I get advances from men a lot. I cannot count how many times they hit
on me. Some of them walk up to me with lame pick up lines. There was a
day I used a picture of me and Bimbo Akintola on my BlackBerry. She is
my friend and a role model. We were at a movie location and I took a
picture with her. I used it as my BlackBerry display picture and someone
sent a message asking if that was Bimbo Akintola. I replied the person
saying she isn’t the one, that it was Iya Rainbow. There was another
time someone came up to me and said he likes me. I said thank you and he
said I should guess what. I asked and he said he really does not watch
Yoruba movies. I told the person that I don’t act Yoruba movies, that I
dance for Fela. He was shocked and said but I act Yoruba movies. I
replied the man saying that I thought he does not watch Yoruba movies. I
am not a harsh or aggressive person; everybody knows that all I do is
act in Yoruba movies. I am a very nice and friendly person and I know
that without my fans I am nothing. I have been able to cope with men
because right from my childhood, most of my friends have been guys. I
feel safe around them. I am a plain person; the thing with guys is that
when you have an issue with them, they clear it immediately unlike women
who keep talking about it all the time. When you are doing a great job,
the opposite sex would definitely always come after you. I am used to
it. Thank God, my man is an actor and a model, so he understands. Even
when men don’t look at me, I tell him that nobody is noticing me and he
teases me that it is because I am not fine again. Then we laugh it off.
The part of my body I consider as my best asset
I love every part of my body but if I am to choose I would say probably
my breasts. My smile and my lips are also good features of my body.
How I became an actress
I never wanted to become an actress. I wanted to be a
physiotherapist. I love attending to people, taking care of them. I did
my HND in Marketing; I have a Degree in Philosophy from Olabisi Onabanjo
University. My late brother, Mutab Aimakhu, had a friend, and the
friend had an uncle who happened to be Aina Kushoro. Bukky Wright wanted
to shoot a student movie and they needed someone to help them in
University of Ibadan. Kushoro called me and told me that he needed me to
help an actress. I asked who the actress was and he said that it was
Bukky Wright. I was excited because everybody was going to see me with
her. When she came around I was staring at her, I was telling everybody
that I was with my aunty. She wanted to park her car and I offered to
help her though I looked small and skinny; she did not believe I could
drive. They had an audition and I was just watching. I liked her so I
went to get her food and we sat together. I asked her why the people
were not getting it right and she said that acting is not easy. I told
her that there was nothing to it. She asked if I could act and I told
her yes. We were just playing. She told me to go on stage. The person
that directed it was Tope Idowu. I went on stage, they said I should act
some scenarios for them which I did and they said I did very well.
Everybody present there gave me a resounding ovation but I didn’t see it
as anything. I was not interested in acting professionally. They
started shooting and had some problems so they had to go to Ife. Bukky
Wright forgot something in Ibadan and asked me to help her bring it to
Ife. When I got there, she was upset and I asked her why she was down.
She said that an actress they were expecting had not shown up. She asked
if I could play the part but I was reluctant. I later played the part
and was good at it. Back then, it was part of my fashion style to put a
dot on the right side of my upper lip. The director of Jenifa, Muyideen
Sasiliu, was the continuity guy on set. He approached me and said he
needed me for something. He said he wanted to shoot a movie and he
needed someone that would play Rachael Oniga’s part as a young person.
He asked if the dot on my upper lip was natural and I said it was. When
finished Bukky Wright’s film, she gave me money and I was surprised.
Because of my background I was really shocked because I did not know
someone could make money through talent. Then I came to Lagos. My
journey to Lagos was like a joke; when I told my mother, she was very
surprised and worried for me because I hadn’t been to Lagos before. I
was born and bred in Ibadan. When I got to Lagos, everybody was just
complimenting me, saying I am beautiful. They kept asking if I could
drive because back then not many people could drive. When I acted people
commended me and when I was done, I got paid. I went to Bukky Wright
and she liked me. I visited her from time to time. Then she became my
boss. That was how I started acting.
My parents’ reaction to my acting career
There is something about my family. Then when I just got in the
industry I had problems with some people. They felt I was rude. It is
not that I am rude. The way I was brought up, in my house they allow us
to express ourselves freely. Even with my father, you have the right to
express yourself. That was my upbringing. You can talk; you do not have
to be scared of anybody. My parents would listen to you talk; they would
not make you afraid of them by threatening you with punishment. They
wanted us to be bold and this upbringing really worked for me. We do not
lie in my house because we were trained in a Christian way. My parents
would never choose what you are to do. They would let you do what you
want so that even when you run into problems you would be able to stand
on your own. My parents are old; initially my mother was scared but she
went to some pastors and they prayed for me. My mother said the only
thing she wants from me is that I should not forget where I come from
and I should not do what I am not supposed to do. I promised her that I
wouldn’t and if I do, I will die. She said that I will not die but live
to testify to the goodness of God in my life. I will never serve God and
money. My dad is a simple man; he lets you do what you want to do.
Initially they did not support it but with time they changed their
minds. Ever since I got their full support I have seen changes in my
life.
The stigma against actresses
People see actresses as being wayward but it happens with young girls
everywhere. But because we are known faces people tend to check our
every move. I feel we are meant to be role models. I will not blame
anybody; we are all from different backgrounds and have different
mentality. Actresses don’t fight over men. Once they know you are an
actress, they are ready to tarnish your image. Actress don’t fight over
men. I do not have anything against people that date married men but I
have never dated a married man and I would never do such. Because I am
crazy in films people tend to have a wrong perception of me. I do not
have tattoos, I do not use make-up except I am on set or I am going for
an event. I have never dated a married man. My first boyfriend was
Lekan, he is a young guy. I had another relationship with Niyi Solanke;
then my ex-boyfriend, Kunle Soyombo who went to the press and told
people I cheated on him. There is something about me; I pray a lot, I
always want my fans to be proud of me. I love them and do not want to
disappoint them. Kunle got married recently and I am with Niyi. To God
be the glory, I am engaged. My husband proposed to me on a ferry. I love
him and appreciate him. People see some actresses as wayward because of
the way they place themselves. I am sure that a lot of people would not
describe the likes of my boss, Bukky Wright, or Funke Akindele, Iyabo
Ojo as wayward. The few bad eggs are the ones spoiling the names of the
good ones. We have a lot of wonderful people in the industry. When you
sit down and look at the people that are the bad eggs, they are not in
the industry to act.
Strained relationship between English and Yoruba speaking artistes
I do not know about anybody degrading anyone because no one can do
that to me. If you mock me I retaliate. You cannot degrade me because I
am a graduate. A lot of people complain about it. I have a lot of
friends among them and we talk regularly. I have been invited to act
several English speaking movies. I was invited to act in Blackberry
Babes, but I was not around. When I was called I was not around because I
was shooting Femi Adebayo’s movie and I explained to them. It is a
personal thing. Sometimes when I see some people act as such, I would
complain but I would later keep quiet because I do not want to be
insulted. It is the way you package yourself, the way you talk to people
but there is no way anybody can downgrade me because I do not downgrade
people. I do not disrespect people so nobody can disrespect me. If you
do not want to talk with me, I would stay at home.
The money scandal I was involved in last year
My car was stolen from a friend of mine in September 2012. She wanted
to drop someone with my car and it was stolen in the process. I am a
public figure and from time to time, people give us gifts. I was
shooting a movie and a friend walked up to me that a guy wanted to take
us out because it was his birthday. I declined because I have a man and I
cannot go out. The next day, Ibrahim, the man came and said he likes my
movie and I thanked him. He said his father is an Islamic cleric and I
asked him to tell his dad to keep praying for us. He said that he heard
my car was stolen and offered to help. I accepted his offer to help,
people give us money as well. I would never receive a gift for sex. The
Bible says my body is the temple of the lord. I would never, ever do
such. It was a big issue that later involved my husband. If I had done
such, I would have been in big trouble. How would I have told him? My
husband would faint, he would have been so disappointed. I am a lady and
not married yet, it is normal for men to make passes at me but he knows
I am from a Christian home. He is a good Christian and I am from a
Christian home. If he hears such, he is going to faint. Ibrahim gave me
N750,000 cash. He actually wanted to buy me a car; I wish he actually
bought me a car so when the issue came up I would have just given him
his car back. The guy’s father is a wonderful man. He spoke to me like a
daughter and told me that the money was meant for someone else before
his son took it. it was a gift, I did not steal it, I did not beg for
it; but because he is a father and the way he spoke to me I listened.
Ibrahim has an uncle, Agbana, who was also nice; Ibrahim too was nice,
when he gave me the money, it was useful and I used it for something. I
returned the money, but I still have about N200,000 to return.
About my previous relationship
The reason why I kept quiet all this while is because I am a lover
girl. I fall in love; I love love. It is a sweet and wonderful
experience. It is a beautiful thing. I have been waiting for this
opportunity and I want my fans to sit down and think. I have never dated
a married man, I am not a child. They can count the people I have dated
and it is about four or five guys, including Niyi. Thank God I am
engaged now. I fall in love and I do not know how to hide the person I
am in love with. Once you ask me out and I say yes, I want to get
married to you. It means I am in love with you; however most of these
guys do not have the same intention. I have learnt that God’s time is
the best. I had been walking around like a fool; meanwhile God had
packaged Mr. Niyi Johnson for me. If I had married someone else apart
from Niyi Johnson I would not be a happy woman. Now I met my better half
and I love him. I do not even know the girl my former boyfriend is
married to. He took my car; the Honda is actually my car. He was a guy I
was in love with. I know Kunle is a funny person but there is something
about me, even when they tell me you are not a good person, I want to
deal with you. A lot of people have the wrong impression about me. I am a
professional; because I act on screen, I act well and want to make it
real. When you meet me, you realize it is just on screen. This has made
me to always give people the benefit of doubt. So when people tell me
about a person, I try to find out who the person really is. I bought the
car for about N3 million. He was my man and he gave me N1 million. I
just had to let it go because I was shocked and he was someone I loved. I
found out and I just kept quiet about it. There was a time Kunle was in
South Africa. The guy he went to meet was shopping while Kunle was at
home. The guy tried calling him but couldn’t reach him so he called me
instead. When he called me, he asked if it was boy or girl because he
wanted to buy baby things to send to me. I was surprised because I was
not pregnant. I was speechless; I called Kunle and told him what his
friend said, that he wanted to buy baby things. He said that I should
not mind his friend, that he wanted to buy it for one of his aunties who
had a baby boy. I am smart but I kept quiet and took my mind off it. We
did not have a fight, he just came to me to say that he wanted to
attend a meeting and he took my car, because it was the latest Honda. I
said okay and that was all, he stopped picking my calls. I sent him a
text message, telling him to keep the car. I serve a living God; the
next thing I saw was that he granted interviews saying that I was
cheating on him. I went on a day’s fasting, and for 24 hours I was
crying to God. I said that anything bad must not happen to anybody but
let the people, my fans know the truth. And the truth came out. He had a
wedding less than three months after we broke up. It was not even up to
three months and the girl was about six months pregnant. We had spent
Christmas and New Year together; he went to South Africa in November. I
was the one that did the South African visa for him. He came back; my
friend went to pick him up at the airport. We were together in the
house, we had a New Year’s party, a lot of people were at the party.
That means the girl had been pregnant all along and he had been playing
me. He got back from South Africa and did not buy me a single top. My
friends were surprised and asked why he did not buy anything for me, but
I told them that he did not buy anything for me because he said he was
broke. Meanwhile, people said they saw someone at the airport who came
to pick things for him. God has a way of doing things. I wish him well;
he was a wonderful guy too. I wish him well in life.
Me and my man
When you ask me about Niyi I feel like flying. I love him, he is my
joy, and my friends make jest of me a lot with him. If I want to eat I
call him; if he wants to do anything he calls me. We talk all the time.
Niyi is my junior colleague but three years older than I am. I saw him
in a movie and I was impressed by his acting. As seniors in the
industry, when we see upcoming acts we make our observations. There is a
tradition in the Yoruba movie industry, even if you are a 50-year-old
person and I am 20-years-old but I got to the industry before you, you
give me my respect. That is Yoruba, culture. I am 29-years-old. By
looking at him I knew he was older than me. He wanted to talk to me but I
was not interested because he is my junior colleague. Fortunately,
Funke Akindele called me for a job, Oro omo. On getting to the set, he
played my boyfriend. I would not lie, I liked him. When I saw him on set
he came to me and said he is playing my boyfriend, I did not sound
excited about it. I kept my cool. I asked him to walk me to my car, he
was talking to me and I know he liked me, he took pictures with me. On
set we were supposed to kiss, he had opened his mouth but I did not
indulge him. When they stole my car, it gave everybody a reason to talk
with me. He started talking to me and I was impressed by his
intelligence. I told him I had seen him in Tinsel and he does a lot of
soaps. His command of English is beautiful and that attracted me more to
him. I saw a book with him and I loved it because I also love reading
books. When he told me he likes me and wanted to date me I asked if he
was on cheap drugs. He just sent me a text, ‘I did my findings and I am
three years older than you, I know you don’t date for money and you
don’t do married men. I love you’. I was like who is this and I
disregarded the text. We later became friends and on my birthday, we
were the only ones in the sitting room, people were outside. He told me
he wanted to use the toilet so I had to take him, as we were going; he
just dragged me to himself and kissed me. I could not resist him. He
confessed to me that he liked his movies. On December 31, 2012, we were
coming from Moji Olaiya’s movie location. He told me to allow them take
the car away, giving several excuses. He told us to take a ferry, and on
the ferry he proposed. That was the sweetest thing that could ever
happen to a woman. He asked and I said yes. I told him that he should
have told me so I would have hired people to shout yes on my behalf. We
came back and there was a cab waiting for us.
My current project
I just shot Alacada part 2, we are taking it to the cinema. On January
22, I am going to start another movie; it has to do with autism. I am
playing the part of a girl with autism. Her father has autism, it is a
heredity problem; I inherited it from my father but mine is a worse
case. My father used to be very rich and my mother married him for his
money. Everything went bad and she left us. It was just my father and I.
I had a best friend who happened to be an imbecile. However, my
character has a talent, she can drum very well. She thinks like a child,
she has the brain of a six-year-old although she is about 30 years. She
has a gift, she can drum real good, later she becomes famous.
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