Oge Okoye, the pretty, curvy and talented A-list Nollywood actress is known to be down to earth in everything. The mother of two spoke with AJIBADE ALABI in this exclusive interview on her career, marriage and the things that make her unique among her peers in Nollywood, while sharing what her immediate plans are. Excerpts.
What is the secret of your youthful look even after two kids?
I am slim naturally and I exercise a lot, especially in the first three months after childbirth to stay in shape. I do all kinds of exercise from cycling to normal stretching. I would exercise twice a day before but now I do it once
Why did you choose to have your baby in London?
I feel more at ease in London than any other country. Don’t forget that I was born there too. Besides, I want a better life for my kids.
Is it because of their citizenship?
Yes of course. I am a Briton too. I just want a good life for them when they get older. It will enable them to move around the world freely without hiccups. I believe they will have a better life with British citizenship.
Are you saying you don’t believe in Nigerian citizenship?
I just know that the step I took for my kids on their nationality is the best for them; I know what I am doing honestly. Nigeria is a good country and there is hope of it becoming better but I have my reasons. All my kids will have British citizenship.
How do you feel now that you are blessed with both male and female children?
I am so happy and thankful to the Almighty God for making me a complete woman. You know, the joy of every mother is to have a baby boy and a baby girl. We first had a boy and now a girl. We couldn’t have asked for more. I feel so great.
How do you intend to cope with the pressure of raising two kids, considering your career as an actress?
That is not an issue at all. When I had my first baby I got a lot of help from my mum and my domestic staff. I never allowed the movie thing to affect the mother-child relationship with my baby. I always came back early to make sure he is okay, though my mum was around to look after him till he get older. My children’s care can never suffer because of my career.
As much as the job is important, the home front is of foremost importance to me. I blend the two perfectly, such that none of it suffers for the other.
My baby boy is grown now and he goes to school. When I returned from my maternity leave, I worked only in Lagos because my baby was still very young but now I can do some works outside Lagos because she is no longer a baby. Having two kids is not an issue for me.
Are you excited now that you are on back on location?
I am finding it good and better every day. It is a job I love to do, so back to the job gives me a lot of joy. Before I left the country for my antenatal in London, I had more than nine scripts and I was hoping I could do the movies before I left but it wasn’t too easy for me.
Some of the movies have been shot already while some producers insisted I just have to play my role as soon as I am delivered of my baby. So, now that I have had my baby, I don’t have a choice than to hit the movie location as soon as possible.
Can you imagine that I returned to Nigeria in November 2011, by December 1, 2011, I was back on location because I enjoy doing it and besides, many producers couldn’t wait to have me back on set. Acting, to me, is not about money; it is more of passion and fulfillment.
Do you regret not featuring in some movies while on maternity leave abroad?
Not at all, the baby is the best thing that ever happened to me and I am very happy to be back.
How many more kids do you wish to have?
The number of children I wish to have depends on the number of children God has for me. If He says 10, who am I to say no? God has the final answer to that.
You seem to be a workaholic; do you make out time to relax?
You are right. I am a very busy person no doubt, but in as much as I am busy, I still make out time to relax. I relax anytime I am not working. Not that I am complaining but when duty calls, you need to answer promptly. Ideally, when I am not working, I spend most of the time with my kids.
I try to spend all the time with them because I know l'm not always there. You know, work takes me to lots of places all the time. When I need to relax, I relax in the comfort of my home with my kids. We go shopping and we do some recreation together.
Why do people think you are a club freak?
I don’t understand what you mean by a club freak. Does it mean I can’t unwind or what exactly do you mean? Club houses are meant to unwind and it is not a bad thing to go clubbing. I am a very busy person so I don’t club as often as people think, but once in a while I do unwind at club houses with my friends.
As a married woman whose husband is not always around, does he feel comfortable with your clubbing habit?
As a matter of fact, whenever he is in town we go clubbing together. He lives abroad and I grew up in London too. So, we both have a better understanding of unwinding at clubs once in a while. When he is not around, I go with my friends.
Of course there are limits, and I don’t go beyond my limit, I am not an extremist on clubbing matters. I do things with moderation.
You are based in Nigeria while your husband is in faraway Holland. How often do you see each other, or is it only when you want to make babies?
That is a very funny question. Well it is a fundamental question, so I will answer it. He is far away doing his business but we see regularly. I travel a lot to visit him and he comes around too once in a while, so it is not only when we want to make babies that we see. Whenever I am missing him, I travel to see him and of course we talk on the phone regularly.
How would you describe your husband?
I am lucky to be blessed with the best husband on earth. He is very loving, caring and a good friend at all times. He is very understanding and God fearing.
How did you meet him?
My husband is from Imo State. He is Stanley Dam. I met him on a set while shooting in a club.
The interesting thing is that at first he thought I was a prostitute. According to him, he didn’t know we were shooting a movie.
When he saw what I had on, he didn’t like it but he told his friend, ‘look at this fine girl, I’m going to bring her out of this lifestyle and marry her’. Then his friend told him that I was an actress and that we were shooting a movie.
They waited for us to finish shooting and one thing led to the other. We exchanged phone numbers and that was it. Of course, I didn’t take him seriously then because it is one thing to exchange phone numbers and it is another thing to follow up.
People call me every now and then, even those I didn’t give my number to. He kept calling and after a while I saw that he was serious and decided to give him a chance. That was how it ended up in marriage.
How do you intend to stand out in Nollywood?
I intend to step up my game by coming out with good movies and not just be on set for every movie. Good or bad, I intend to stand out for excellence and perfection. Right now, before I go on set, I will look at the script very well and if I am comfortable with the story, I am in.
You don’t expect me to show my face in any quack movie that may later have a bad effect on my reputation. I want to entertain my fans in a way they love. So, I try to keep my game up in the industry. What I know is that wishy-washy movies will only degrade you, and since I’m not in the industry just for money, I will be choosy.
What is it about your look that gives you an edge over your colleagues in the industry?
I am humbled to say this, that I have one of the finest skins in the industry. I do not show off, it is God’s doing, but I know my skin is an asset to me any time any day.
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