The Fruit Tree

INTERVIEW: Dream, Plan and Execute - Mawuli Gavor

Briefly tell us all you can about yourself and what you do for a living?

My names are Mawuli Peter Gavor. I'm an Accountant/Model turned Actor/TV Host/Producer.

Born in Accra, Ghana to the two greatest parents to walk the earth.

Follower of Christ, Music lover, Sports enthusiast.

I'm just a regular guy trying to enjoy life one day at a time.

ON HIS PERSONALITY

Tell us briefly about your childhood, what was life like growing up?

Actually had a pretty decent childhood, all things considered. My parents made just about every sacrifice to make that happen. Grew up pretty close to my siblings. Was fortunate enough to have the best of both worlds, so to speak. Had the regular school life with the toys and games but also had the life of chasing grass cutters and daily walks to buy charcoal for the coal pot.

What were your hopes and dreams?

Mainly just to have a family of my own and a successful business. Honestly, it really  doesn’t take that much to make me happy. Never really had intentions of becoming one particular thing (lawyer/doctor/engineer) or entering one specific field. I truly felt I could be successful at just about whatever I put my mind to. I did dream of becoming a pastor at one point though. Not even kidding. I was just about accepting what my life was going to be after I moved back to Ghana, assimilating to my full time job as an accountant before life basically pulled a bait and switch on me. You could say I have a new set of hopes and dreams now.

 Tell us about some of the challenges you faced growing up.

I can’t claim to have the most embattled childhood so I don’t really talk of my bad experiences. If we’re being honest a lot of people have much harder lives than I had.  I can say that I’ve been blessed enough to have a pretty supportive family so anything I’ve had to face in life has been made exponentially easier to bear and overcome.

Did you ever imagine you’d one day be in the spotlight? What was the initial experience like?

Imagine? Of course. Everyone as thoughts of being famous one day. Didn’t really consider it a likelihood though. I did know that if the opportunity ever came I wouldn’t pass it up. I guess in my case visualizing your future was enough because it actually did happen for me.

What influenced your career as an actor?

Watching other actors and entertainers (worldwide) before me use their influence to impact positive change in any capacity.

Describe your personality, is it anything close to that portrayed on AM HUSH?

I’m not that complicated as a person, in my opinion at least. Most days I’m amused at the path I chose for myself because I’m largely an introvert. Would rather be home than out running around in public, but that’s simply a part of my job so I try to adapt as best I can. My character on Hush is quite the opposite. Tes is the definition of complicated, mainly because he has a much darker past and family turmoil than I ever could in real life.

 If you could change an aspect of your life, what would that be?

Not really sure I’d want to change anything. Everything happens the way it’s meant to. Always has. But in a perfect world I’d want to be better at keeping in touch with my friends and family.

 If you had the power to influence change in the world, what would you do?

Make it harder for our leaders to be unaccountable for their actions.

Would you call Nigeria a second home? What’s fascinates you about the country?

At the moment I spend more time in Nigeria than I do anywhere else, so yes I”d consider it my second home. By far the most interesting place I’ve ever lived. I’m probably most fascinated by the level of happiness people are able to maintain despite dealing with daily frustrations. Before I moved here people often told me if you can live in Nigeria you can live anywhere else.

I’m starting to understand why.

 If you had the opportunity to inspire someone with an event from your career, what would the story be?

One of the biggest breaks of my career happened off the back of a spur of the moment decision. Flew to Lagos for an audition I’d only heard about the previous day. Had no contacts at the time, no idea about where I was going, where I was going to stay, etc. Basically no plan .I just decided to get on that plane and see how it would pan out. Completely bombed it. Worst audition ever. Didn’t remember half of the lines, was nowhere close to adequately prepared, but I walked in with as much confidence as I could fabricate, auditioned with a smile, thanked them and left. Flew back to Ghana that same day. Didn’t hear a single word for months, so naturally I assumed it didn’t work out. Felt like I’d wasted my time and money, put myself out there only to be rejected. Took the L and moved on from it mentally. One random weekday when a producer from the network calls to ask if I’m ready to start shooting in a week. I’m shooting, who what and where. Turns out I’d been picked a while ago, just hadn’t been told. Literally a few days later, bags packed, I was on another plane back to Lagos. A year and a half later here we are.

                

If there’s anything I have unwavering belief in, it’s the fact that all we can ever do in any situation is offer the best we have with courage, regardless of how unqualified, unworthy or unprepared we feel we are. The rest isn’t really up to us. What is yours, you can’t lose.

 What is the most extreme change you’ve done to your personality (hair, body weight, etc.) just to prepare for a role?

Since I started with this part of my life I’ve been shooting just about non stop, mostly on multiple projects simultaneously so it’s often hard to drastically change my appearance due to continuity conflicts.

ON HIS CAREER

Kindly give us a list of some of the movies you’ve done.

Devil in the Detail, A Place Called Happy, One More Day ... Click Here To Finish Up The Interview

Photography by Ellis Mbeku for EMSTUDIOSng

www.emstudiosng.com

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[PAGE 2]

INTERVIEW: A Gentleman's Journey - Jerry Mudiaga

Kindly tell us about yourself and what you do for a living?

My name is Jerry Mudiaga Bakpa, also known as Jerry Mudi, born 0n the 6th of August in the 80’s. I am from Oghara in Delta State Nigeria. I'm an actor,model, singer, an aspiring radio/TV personality and a businessman. Born in the UK and raised in the north - precisely Kaduna. I am the second son and the fourth child of a family of eleven.

ON PERSONALITY

What were your childhood years like – did you have pre-defined hopes and dreams?

Growing up with my brothers and sisters for me was very interesting, an experience I hold dear to my heart. Through the years, I have lived in about 7 states across Nigeria including Lagos where I am currently based, but as we all know home is where the heart is.

Did I have pre-defined hopes and dreams? Yes I did, as a child I wanted to be a Petrol Chemical Engineer, I always knew there was lots of money to be made even at an early age.

You seem to be a man of so many passions, what else are you involved in other than acting?

Yeah sure, I am an Entrepreneur, so I keep my options always open when it comes to diversifying my income streams.

Kindly describe some of the challenges you’ve had to face in achieving your goals and aspirations as an actor?

My personal struggle began in 2010 when I arrived in Lagos for a Tinsel audition, It turned out great but until I got a call back on my way out of Lagos since I didn’t have accommodation at the time, So, I had to make a U-turn only to realize that my picture was rejected and I couldn’t capture a new one just because I didn’t know anyone with the same suit size in Lagos at that time. Good thing, I finally got into Tinsel after more auditions. One vivid experience I can't forget was after having gone through a series of auditions with high hopes, I was called in and handed a two page script titled ‘’boy one” with a line ‘’she is dead’’. Now I was weak, discouraged and not sure what to do, so I smiled and walked out, dropped the script and never looked back.

In getting to where you are today, how much hard work did you have to put in?

Alot of hard work was and is still being put into becoming the Actor that I can be proud of. Auditions, lots of auditions, watching and learning from inspiring actors on screen, reading up on the internet about the craft and also learning on the job is what got me here and hopefully one day I can inspire young aspiring actors.

Describe your personality.

I'm warm, loyal, adventurous with a huge and fragile ego. A goal getter, action-oriented and driven by the desire to be loved and admired, I love to impact and change lives for the better. I believe I have an air of royalty about my self. I'm kind, helpful, a big-heart that showers love and affection on people.

What three character traits would your friends say you possess?

They would certainly say I'm kind, hardworking and headstrong.

What do you LOVE about yourself and why?

Oh, what I love about my self, hmm.......I love a lot of things about my self. The fact that I am created this good, with a heart and soul so honest and loyal, a lover who is  never afraid to show it. A fighter for a good course, friendly, sociable, humble, always ready to learn and a giver who always looks out for people. I love these things about me because there make me me.

                        

How was your first experience on set, did you feel intimidated by anyone?

My first experience was on a Tinsel set, an extra at Ziggy’s bar, can’t forget it. It was a 6AM call time. met other actors and brought my observant self.  I sat, listened and watched before mingling. I was excited, having been given an opportunity on Mnet’s biggest show. Every other thing didn’t matter at that time. So did I feel intimidated by anyone? Nooo!  Inspired and challenged are the words.

ON HIS CAREER

How versatile are you as an actor?

As actors we’re generally expected to be versatile enough to play everything. At least that’s the general consensus regarding acting as a profession, and not simply from actors and their coaches. A versatile actor is someone whose resume covers a wide range of characters, from playing the chill guy/girl to a psychopath, and am still on this beautiful journey to exploring different characters. So giving a 1 to 10, I’ll say 5... Click Here To Finish Up The Interview

Photography by Ellis Mbeku for EMSTUDIOSng

www.emstudiosng.com

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[PAGE 3]

INTERVIEW: Baaj Adebule is UNDAUNTED!

Kindly tell us all you can about yourself and what you do for a living?

I am a young Actor, Film Maker, model and Host but mostly an Actor and a Film Maker.

I’ve starred in a couple of movies, series and short films and I also run a Media Production outfit called House of Baaj Pictures. We received a Zafaa award for best short film in 2015 for the film "Seeing Betrayal" which is free to watch on YouTube as well and currently working on filming a series. As a person I'm pretty much a simple guy, I love to work, I love my work and I love preparing to work When I'm not working, I love sports, adventure, travelling and most of all, I love watching movies, cartoons, anime and TV series.

ON HIS PERSONALITY

What was your childhood dream and what was life like growing up?

I had a bunch of childhood dreams. I wanted to be a lot of things growing up so I did a lot dabbling. Wanted to be a scientist then a computer engineer, then a basketball player, then an actor, then artist, then a musician and so on and so forth but in all I just wanted to be the best of me. My life growing up was pretty simple, I was raised in a comfortable loving family. I didn't have everything in the world but I had everything I needed.

Did you face a notable challenge while growing up, who did that influence your personality?

I did, just like everyone else. Apart from the usual travails of finding yourself, maturing and learning to grow, I am from a polygamous family so to speak. Also my parents later split up when I was a teenager which was pretty hard for me at the time, watching a family fall apart but we've all come a long way from there and moved on and up, together. Grown to be quiet headstrong and self-reliant in most aspects of my life.

I know you're a man with many passions. What influenced your career in acting? 

Like a lot of young ones I was quite addicted to television. Even though my Dad banned me from watching it and I'd get in trouble for disobeying but it still didn't stop me. I would spend a lot of time watching movies, cartoons and series that sometimes I wouldn't even fully understand but I didn't care. I would see the beauty of these creations and constantly marvel at them. Even though it took a really long time to finally gather the courage to go for it, the seed had been planted really early and it was just a matter of time.

Has it been easy being an actor in Nollywood, what difficulties did you have to contend with?

Nothing in life is ever easy and in Nigeria everything is always hard. It just always feels like everything and anything is working against you. More so in Nollywood. The first issue was believing enough in myself and in my dream to actually go for it then getting support from my family as well which didn't come easy at all. I worked 9-5 for about 2yrs after leaving school before deciding to go into entertainment fully which was a very risky move. My Mum especially was scared for me but she has always been a woman of faith and has always believed in whatever I choose to set my mind to so she had my back, awesome woman. Started out going for numerous auditions, I'm saying close to a dozen or more a month for about the first 3years of my career. Whilst doing that I focused on improving myself as an actor and as a person. Constantly learning, researching, rehearsing, developing new skills and reinventing myself.

If you could acquire a special skill or power right now, what will it be?

I would really love to be able to play number of musical instruments and speak a lot of languages. Music is just too wonderful and being able to create it is magical to me. Being able to meet and converse with different people with different backgrounds from all around the world would be heaven to me. It'll feel like an endless exciting adventure. And for Powers, I would love 

If you could influence a drastic change in the world, what would you do?

I am very much against the permanent ideologies of the world which are tied to culture, tradition, religion and social beliefs. A lot of unwritten and written laws placed on our lives controlling the way we are expected to live and exist are either outdated, wrong or just an unfair form of control. If I could influence the world which I believe I already am, I'd push for us to live our lives the way that makes us happy as individuals, It wouldn't cause anyone any harm as it will only promotes the well-being of the planet and people that live in it. Rather than the beliefs and wants of the people in authority or power and that of some ancient civilization's culture, religion or school of thought.

What do you think is unique about our country, Nigeria?

As a country we have so many resources both in terms of labour and product. We Nigerians are like water and rock at the same time. We can reshape and adapt ourselves to any situation to ensure our survival and we can be dogged as well in not wanting to give up on ourselves. Unfortunately this is also our flaw. The fact that we seem to be able to thrive in the most adverse of conditions has made us not fight for our rights and fight against those who have unjustly taking advantage of us. We are unique because we are so powerful but we knowingly or unknowingly choose to be be weak, gullible and ignorant.

If you had the opportunity to inspire someone with a story from your life's experience, what would that story be?

A friend of mine had me meet with a young new actor to help him out. I did the best I could. A couple of weeks later he called me up and asked me "What kept you going?". I had never really been asked that before at the time and never actually thought about it. When I think back to the number of "Nos" and how it looked very unlikely that anything would give, I wondered, what did keep me going!? So I answered him like I was answering myself, "I just wanted to Act", and he understood. What I am trying to say is, you have just one life and you have a dream or dreams. The obstacles and disappointments and all will always be there. But what should most importantly be on you mind (and this should never leave you mind and your heart) is WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE? That's honestly all that matters. Because if you've really decided that this is what you want to do, then you can and must spend your life chasing it. Endeavour to achieve it no matter what because there's nothing else worth doing.

How much effort have you had to put into advancing and developing your career as an actor?

I've had to put a whole lot. Starting out, all I had was the passion and the zeal to want to be an Actor and Film maker. I wasn't particularly even good at it. So I thought to join a film school but I didn't have enough money at the time. I knew no one in the industry and I didn't have any personal or family ties to any influential Nollywood figure either. So I knew I was starting from the very bottom but I also knew there's no where else to go but up. So I began studying off the internet particularly YouTube and also learning from any actor or director I'd meet or work with. Also making connections of my own through the industry. I focused on improving every day, on every project, with every role because I had a very big dream and each time I learnt something new I felt like I had taken one more step to achieving it.

ON HIS CAREER 

Kindly give us a list of some of the movies you've done… Click Here To Finish Reading The Interview

Photography by Ellis Mbeku for EMSTUDIOSng

www.emstudiosng.com

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[PAGE 4]

INTERVIEW: God Showed Up At My Party 

- Lydian John

Kindly tell us your name, a bit about yourself and what you do for a living?

I am Lydian Onyinye John Adikaibe. Popularly known as Lydian John. I hail from Imo State. A graduate of English and Literary Studies from Anambra State University. I was once the National Director of Socials and National Vice President of Students of English and Literary Studies, and also Head of Socials, SUG.I am a Thespian. I have been for over 15 years. I directed and performed "Things Fall Apart" in Chinua Achebe's house, at his wake-keep. I’ve also directed and choreographed over a hundred Actors in the play "The gods are not to blame”.

I began my journey on screen in late 2013.And it's been amazing so far. I am also a multiple award winning Dancer, a TV Presenter, Motivational Speaker, MUA and an MC. I am fun-loving and I believe in the true essence of life, which is love. I'm not a fan of liars, hypocrisy and injustice.

ON HER PERSONALITY

Tell us briefly about your childhood days, what you loved doing, your hopes and dreams.

My childhood was Fun. Growing up, I loved to engage in a lot of games, you know, "police and thief", "catcher", "ten ten","suwe”. Lol. I could go on and on. I also loved to take pictures, Read fairy tales and watch a lot of cartoons, dance and choreograph dances, act and direct plays, sing, write stories... Yes... I write too. I hope I can contribute in making the world a better place. I also wish to become a Great Actress of repute, a voice and a helping hand to many.

How would your close friends typically describe you?

Crazy!!! Mad!!! Funny!!! I get that a lot...lol...and then they won't forget "deep" and "filled with God's Grace"

Describe a day in high school, what were you like?

I attended Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Lagos. I was quite active, participating in literally every social event (dance, drama and even debate competitions). .I eventually became a social prefect. There were really interesting times back in school, however, the day I'm least likely to forget was one rainy day, when we had our biology practical. So we had to go in search of earthworms, which was the specimen. I couldn't touch "mine" when a friend handed it over to me. I can't forget how I cried in disgust. I could have sworn I fainted with my eyes wide open and all teary...... I do hate them... Really creepy.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced?

The war within me to choose to be better than I already am, each time the opportunity presents itself and the patience that comes with waiting for time and chance. It can really be frustrating.

Tell us how you manage challenges associated with being famous. Do people now treat you differently?

Ehen... I'm famous? Nice one oooo... Lol.

I do know a lot of people. Some reach out to me and say really beautiful things about my art. I appreciate it all. I've however tried to prepare my mind not to focus on the challenges, and not to forget who I am when the ovation is high and the applause, deafening, that way, I get to truly enjoy life, famous or not.

Describe your personality, what do you represent and stand for?

I stand for truth, love and happiness. If it were up to me, evil will no longer be popular and good will take the lead. The Utopian world is my dream. But as a realist, I've accepted what is obtainable, but would not hesitate to right things the moment I get a chance. I do believe one can effect positive change if in the corridor of power.

If you could change a perception people have about you, what would it be?

I can speak ENGLISH...lol. It's unbelievable and I find it rather amusing that some people who watch me on HUSH, and THE AUDITION, where I played a Yoruba (ADURA) and Warri (NOSA) character respectively, believe that I do speak that way off screen. And the expression on their faces when they realise I'm Igbo and also when they hear me speak English is literally PRICELESS!!! I've heard a lot of times. "Wow... Adura can speak English and she speaks really well too." It makes me laugh, and they say it's because I was true to the character....... I appreciate it. But please my people, I can speak ENGLISH...... LOL

Tell us about some of the challenges you have gone through to get to this point in your career?

I have had to go for countless auditions, under the rain, sun, with hurting feet from the stilettos and beating heart out of fear of not being chosen. I have had the unbearable waiting moments of "when would the next job come?” I have had to deal with sexual Harassment and I remember someone once said "it's because you're a fine lady”. I still remain disgusted each time I remember that statement. I have had moments of "Am I really in the right profession, or shouldn't I get a "proper" job? “I've seen skepticism from people over my choice of career. I have had someone tell me that "I'm not fit for the industry" and I still remember the shock on the person's face when she saw me come to collect a script at Africa Magic office. And there are times when I feel helpless if "in my mind" I didn't interpret a character how I would have loved. Hollywood style na... "Ghen Ghen Element".lol!

What motivates you the most, determination or ambition?

Ambition. It helps me remember the goal, while determination helps me stay focused on achieving it.

ON HER CAREER

What inspired your career in acting?... Click To Finish Reading The Interview On Fruit Tree Magazine

Photography by Ellis Mbeku for EMSTUDIOSng

www.emstudiosng.com

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[PAGE 5]

INTERVIEW: Living Everyday With  A Will To Succeed

- Helena Nelson

Tell us about yourself and what you do for a living?

My name is Helena Nelson, from Ugep in Cross River State, Nigeria.

I love to talk, travel and meet people. Most people say I'm an extrovert but I feel otherwise. I'm a music lover and will always want to dance to a tune.

I'm an Actress and a TV Producer.

ON HER PERSONALITY

How was growing up as a child, what you loved doing, your hopes and dreams?

It wasn't easy for me because I had to shuffle between two parents. My parents didn't get married so it was hard. I always thought I became an adult really early because I had to depend on myself for almost everything.

What’s your educational background and how did it prepare you for a career in acting?

Lol. Education never prepared me for acting o. I studied nursing in the university but I didn't finish the course because it wasn't my calling. When I have the time I'll get a degree, but for now it's acting all the way.

What life-changing experience have you faced and how did you manage to deal with it?

I have had a lot of experiences growing up, from almost being raped in my father's house by my cousin to being sexually abused at age 6 by my mother's then boyfriend and beaten to a pulp by an ex-boyfriend. The thing is, most experiences actually shape us to who we are today. I have been able to deal with them. And it's cool now. I would also like to mention the time a soldier beat me up at INTELS, Port-Harcourt just because I didn't have Kunu to sell to him. I was hospitalized and woke up days later. My mum couldn't stop crying. I now despise soldiers, but I am tolerant of them.

Describe your personality, you beliefs and what you stand for?

I'm open minded, very excited about living and working hard for my dreams. I'm goal oriented, can be lazy sometimes but hey, we all have our down sides. I believe in love, hard work, perseverance and genuine success. I stand for pure art. I will give anything for my art. To be seen, heard and felt.

If you could be something else in life, what would that be?

Do give a reason for your choice.

Mehn, this is hard o. I don't think I've ever pictured myself being anything else in this life. Maybe a traveler or a chef. because I enjoy cooking a lot. And I always want to travel to new places and meet new people.

What episode of your life would you consider as the most traumatic?

When I was almost raped in my father's house. The most traumatic for me was that he was my cousin, my dad “panel beated” me and blamed me and said it was my fault just because I sleep with a nightie. I hadn’t even develop breasts then! It was at that point I knew my father never liked me for any reason.

If you had the opportunity to inspire someone with an event from your life, what would the story be?

I have done a lot of things. Dropped out of school, hawked Zobo and Kunu to help my mum. I'm not there yet, but I am better than what I was. Life has a way of spinning us around till we find our bearing. I'm very comfortable with talking about my experiences because I have nothing to hide. These are my experiences. These are what made me who I am today. I hope you get inspired by it.

You seem to have gone through a lot in life, what is your source of inspiration?

My mum. We fight a lot, but I just want to make her life better. She's a very industrious woman, but she's flighty. I always want her to smile.

ON HER CAREER

Kindly list some of the movies you’ve starred in ...Click To Finish Reading The Interview On Fruit Tree Magazine

Photography by Ellis Mbeku for EMSTUDIOSng

www.emstudiosng.com

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[PAGE 6]


INTERVIEW: Determination, My Key To Ultimate Success 

- Dami Ann Alabi

Tell us about yourself and what you do for a living? – Kindly include some of your projects with dates.

My name is Damilola Alabi. I'm a Nigerian and a yoruba girl from Ondo State.

I’m a UK based filmmaker and entertainer. I’ve produced several movies. I also act and present TV shows as well as Radio shows. This is what I do for a living. Some of my projects are The Rubicon (2014), Rescue Me (2008), Wannabe (2014), Temilorun (2017), Ruby Tales series (2014), Mystified (2017)

ON HER PERSONALITY

Tell us about your childhood – Where you were born, what you loved doing, your hopes and dreams while growing up.

My childhood was very good. I was born in Lagos State, Nigeria to an Accountant mum and an Engineer dad. I loved making friends growing up, I was quite the social type. I dreamt of been a news broadcaster because I admired the newscaster on TV.

What educational qualifications do you possess and how did this prepare you for a career in acting?

I studied Law at the University and I worked in law firms for some years. It was while working at a law firm I had my first acting experience so while my educational qualification didn’t particularly prepare me for my film career, I can say it played a huge part in getting me started.

Did you ever imagine you would one day become an acclaimed and celebrated Actress and Filmmaker? What influenced your passion to excel?

I never really imagined I would one day become a celebrated actress, all I knew at the time was it was a passion that I wanted to indulge in as much as possible. I just wanted to act that was all? Everything else that comes with it now is extra and very well appreciated. There's nothing like doing the thing you love and enjoy.

Describe Dami?

I’m an easy going person, I do tend to care too much about what people say and think of me but I'm working on that as you cannot get anywhere in life thinking and worrying about what people think of you. I like to think I'm friendly and approachable but I'm quite shy and sometimes people misinterpret it as me being snobbish.

Tell us about the first role you played in a movie, what was your initial experience like?  

My first acting experience was in 2008 on a movie called Rescue Me produced By Afolabi Makinde of Best of Your Choice. I played the role of a doctor who broke the pregnancy news to a joyous couple played by Clem Ohameze and Steph Nora Okeke. It was an amazing experience and I knew then and there that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Were there times when you wanted to give it all up due to challenges and difficulties? If YES, what kept you going?

There were times when I felt maybe I was doing things wrong and I was sorely tempted to give up most especially when some people close to me asked me if I was sure of what I was doing. What kept me going was the knowledge that I love what I am doing and really couldn't imagine myself doing something else. I have a burning passion for acting and film production so I just have to make it. I told myself I needed a lot of patience and determination. It’s a conviction for me and so I made myself find different ways to approach the situation. That’s how I was able to deal with it all. 

What episode in your career would you term as the most challenging and why was it so?

The most challenging episode in my career was when I was just about to get into it. I didn’t know how to start, I didn’t know anyone or anything all I had was the drive. So I started going for auditions and castings and some of these auditions you have to wait hours before you get attended to and sometimes after waiting for hours they don’t even attend to you at all. And there were times I had to pay to attend auditions that nothing came out of. Also in Nigeria there were a few times I met some producers and they would make the most embarrassing propositions to me in exchange for an acting role. Lots of broken promises along the line.

For me challenges are a part of life how to deal with them and overcome is the important thing. And to do that one just has to keep going, stay focused, roll with the punches and celebrate the little victories.

What’s would you attribute to your successes, determination and passion?

I will say for success one just has to be determined and passionate. You always have to keep your goals in mind. And the determination to succeed comes from the passion and love you have for what you are doing. If you love your career you will be determined to make it work.

ON HER CAREER

Tell us about your first acting opportunity in the movie “RESCUE ME”. What was the experience like?... Click To Finish Reading The Interview On Fruit Tree Magazine 

Photography by Ellis Mbeku for EMSTUDIOSng

www.emstudiosng.com

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The Fruit Tree Magazine

Life is increasingly becoming more difficult for most Nigerians. As our economy depreciates, cost of living has become an overwhelming challenge for most. Each day is now synonymous with complaints and frustrations, people are clueless and without answers.

It is a terrible thing waking up every morning without a direction or a purpose. This frame of mind is not the type born out of laziness but a symptom characterized with a mind-set that is slowly and gradually giving up on hope.

“Wikipedia defines Hope as an optimistic attitude of mind that is based on an expectation of

positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large”.

The loss of hope leads to the eventual death of self, the urge to press on and the drive to achieve.

Our quest for success rides largely on our interpretations of hope and how we choose to appropriate it. Hope fuels our passions, motivations and inspirations. It keeps our burning desire flaming even in the midst of challenges and when everything seems overwhelming.

Hope must be preserved even if everything else dies.

We must constantly be able to reassure ourselves that the adverse situations will change, that good will come and that all our good efforts will be rewarded at the end. But to do so, we must be inspired always by feeding our minds with positive experiences - true and genuine experiences that can be attributed to our situations and experiences we can rationalized as testaments to our power to overcome all.

The Fruit Tree Magazine (FTM) was created as a conduit to project hope and channel strength through inspiration. It was from a realization that our well-being matters and there's a potency in shared individual experience, especially when they are positive and transformational. Today and all around us, we see a large number of people frustrated, disgruntled and uninspired. We may probably be able to relate with their situations but there actions or reactions will never translate into productivity for themselves, the companies they work for, the people around them and the nation as a whole.

As a magazine, we may not be able to change our economy or the prevailing situations that surround us as a nation but we can endeavour to make a difference by inspiring and motivating people by sustaining their hope, refuelling their passions and encouraging the strength to persevere. We are doing this by using true to life narrations, illustrated by people who have positively changed their situations and made a success of their lives.

The magazine attempts to re-emphasise the value of determination, focus and hard work by sharing the various travails in the lives of people who share our vision. This includes sharing their hidden struggles and visible successes with the anticipation that it may encourage people to look within themselves to see that they are their own obstacles to attaining success.

You can view our editions by clicking on this link: www.emstudiosng.com/interviews