I grew up with a very strict mother in the sense that my friends couldn't come to my house let alone guys. I come from a very humble background; my mother is a single mother and I was born in East London where I attended primary school. I came back to Nigeria and had my secondary school education; I did my JSS 1to SS3 and then went back to the UK for college and progressively went to the university. I finished from City University . I will say that I am a people's person; I love meeting people and making friends. That's a part of me that I took from my mum and which she is afraid of because that's just who I am but she doesn't want me to make too many friends because you know how it is with relationships with people.

How old are you?

My age is something I sing about all the time because so many people tell me that I don't look my age. I am actually 29 this year.

Outside acting what other jobs do you

I work for an IT firm called Zurich Financial as an IT consultant. That is where I am right now. It is a very warm environment because we deal with software application. Of course it's a lot of demand where a company is spending a huge amount of money for you to develop software and do what they want you to do. I make sure that the software does the business the user wants it to do. So they put that as a requirement. The developers do the system and I come in and test the application to make sure that it is in line with the requirements of the program.

That must be a very lucrative job for you?

You know, we are paid the market rate and it's OK; I am not saying that I am rich or anything but I can say that I am contented with the pay. The thing is that it's something that is challenging so what I do is that I come home and see what I can make out of the opportunities that are available here.

Here you are an IT consultant and yet you have time for some flicks with Nollywood, how did acting come in considering that you are a contented IT person?

Yes you can ask how did IT and acting come about. Well, I will tell you that acting has always been one of the things I have always wanted to do.  The issue is that I have not been able to get the kind of support I needed   at the time because I had to go to school; every parent wants you to get education first so you need to finish school first before you delve into any other thing. So one of my main priorities; finish school and then do whatever you wanted to do because you are now independent. And now I have it though I have always had my independence but there were other things that took most of my time and I just couldn't do anything. Now, I have got free time and I said to myself, “why can't I do these things I have always dreamed about doing?' And you know life, it never plays out the way you planned it. So now that I have time on my hands, I am acting; I came to Nigeria for a few weeks, do some work then go back. I don't come back for probably another six months until I get another offer. So it's not something I am doing on the full time; it's still on the sides because I have commitments in the UK , that's where I have always been so I can't just leave everything to go and concentrate on the acting.

Are there other opportunities you have come across outside of acting?

Yes, during my recent trip to Nigeria , a few people approached me to do different projects and the main problem is the fact that I am not around; that's a major constraint and I am confused. One mind tells me to stay, the other says no you can't leave your responsibilities; you've got work to do.

What other offers have been made to you?

It's nothing to do with acting but they are all entertainment based; some want me to do a little presenting and the others want me to do some TV work and the fact is that everything sounds very interesting to me; these are things that I have always wanted to do but it's just that I have something else pulling me away from actually going into these things.

Were you exposed to African movies in England while growing up?

We got a lot of Nigerian video shops in the UK where we could get Nigeria films and because I got interested in the entertainment world, sometimes when I have the time, I go and get them and watch. Most of them are intriguing; others interesting and a lot makes you think, 'I can do what they are doing and maybe do it better.' But it is challenging and you would want to push yourself to do these things. As a child, I couldn't really go out much and it was a very close upbringing I had. I had to spend a lot of time not really socializing as the only time I had to make friends were when I was actually away from home. 

Going back to the days you were a kid, Nollywood had not really made headway; what kinds of films were you watching back then?

I loved the never-ending stories; I used to watch East Enders and never missed an episode. I also watched films starring Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman which is my all time favourite and continues to be. Well, I am the kind of person that watches a film and get emotional. The first time Lord of the Rings came out, I watched it over and over again that everybody got bored and were like, 'it's so long, why do you like it?' But I didn't care, it's the kind of film I love especially the fantasy world; it just draws you out into it. And these are things that you want to be part of but you have to start somewhere.

All the films you just mentioned are Hollywood movies, meaning you were not exposed to African movies. At what point in your life did Nollywood catch your fancy?

 It hit me at a time I can't really remember but I remember the movie very well, it's called Keeping Faith. I can't remember who starred there but I admired that story and found the movie interesting.

And when was that period in your life that you wanted to be part of what Nollywood is doing?

I have always been a movie enthusiast; I have always loved films and one of the reasons that attracted me to Nollywood was because the UK was one of the hardest places that a black artiste can break through especially if you are African. I know I grew up in the UK and all that but I am African and sometimes, it isn't that easy. So, one of the ways to go into acting was to go into where you are wanted. It was easier for me to get into Nollywood than the UK film industry. I do do some stage performances in the UK and I belong to a club called the Association of Performing Artiste. We kind of produce our own films but because we are a bunch of people that have jobs by our sides, we cannot really dedicate all of our time to film producing.

Did you go for any formal training in actinNo. I didn't but in my club, we have in-house training workshops and sessions among us. We just produce films.

How do you then go about showcasing your produc

We give them to a marketer to take a look at to see what we can do about distribution in Nigeria . We have a scriptwriter, director and producer in-house because it is a club; it is an associate thing where all of us chip into. I may do the make-up because that's one area I am good at so we all contribute to the projects. I will not say I have produced in anyway because I don't have the core knowledge of production.

Where does the finance come from?

It comes from the individuals; we all contribute to what we do.

What are the challenges your club face?

The challenges are raising the money to do these things which I think is the major challenge. Considering how the system works, every single person works in the UK , you can't afford to live there without a job. So to take out time and do this thing is one of the biggest constraints that we have but some how we make it work.

How did you get into Nollywood?

The first Nollywood movie I did was Ebony with Jim Iyke and I would say that I came into Nollywood by knowing somebody who knows somebody. At that time, I used to know the director of the movie; he was a very good friend of my sister as they used to work together. When Jim approached him to direct the film, my sister asked me, 'Uru do you wanna get into acting?' She knew I had always had a fancy for acting. She informed me that she knew a director and wanted us to go meet him

The Afro-Nollywood Award was taking place at that time so we went there and met with him and I got introduced to him. He was like, “you want to act, what have you done before?' I told him I had not done anything and he invited me for the audition taking place. The day of the audition was a day I was supposed to be at work by 9:30 while the audition was for 8am .

 I called my friend to stand in for me and rushed down to the venue. I read my part and left while the director went out to ease himself. I later learnt that he came out and inquired about me and when told I had left, he said that I wasn't serious. We were called for another audition and that day was better as I didn't have to go anywhere. I did the audition and got the part for my role. 

What films have you been part of as an actress?

I have been involved in stage productions and I also did a film alongside Jim Iyke in 2005 called Ebony. Jim was in there and there was this actress that was bigger than Jim because she is involved in a very popular series called Eastenders; a soap opera. Jim got her to act the lead role while I supported. It was a Nollywood film that was shot in the UK . I have also been in other films; one is called The Dilemma, The Union, and so on. These are the Nollywood films that I have been involved in. The only form of acting that I have done in the UK arena is in stage productions.

Looking at your entry into the industry, do you think that being in the UK gave you an advantage of having a shortcut into Nollywood?

No, because I went for the audition and got chosen. There were quite a number of people there and so many of them were not Nigerians; there were Ghanaians, Kenyans etc because it was a black film and they needed black people. And again, there were some UK based actors and actresses that came for the audition as well. I auditioned for my role, it wasn't as if I just landed it. What actually helped me was that I belonged to my club and one of the pioneer members had a lot of dealings with a lot of producers and directors. Her name is Tesha Jacobs; we call her Lady TJ.

Can you describe working with Jim Iyke in your first romance with Nollywood?

Meeting him was a pleasure because I had heard much about him. He was very relaxed and wasn't really tough on me being a new comer. Apart from Jim Iyke, we had another actress bigger than Jim because she acts in the UK and Hollywood ; her name is Judie Shokumi. She is a Nigerian though she has never visited Nigeria . She is a popular face in the UK soap arena. So they made me very relaxed and I was so happy because that was my first acting job. I mean to be thrown into the deep end, I had to really show that I was capable of carrying the role given to me.

How much were you paid for the job?

It wasn't much, I got £300.

Was it encouraging for you to continue in the profession?

£300? Well I don't think I went crazy about it but I was like, 'what the hell, keep on doing what you are doing girl.

When did you come down to Nigeria to do your first Nollywood film?

It was in 2006 and I came with the same director that did Jim's film, he told me about a part and I said that I'll do it for free. The film is called Lucky Joe and had Okey Bakassi, Jide Kosoko and another UK based guy called Tony Akposere.

What's the difference between working in Nollywood in UK and working in the root Nollywood?

It was harsh; the weather; the moving around; the food. I was dehydrated most of the time. I knew it's because my system needed to conform to the weather because I am used to the cold. It wasn't easy.

We hear stories about sexual advances in Nollywood especially towards upcoming actresses; did you experience that in any degree?

No! Not at all, everyone was really nice to me. We were like family.

Having seen both film industries in Nigeria and abroad, can you give a comparison between the two?

I have not been very long in acting and can't really tell you much about the industry in the UK ; I haven't really been around that long. I have worked with few people who reside in the UK and are into film production and I can tell you that they have a distribution network that is organized. Some Nigerian marketers get in touch with them and they market their products here in England . But I can't really tell you much about Nollywood and UK .

How appreciative are Britons and other foreigners in the UK of Nollywood movies?

You wouldn't believe it; they love it in the UK like mad. I mean, there are so many outlets in the UK where we go to rent Nollywood films and they love it. White People love it, non-Nigerians watch it; people from Ghana , Uganda , Jamaica and so on love the films. It is big business here. There is a TV station right now in the UK called Nollywood that shows strictly Nollywood films and everyone tunes to that channel. The first time the station came on air, everyone called up their friends on the phone and were like, 'tune to CT 1 for Nollywood films.' All my friends that I went to their houses were watching the station. My mum watches it from morning till night. So I'll say there is a great awareness of Nollywood in the UK . The only thing that people are not very much happy about is the production and the magnitude with which films come out every week. But we are hoping that everything will get better.

You just mentioned how popular Nollywood is in the UK , shared your worries for the volume that comes out but have Nollywood being able to leave the living rooms and get into the cinema in Europe ?

Nollywood movies are now on cinema in UK . One of the movies that I came to shoot in Nigeria in 2005 called Lucky Joe premiered in the cinema and was running for 10 weeks. We had different Nollywood films being shown again and premiered as well as cinema. One of the premiers I went to, I think Mirror of Beauty was on the cinema. One film starring Genevieve Nnaji, Warrior Pact was also on the cinema, so was one of RMD's films. So you do get quite a lot of Nollywood films premiered on cinema but the challenge is that it's quite expensive to keep it running in the cinema but there is a great awareness and a lot is heard about Nollywood films reaching beyond Nigeria .

You were nominated for an award for your acting talents; can you share that with us?

Oh Yeah, it was an award for Best New Comer and I was up against an  actress called Evelyn Okoro that acted in the film Beyonce. Funny enough, I didn't know I was nominated. I was speaking with one of the organizers and he asked me how the votes were going, I replied, “what votes?' He was surprised and asked me to check the website and when I did, I was like, 'What?' I then picked up the phone and called everybody I knew to vote for me. It was a joy to know that I was put forward for an award. I think I was nominated for my role in the film Widow's Man. It was one of the films I did last year. But unfortunately, the show was cancelled.

Let's talk about your relationships; you are a beautiful lady no doubt and should have a guy somewhere waiting for the D-Day, who is this special person in your life?

The guy in my life is a very wonderful person though he is sometimes in support of my career as an actress and somehow not in support. So I still have to convince him that this is something I really want to do. He wants me to concentrate on my work and delve into something like Project Management or Programming than coming down to become an actress in Nigeria . He says if I want to act, I should go to LA or better still do it in UK .

Is he a Nigerian?

No, he is mixed. 

Are you trying to say that none of the Nigerians brothers was good enough for you to be proudly Nigerian?

No, there are a lot of Nigerian guys in the UK but I don't know what happened; it's where your heart leads you to. You can't help who you fall in love with. Many Nigerian guys have been approaching me but it's unfortunate that my heart did not lead me there. 

How challenging is it for you to work both as an IT person and as an actre

It's a situation I know that one day I have to take a definite decision on which to follow; it's either I give up my career and come down here to concentrate on acting or I stick to IT because both clash so greatly. Right now, I am heading back to work though there are some few projects that I would have loved to do but I can't just do them because I have to rush back to work. I know that a point would come when I would decide on what I really want to do and I might not be able to balance the two careers anymore.

If you are to be asked now which of the two you would stick with, what will be your answer?

It's hard because my job is very rewarding now and Nollywood isn't in terms of the money. I have responsibilities and of course I have to make enough money that would take care of my responsibilities as well as take care of me. I am not sure at the moment that what I receive from Nollywood can do that; my job can.

How long do you hope to be in Nollywood?

I think Nollywood is just a stepping stone for everybody; you go into it, you do what you can, get the popularity and if you want to stay in it, fine and if you want to move on to other things, it's still OK; the opportunities are endless and I just got started. I think I will reserve that question for another time.

Robot  # 1 | 06.04.2008 10:31

...Read the full article.

Son of the Delta  # 2 | 06.04.2008 14:32

I am yet to come across an actress that has been "sexually harassed" in the Nigeria`s movie industry. Abi are all these tales about harassment tales by moonlight!

Enforcer  # 3 | 06.04.2008 14:42

=Son of the Delta;4295002269>I am yet to come across an actress that has been "sexually harassed" in the Nigeria`s movie industry. Abi are all these tales about harassment tales by moonlight! Son of the Delta There are certain things you just have to discard as fairy tales. This is one of them.

Son of the Delta  # 4 | 06.04.2008 14:57

=Enforcer;4295002280>Son of the Delta There are certain things you just have to discard as fairy tales. This is one of them. @ Enforcer, Nigeria is full of pretenders.People should try to be who they really are.Everything gets worse because people pretend to be who they are`nt. I just hope we would start experiencing some positive changes in the public and private spheres of that society called Nigeria. A time people will be rewarded for their performance and not underperformance.

gwobezentashi  # 5 | 06.04.2008 15:22

If she is looking for sexual harassment, let her studio bosses set up stall in that Animal farm in Otta and she will know no less from Aremu the Beast. G

Namio  # 6 | 08.04.2008 11:28

Gwobe, Please mak u restrain yourself small. Let us focus on the lier. To whom I say SURE RIGHT!