Eniola Badmus, made popular by such comic roles like the one she played in movies ‘Jenifa’ is lucky to have clinched endorsements with multinational companies, Activ TV, and now telecommunication giant, Etisalat, but the road has not been an easy one.
In an interview with Encomium the plus sized actress revealed that she did not get the support of her parents at the beginning. She also spoke about her love life and why she keeps it private.
Read excerpts of the interview:
What is your opinion about the state of the industry right now?
The industry has gone far. It is not what it was 10 years ago. The technical, pictures, lighting have improved. The leverage is huge now. You can watch our movies anywhere in Nigeria at the cinema. We are getting there gradually.
Will you say movies are still selling?
We are aware that piracy is the major problem. I believe if we take bold steps, we will be able to sell more.
Do you think it is possible for a producer to recoup the money invested in a movie?
Yes, it is possible. If they don’t get their money back, they would have stopped. It might not be huge but certainly, they are getting returns from their investment.
What tips can you give the up and coming acts that will make them succeed in the movie industry?
They should ask themselves if they are ready. When I started out, I wasn’t fully prepared. What I got after my career kicked off was far from my dreams. They should be prepared and be ready to bear the consequences of their decisions. Like people abusing them on social media, going to locations and not getting paid.
They need to be determined and focused. If not, frustration will set in and they will quit. The job can be frustrating when starting up. You have to go to locations, you may not be paid. You may go on set and they may not do your beat for days. I went to set and I wasn’t paid. I can’t even count the number of times I went through that. That is the industry.
When you are a new comer, it can be frustrating but I was strong. I never thought of quitting, though my parents didn’t like my decision to become an actress. They almost had a fight with me become I didn’t come home. They would look for me. It was later they left me after fighting me severally.
How is your love life?
Those are the things I don’t like talking about. Let us just talk about my career. I don’t believe in talking about personal issues to the press and social media. They won’t make such relationship last.
What is your take about celebrities and social media?
Nigerians in the disapora do not really have loyal fans. My fans are other celebrities’ fans. We don’t have fans that wouldn’t move out from you.
So, I don’t reply them. I am a comic person. I don’t reply them. Nothing gets to me. There are some comments that get to me but I don’t reply.
I am not about that. They are the same set of people that will praise me tomorrow. It is better to ignore such comments.
