Ejiro Okurame
Eight years
ago, Delta State indigene from Isoko to be precise, Ejiro Okurame came
into the industry . among the television productions she has featured in
are Hills and Valleys, Everyday People, Clinic Matters and Ashes of
Love. She talks to OVWE MEDEME on life behind the camera, the benefit of
having a female president for the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and a
host of other issues.
HOW did you end up as an actress? I
always wanted to be a model. Before I even had the notion of becoming an
actress, I was into sports. I was an athlete. I was doing track events
so when I graduated from the University, I was bored at home so I called
a friend up and we went to a modeling agency. When we got there, we
were given a job but we did not take it. Out of boredom, I decided to go
to the AGN to register with them. One of the executives there
registered me and I got my first job. It was stressful and challenging. I
was so tensed up that I missed my lines. I was nervous and shaky but to
God be the glory, I was able to pull it through. I give kudos to Rita
Dominic because she helped me. When I was losing my lines, she helped me
get back in character. If someone like Rita can help me get my act
together, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t encourage other young
ones coming up because I had a good beginning.
People will chicken out after that experience. What kept you going?
That is why I give kudos to Rita Dominic
because if it had been some other A-list artiste, they might get
frustrated. I was really missing my lines. I was missing the lines not
because I could not read but because I was nervous. There were so many
artistes in the production. I didn’t have a friend. the only friend I
thought I had was the director and the director was making life
miserable for me on that set so I felt so bad but I still thank God for
all the lessons I learnt on that set.
You are seen more in sitcoms. Is it right to say that you have a preference for TV series?
Not really. I do movies as well but
maybe because I am based in Lagos, I tend to get seen more on sitcoms.
It pays me better than feature films. They pay per episode and once you
are a major character, you will tend to be well paid.
A lot of actresses are coming up these days and the competition is much. What is different about you?
I don’t know. I am just me. One thing I
like about my life is that I don’t pretend. If I am not down with
someone, I don’t go out of my way to be friends with them. You will not
see me in the person’s roundtable. I believe I am natural. I don’t keep
too many friends.
What is the most challenging role you have played?
I have three of them. The first one is a
film titled My Love My Sorrow. I played the role of a Warri girl,
Eseoghene. I was always beating my husband and fighting him. He had this
girlfriend I got to know about and I as a married woman wanted to go
get my own boyfriend. I lost my voice in that flick because I was always
fighting and quarrelling. There is Last Order where I played the role
of a Police officer’s wife. My husband was Dauda. I was always beating
him. Victor Osuagwu was also in the flick. It was challenging because I
was always fighting also. The Director was so surprised at the way I
acted the role that he asked me if I beat my boyfriend up in reality.
The third challenging movie I have done is titled Rush Hour. It is a
film that has to do with cultism on campus. I had Tonto Dikeh as my
friend in the flick and I tried to initiate her into a cult. It was very
challenging because we had to do a lot of night scenes at the national
theatre. That same period we had fuel scarcity in Lagos. We were buying
fuel at a very expensive rate but we still had to go on location. We had
to report at location. The three movies were very challenging and
basically those are the ones I can say I really went the extra mile.
What did you study in school?
I have a Diploma in Public Relations
from Ogun State University, now known as Onabisi Onabanjo University. I
also have a Degree in Sociology from Lagos State University. Even though
I am from Delta State, I was born in Lagos and I grew up here.
Are you in touch with your delta roots?
Of course I am. I was in Benin City a
few weeks ago. I have a couple of fans there so i went around. I also
visited the family of Sam Loco Efe for the anniversary of his death. He
was my father in Everyday People and we were very close. I go to Delta
State all the time.
Professionally, how long have you been acting?
I have been acting since 2004. That is
eight years. In those eight years, I would say I have done well but I
still have a lot of home work to do. I still have a lot of places to go,
I still need to work on myself. I still need people to teach me how to
get my dictions right, how to pronounce, get my reactions right, how to
gesticulate and all that. I believe I am still in the learning process
inasmuch as I or people might feel i have gotten there. I believe I
still have a lot to learn.
Could you recall your growing up years?
I had so much fun while growing up. The
only disadvantage i had was that my parents were separated and it
affected me. It affected me because i never grew up seeing my mum in the
house. I never had that privilege. My father played the role of mother
and father and he did it so well that I didn’t lack anything but I still
needed my mother. I am still in touch with her. We were all together
recently for a wedding. My father wouldn’t take nonsense. I don’t know
if I should call him a black man in a white man’s skin. If you boil rice
and there is sand in it, you are in trouble. So far, I have received a
lot of encouragement from my family. I don’t have any reason to
disappoint them.
Are you in a relationship?
Yes, there is a relationship.
Has your career in any way interfered with your relationship?
It hasn’t but I know he is a very jealous person.
How do you handle jealousy?
I have a secret weapon which I use for
every negative thing that comes my way and that is silence. When people
offend me, I keep quiet or I take a walk. When it comes to jealousy in
terms of relationship, I give him the benefit of doubt that nothing is
happening. Most times I get calls at odd hours and those things make
spouses suspicious. It is left for me to explain to my husband-to-be and
let him know that it is normal in our line of work. He has ladies
around him also and whenever I want to get jealous, I always put myself
in my own shoes. I ask myself how I expect him to react if it was him.
If I feel that he should just understand, I should be able to understand
as well. It is a matter of understanding and trust. If we have the
understanding, I don’t think there would be any problem. A lot of
marriages are crashing today all because couples don’t dialogue, they
are not close, they don’t relate properly. I want to have my
husband-to-be as my best friend, I want to have him as a confidante and I
want to have him as a shoulder to cry on when I am in a depressed mood.
How did you meet?
How e concern you? I am not telling. We met and that is it.
Would you date somebody you meet on a social network?
Of course I can. You don’t just jump
into dating somebody. You first have to be the person’s friend. I have
friends I have met on Facebook and when I am going for events in their
hood, I call them. They come around, we snap pictures and get talking.
Some of them could be mischievous and funny though. Once they start
acting funny like they, I just lock them out and stop taking their
calls.
What is the most mischievous thing a person has done?
Some of them send me messages that they
want to date me. Some say that they want me to have their babies. Some
of them even want me to sponsor their businesses. I have even received
proposals from people who claim they want to set up their businesses and
that I should give them money. I don’t pretend. Even if they write such
things on my wall, I delete them immediately. Even in families people
have rivalry not to talk of someone I have never met. I wouldn’t condemn
friendship on Facebook but based on what happened the last time with
Cynthia, one has to be very careful.
Ibinabo Fiberisima is the first female President of AGN. What do you expect of her tenure?
For once I am very happy that a female
is about to lead us. It is a good thing. It is a thing of joy. I am so
excited about having her as the first female AGN President. I personally
will give her all the necessary support she can get. I know it took her
a long while, I know she went through a lot of stress to get to this
position she is and I know she will not let the people down, she will
not disappoint her fans, she will not disappoint the people who voted
her in.
We will give her all the necessary
support. I also know that she will take the industry to the next level.
It is not by her own power but I know she will help create job
opportunities for a lot of actors and actresses, especially the up and
coming ones. We have a lot of registered actors who don’t even have
jobs. The ones who have don’t even get their fees paid. They go through a
lot of stress. The challenges of shooting a movie are numerous. It is
not a normal white collar job. It is so stressful and very challenging. I
know she will stand up for people who have been molested or cheated in
the industry. She will help them get their rights back. As a female and
as a mother, she will run the industry like her home in the sense that
she will give listening ears to those who have problems.
TheNation
