December 06, (THEWILL) – Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus speaks with SHADE METIBOGUN about her acting career, the challenges she encountered as an actress and why she is celebrating 20 years as an actress
You will clock 20 years as an actress this December. How does it feel celebrating such a landmark?
I feel super excited and elated. I feel so good about myself. I feel fulfilled but not fully because I am still on a journey. I thank God that I don’t look like what I have been through.
What do you mean by not being fully fulfilled?
What I mean to say is that I am still on a journey. I am a work in progress and I am still growing. I am still striving, but I am not there yet. I know I am trying and will continue to try. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I can assure you that I will keep trying.
What challenges have you had as an actress and how were you able to overcome them?
Challenges are part of life. There will definitely be one challenge or the other, but the way you handle it is the most important thing. Every industry and every career has its own challenges, but I will say that my journey has been a bit fair, maybe because I am a friendly person. I can relate with anyone. I respect people for who they are and I can manage anyone. Whether they bring good vibes or negative ones, I know how to handle everyone.
A lot of people came into the film industry and left within a year or two. What has been your staying power?
My childhood prepared me for my career. I was a member of the drama unit in secondary school. I also studied Theatre Arts at the university. I was raised for what I am doing now. I come from a background of acting. The experiences I had prepared me for what I am doing now.
Didn’t your parents oppose your decision to start a career in acting?
They did not like it. They told me that it was school they sent me to and not to become an actress. But I studied Theatre Arts. I don’t know what they were thinking. Both of them didn’t like it. It wasn’t until people started telling them that they saw me on television that they changed their attitude towards my career. After people started telling them that they had not been seeing me in the movies, both of them just left me.
What are the things you usually consider before accepting a movie script?
I have to know the story line. I have to know the producer, the director and the people that I will be working with. A good work will always be a good one. Once the script has a good story line and it is well put together, I will accept it.
You are planning to launch a book for your 20th anniversary. What is it all about?
I just want to tell my story. The book is about my childhood experience, things that happened in the industry, my journey so far, from childhood to adulthood. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet. Let us wait till the book is launched and people read it.
You seem to be comfortable with your sturdy physique. How easy has it been to close your ears to social media comments on your size and weight?
It has not been easy for me, I must say the truth. But my upbringing prepared me for everything. My mother has a carefree attitude and she has a good heart, too. She is always free with everyone. She doesn’t take anything to heart. I think I took after her. I don’t keep grudges. If I have issues with you, I will speak my mind and that is it. I just try as much as possible to be free and happy with everyone.
As much as people talk about my weight, I am not sure I have addressed any hater about it. I live my life as if they don’t exist. That is one of the things that guards my mind. That is why most things don’t get to me. I know that such things can break some people. It makes them to be distracted from what they are doing and lose focus. In spite of it, my eyes are always on the prize. I stay focused because where I am going is much more important to me. If you insult me today, it does not mean I will not be paid tomorrow. It is really not part of me to reply my detractors. Sometimes when they insult me, I go to the comment section and read up what they wrote and laugh over it. I come first in my decision making, I can’t be thinking for you.
How come you have lost a lot of weight?
First of all, I had planned that when I celebrate my 20 years on stage I would be showing a new me and I worked towards it. It wasn’t a day’s journey. I worked for several months. I have been filming my process of weight loss and it is titled My Weight and I. This is one of the things we shall bring out next year.
What was it like?
No weight loss is easy. I am doing a lot. I am using some products that I don’t want to disclose till the appropriate time. I am also filming the journey as well. When I get to my desired weight, I will share the experience with my fans.
What is your desired weight?
I don’t know for now. I just know that I don’t want to weigh more than 100kg.
You are an actress, entrepreneur and content producer. How do you manage to juggle all at once?
It has not been easy, really, but I can tell you that my mouth is very wide. I need more money and you know that man shall not live by bread alone. I just need more money and I have to do more in other to get what I need.
Many actresses can hold a grudge over a frivolous thing. What do you think is responsible for this?
There is no way many people will be in the same place and not fight among themselves. Everybody can’t behave the same way. It is not possible. We were not created equally. Some people are stupid, some are sane and some are mad. In the film industry, there are people from different walks of life. We cannot all think the same way. For me, I don’t have issues with anyone. If you have a grouse with me, then you have a problem because I am a jovial person. I tend to manage every situation and I tend to manage everybody. I can step on toes, but once I realise it, I will apologise. I am always the first to apologise. Most of those things don’t really matter to me. That is why it is easy for me to apologise, if I offend you.
Who are your friends in the film industry?
When you say friends, maybe your definition of friendship is not my definition of friendship. I have friends. There are people that I exchange pleasantries with. I think I have more of those people in the industry. The closest person to me is Funke Akindele-Bello. I have other people like Bimbo Thomas and Iyabo Ojo. It is just that I know the level of friendship I have with everyone. I relate with people at different levels, I must tell you the truth. I can’t be sitting here and lying that I have the same rapport with everyone. It is not possible. Even God did not create all of us equal. There are some people that you will like more than the other person. That is life.
But Iyabo Ojo called you out not long ago over Toyin Abraham’s movie, The Ghost and the Tout?
That is quite recent. I am talking about some years ago. We have been together for a very long time.
Are you still on speaking terms with Iyabo Ojo?
I don’t have issues with anyone. If you have issues with me, then you have a problem. Iyabo Ojo is one of the people I can point to and say I have people in the industry.
Attaining 20 years in the movie industry means you have considerable wealth of experience that you can share with people aspiring to be actors or actresses. If you are to advise such people, what will you tell them?
If you are interested in becoming an actress, you have to be ready, mentally, physically and emotionally. When I started out, I was only seeing the movie part of it. I didn’t know there is a business side to acting, which is what we are enjoying today. I am talking about things like endorsement, branding and anchoring. They are the business part of the job. It was just about the job back then. I didn’t know I could leverage the business aspect. But, we thank God, we are moving. We are not there yet, but we are hoping to get there.
Can you compare the industry when you started out to what it is now?
Between the time I started out and now, a lot has happened. Obviously the technical part of it has changed. The camera we used back then is not what we using now. We have different big brands now. When we started, the culture of going to the cinema was not like it is today. It has improved greatly. A lot of people go to the cinema to see our films now.
Can you recall one of your lowest moments as an actress?
That was when I was not getting movie roles in the industry. Despite the fact that I had been around for some time, roles were just not coming. The big break didn’t come on time. I featured in one Yoruba movie then, Hundred Years. That was when they started calling me Wule Bantu, which was not a proper break for me. It was not until Jenifa was released in 2009 that light finally shone on me. People got to know Eniola Badmus, Gbogbo bigsgirls and today, we are still bearing the nickname Gbogbo bigsgirls.
Why do you think you weren’t getting roles back then?
There was a whole lot of stereotyping. They were stereotyping me to a particular role just because they were body shaming me directly and indirectly. They said I was too fat for some roles. Some said I wouldn’t be able to carry my body. A whole lot went down emotionally for me. It got to a point where the new actors who came after me would be getting roles and I remained stuck. I would introduce them to producers and they will eventually abandon me for those new actors because I don’t have the kind of body that they have. That is why I made up my mind to shed weight before my 20th anniversary in Nollywood.
Have you always been this big, even before joining Nollywood?
Yes, from childhood. A lot of people will see my pictures from childhood during my event. We are putting all that together. I have always been chubby.
Are there still stereotypes in the movie industry?
There are many cabals in the industry. Everybody belongs to a clique. You have your own people you would love to use for some roles in the industry. There are some producers that would say they can’t use a particular person in their movie. In my own productions, I only cast people that I know will be available for what I want them to do. And they are people who will do the job well for me. Like my last movie, I didn’t even have my people in it. Most of the people I chose to work with were first timers and they performed very well.
You love to attend parties and to spray cash on celebrants. How rich are you?
I don’t have the kind of money that people think I have. I only manage to do what I can do. I am just a cheerful giver. Even if it is the last kobo on me, I will still share.
How was it like growing up?
My growing up was fantastic. I grew up with my father. At some point, I went to my mother. My parents are not living together. I attended Maryland Convent Private School and Airforce Primary School in Ikeja. I had my secondary education at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu Ode. I have two degrees. I studied Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan and Economics at Lagos State University. It was my father’s decision to get a second degree in LASU.
A lot of women don’t like to talk about their age, but a controversy surrounds your own age. How old are you?
The reason for the controversy is because I am friends with my older colleagues in the industry. When you see me with such people, you will think we are in the same age group. I think I am the youngest among my friends. They even bully me for it.
Why do you want to celebrate 20 years in Nollywood?
I want to have a party. I want to host people. I am planning to host 800 guests. It is a celebration for me. 20 years as an entertainer is not easy. It is huge. I never thought I would be here 20 years after. Even when I started, I just wanted to be acting and that was it. So, I want to have a party. I want to have fun with my colleagues, friends, my god-father and every one that I met in the course of my career. I just want them to come and celebrate with me. Everyone that has been part of my story and my history, I want to see them all that day.
After your anniversary what more should we expect from you?
I am still in the journey. People should expect more from me. I will be churning out great movies from my stables. I am also into other things as well. I am into grocery business, it is called Enibad Essentials and we sell American brands of groceries. There is Enibad Production, the movie aspect of my business; Eniola Badmus TV, where we stream entertainment contents and events on YouTube. I also have a clothing line, Da Big Line clothing for plus size people. I have a new project I just shot. It is titled Whiskers. It is coming soon on Netflix and other platforms, if possible. But for now, we are pushing for Netflix. We are also planning a new series. We are still producing more movies under Enibad Productions.
