she should not venture into acting, "very stubborn" Ucheobi Jessica Jombo, damned all consequence and gave her body and soul to Nollywood. "I disobeyed my very strict dad who is now deceased to go into acting. My first movie was Visa To Hell by Fidelis Duker in ’98. But Adure by Charles Ifeduba, where I played lead the following year, really established my name and presence in Nollywood". From Abiriba, Abia State, Jombo also made headlines few years ago when her celebrated romance with veteran actor, Norbert Young, crashed amid accusations and counter accusations from the estranged lovers. "I don’t like talking about my affair with Norbert. He is now married and we greet whenever we see," she said in a voice filled with emotion. Uche, who read Maths and Statistics from the University of Calabar, in this exclusive chat with Daily Sun, also spoke glowingly about the new man in her life. "He is humorous, dark and tall. He also makes me laugh always. Though, he has not proposed to me, I pray everyday for him to do it this year". Miss Jombo, you’ve been so quiet in terms of acting in recent times? What is happening? Nothing! No problem at all, I’ve been working, only that I chose to keep away from the media. About five of my movies are already out. I even wrote one of them, entitled, Girls In The Hood. Okay! Back to Nollywood. Some couple of years ago, you produced your debut movie entitled Ibinabo, since then, we have not heard anything from you again in terms of producing. Why? Emmh! Nothing was really responsible for my not producing more movies. I’m just being careful and studying the industry. Right now, I’m cooking something with Emem Isong. By the time we are set, Nigerians will know that Uche Jombo has not abandoned the art of movie making as a producer. So, how soon is this project of yours coming out? Very, very soon. Let me not talk much till the movie comes out. Ibinabo, your debut effort as a producer, was it a commercial success? Sincerely speaking, the movie was okay commercially when we released it in 1999. Going down memory lane, how did you come into Nollywood? I came into Nollywood like every other actress. My first movie was Visa To Hell, by Fidelis Duker, that was in ’98. But Adure, which was my first lead role by Charles Ifediba, catapulted me to fame. What were you doing before storming Nollywood? Before coming in, I was doing what I still do now. I write and produce advert copies and jingles. I was and still do that for Manny Bank before embracing acting fully. Then and even now, I do one or two legit businesses for corporate bodies. I also write much. I’m a total production person. As somebody who read Maths and Statistics, many people expected you to be in the financial sector. Why did you opt for showbiz? In a way, I’m practising what I read in the university. You calculate every aspect of your life. And that is exactly what I’m doing. The only difference is that I’m not stucked in a nine to five kind of job. I can’t do that because I’m too hyper active. The fact is that I can’t sit in a place for a long time. Again, I’ve never worked for anybody all my life. Did your parents give their approval when you were trying to storm Nollywood? Then, as an Abiriba man, my father objected vehemently. Being a stubborn child, I refused to listen to his advice. He later got tired and allowed me to be. Even my elder siblings were dazed on how I was able to conquer our dad, being the third in a family of nine. We are four girls and five boys. I’m stubborn, very stubborn. What other profession would have appealed to you if you were not in Nollywood today? (Thinks). Probably, I would have been a lawyer. I argue much about the things I know. I would have also gone into television big time. In the next couple of years, where do you hope to be or see yourself? In the next couple of years, I want to take my outfit, Picture Perfect, and myself to the highest level. In terms of production. I also want to have the best studio in Africa and transmit my own talk show to the world from here, Nigeria. I’m already working towards that. The year is still new, what are the goals you have set out to achieve before it comes to an end? I want to write good scripts and also act in many good movies this year. I also want to settle down to marital bliss. I want to get closer to my God this year. What was your lowest fee as an actress? It was my debut movie. I was paid N18, 000 (eighteen thousand). Don’t bother asking about my highest, I won’t tell you.

Star of Rough Rider and a dozen other box office home videos, Oby Edozie, has taken a swipe at those who hold the opinion that that she is morally lax because she is an actress. According to her, despite the raunchy and naughty roles she plays on television, she is definitely not a loose girl. Early years “My first movie was Love And Be Cherished. I came into acting after my lecturer at the Lagos State University, Sola Fosudo gave me a note to Zeb Ejiro . I got my first lead role after my third movie.” Ever since, she has acted over 40 movies and has grown to become one of Nollywood’s favourite faces after almost nine years in the industry. “My growing up was very Christian. Father was a disciplinarian who never spared the rod to save the child. We were one happy family. At a very tender age when I told my classmates I wanted to be an actor, they all laughed and made jest of me because then, I was very skinny. I am not there yet but I am growing and I thank God for every day of my life.” However, today, she has blossomed into a hot, sexy sought-after actress. How does she handle her male fans: “I am very polite. I try to have an excellent relationship with my fans. I know where to draw the line. Without them I wouldn’t be here today.” Nollywood Oby says that there has been tremendous improvement and growth in Nollywood between 1997, when she was a debutante and today: “We should not compare ourselves to Hollywood. The prospects are very bright. The industry is growing. Once upon a time, it was just a joke but it has transformed into the mainstay of a lot of families.” She describes herself as romantic: “I listen to soft sentimental music. I am very romantic. When I love, I love to the extreme. I go all the way. I have been broken hearted before but its personal.” Secret to success Oby has a rising profile. Today, she is one of Nollywoods most sought-after faces. She talks about the secret to her success: “The secret of my success is hardwork. I play my part to the best of my ability. It is being you, being humble and consistent. Carriage and poise are very important. I keep learning. I love people criticising me because that is the only way I could take my act to the next level. I believe in being real and consistent. That is the secret to my success.” Love life When enquired about her love life she responded thus: “You want to know about my love life? Wait till my wedding day. Once I get married to that very man, that’s when I would talk about love. That is when I would talk about that very man. So, stop bugging me.” Dreams “My dream ultimately is to get to Hollywood and be successful. I want to get married and have eight children at least. My vision was for 13 lovely kids but I have cut it down to eight. I love kids. I want to adopt them, at least, a boy and a girl. They are so innocent. I intend to establish a motherless babies home someday.” Some of the movies starring Oby includes Supremacy, Golden Moon, Abuja Connection, Jealous Lover, True Love, etc