Stardom Has Made Me A Better Person – Actress, Ada Ameh

Actress Ada Ameh has revealed that stardom has made her a better person.

She said this when she spoke to SAMPSON UNAMKA.

Stardom Has Made Me A Better Person - Actress, Ada Ameh

Ada Ameh is not a new face on the screen. She is one of the few in Nollywood who does not shy away from pouring her heart on societal issues. She has been quite vocal on societal and national issues without caring whose ox is gored. The actress with an experience of over 20 decades first registered her face in the industry playing the role of Anita in the 1996 hit movie, Domitilla. However, she has gone ahead to work on several productions and is now widely referred to as Emu Johnson in the award-winning sitcom, The Johnsons. In this interview with The Nation’s SAMPSON UNAMKA, Ameh talks about her journey into Nollywood, career, her thoughts on the new generation of actors, her issues with Naira Marley, among other issues.

How has the journey into Nollywood been so far?

It is getting better and better by the day. Nollywood is getting better, at least, there’s no doubt about the fact that we do quality movies now and every aspect of our movie-making now is getting better.

What do you think about the new generation of actors?

It’s only natural that new talents will spring up. We have new actors that are being born everyday in the industry and like I always tell anybody that cares to listen, the sky is big enough to contain all of us, the moment you’re not in competition with anybody, you don’t have a problem. Everybody has got their space.

As a famous actress, what do you think producers see in you that keeps them coming to you with different roles?

I think it’s just the interpretation of characters. For any role you give to me, I try as much as I can to deliver. I think that’s one of my selling points, quality interpretation of my roles.

Have you ever rejected a role before?

I reject roles because of the script. If the script is not good and if we are not agreeing on a particular fee, I walk out, but basically, my first trip must be the script.

You have spent over 20 years in the industry, will you say you’re fulfilled?

Fulfilled in what aspect?

Fulfilled as an actress, who has been favoured?

It’s still favouring all of us. The industry has no choice than to favour all of us.

You are one of the actresses that speak up or react to societal ills, do you get backlash, do people come at you?

I believe that anything that affects the eyes, affects the nose. If you know something is not good, then it’s not good. Anything that is not good, is not good.

But a lot of your colleagues just shy away from issues?

Ehn it’s them. If you have any opportunity, use it well. That is what it is, if you’re an influencer, if you’re an actor, a musician, whatever you are, entertainer all round, a politician, a medical doctor, any space you find yourself, just be able to do right and do well. Anything that is not good is not good, you cannot call bad good when bad is bad. When something is good, you say this is good, when something is bad, just say, you know you have done your own quarter. I don’t just do things, I’m not a clout chaser for the people that know me, they know that I’m not one of those actors. I know my worth, by the grace of God, will definitely speak for me if I’m doing good in my job. If I’m interpreting my roles well, fine, but anything that is not good, is not good. If you truly deserve something in my own understanding, you should be given, if this is for you, you should get it. In my own closet that I communicate with my God, I talk to God about every issue, so if I have to talk about anything, I must be convinced inside my soul that what I’m saying is the truth and once I have that feeling that what I’m saying is the truth, I say it. So it’s not something like you just want people to know.

Is it right to say some of your colleagues see controversy as a tool to get popular?

I wouldn’t say some people but yes some people but it’s stupid because the internet does not forget even if you like delete it, it’s there, there must be somebody that must have reposted it, there must be somebody that must have saved it. That space, that S-space, you’re not going to take it out if I saved it in my cloud, you can’t go there and remove it. We have cases where people dig into other people’s past and bring out some things that they said five, ten years ago so we should be careful even though you know I realised that we are Nigerians. I talk about Nigerians a lot because when we borrow a culture, we do it better than the owners of the culture, that’s how good we are. We have a culture, there are some things and values that our parents taught us, it doesn’t mean that all these things do not happen, I am an early mother, I became a mother when I was very young that is no news but there are some values that our parents told you that this thing is like this no matter how much you grew that thing will ring a bell in your head, sometimes it helps to curb your person.

What was your first pay as an actress?

My first pay, the amount? It was over N40, 000. Funny enough, in 1996 when we shot Domitilla, I think I earned about that amount, I think so I can’t remember.

What has stardom robbed you of?

Robbed me of? What has it robbed me of? I don’t know what it has robbed me of because I am myself at every point in time. I want to look the way I look, I want to do what I want to do, the only one is that it has changed me. It has helped me to be a better person because sometimes I want to fight on the street. Before now, I would have loved to get angry and fight when somebody does something annoying to me but now, I can’t.

What would you like to see the young generation of actors do better?

Let them just be true to themselves. It is not just about the fame, they shouldn’t let their fame control them, they should be more of themselves, and invest.

A lot of actors are going into movie production, are we expecting something like that from you?

I have started producing long before now that is the truth o. For now, I’m still a full-time actor working on one or two things. I’m cooking up on one or two things. I’m just trying to get myself back together by the grace of God. I’m just recovering, it’s not something I’m going to recover totally. I know it’s just a lifetime thing but then right now as we speak we are just getting better but 100% still on The Johnson’s and still working.

Stardom Has Made Me A Better Person - Actress, Ada Ameh

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Eyo Nse is a creative writer, blogger and a software engineer.He is a simple individual who loves to see others succeed in life.Mr Wisdytech as he is popularly known - started blogging in the early 2000's.