Nollywood star, Fathia Balogun, has without doubt carved a niche for herself as a household name among movie lovers in the country. Ever since she made a debut as an aspiring actress in early 2000, she has continued to climb the ladder of fame and success, culminating in her winning several awards for her almost flawless interpretation of roles. Her burgeoning career went on a smooth ascension when she hooked up with fellow actor, Saidi Balogun. The couple, however, left many of their fans distraught after parting ways a few years ago. But the popular actress has put the disappointment of the marriage behind her, with a focused look on the future. In this interview with SEGUN AJIBOYE, Assistant Editor, Fathia Balogun speaks on her career, crisis and plan for the future. Excerpts:
One amazing thing about you is your stature. You have maintained this slim stature since you appeared on the scene as an actress. What is the secret?
I don’t like being fat. And for my career, it is not good to be unnecessarily fat. But aside from these, I mind what I consume despite the fact that I am not a food freak. I try to be in shape.
How tough is it to keep away from some food that you may have loved to eat?
Everything is about self-discipline; I have always loved to be slim. And I believe that you need to be smart at whatever you do.
Despite your age, you still take on characters of a young school girl, which you always fit into.
Well, to God be the glory. Maybe that is one of the reasons why I have laboured to maintain this slim stature. Though I love to play whatever role that is given to me, but I sincerely don’t want to start playing aged roles for now. For instance, in my recent movie, I played the role of a 50-year-old, and I did it perfectly. It was a movie that I produced myself. It is entitled Iya Alalake, a comedy. It is the first time that I would be doing a movie like that and it was a good experience for me.
You produced a movie entitled Onome Aganga. What informed the movie?
It was a true life story of a cousin. She was caught up in the Niger Delta crisis. Her family lost everything they had during the crisis and she came to Lagos in search of her relations, but ended up not being able to locate us. Unfortunately, she ended up mixing up with some gangs. She moved from place to place and sold stuff under the bridge at Yaba. At a point, she was picked up as a lunatic, but was able to explain to them that she was not mad. Eventually, she was able to contact us, but she died shortly after the reunion.
The experience must have been very emotional for you to put it into a movie.
It was really emotional, particularly the fact that we got in touch with her shortly before she passed on. it was emotional for all of us.
You speak good Yoruba despite not being a Yoruba. Tell me something about yourself.
I w as born in Enugu, but was brought to Lagos at age two. My father was a policeman, so wherever he was posted to, we went with him. Lagos was his last station, so we lived in Lagos ever since then.
Have you always wanted to be an actress?
The truth is that while growing up, acting was never part of what I dreamt to do. My parents, especially my father, wanted me to be an accountant. At a point, I fell in love with broadcasting. After watching the ace broadcasters of those days, I would wish I could do what they were doing.
Who was that particular broadcaster that you loved to watch?
It was the likes of Yinka Craig and some female broadcasters. Watching them read the news, I wanted to be like them.
Your father wanted you to be an accountant. So what happened?
After several attempts with JAMB, because my maths was poor, and coupled with the fact that I was staying too long at home, my father advised that I go on to do whatever pleased me. So, I went to study diploma in Law at Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin. But that one too became too wide for me, the reading was getting too much. I left and travelled to the UK. By that time, I had been introduced to acting. A brother and family friend introduced me to the late veteran actor, Kokonsari. Along the line, I met the likes of Dele Odule, Toyin Adegbola, the late Ireti Adekola and many others. But I started fully when I returned to Nigeria in 2000.
I believe your parents must be proud of you now.
Yes. But my father is still a bit indifferent. If I go to see him now, while every other person is excited, he would kind of be indifferent to it because he is a very private person. But I am sure they are proud of me and my achievements.
With all your achievements, do you still have any regret?
Sure, I have. I am not happy that I did not finish my education properly. Sincerely, I would have loved to finish my education, get to do my Masters and PhD. But I will still love to go back to school to complete what I could not do when I was younger.
You are a mother of three kids.
But you don’t really look it. Do you have any particular beauty routine that you follow?
I don’t really have any particular beauty routine that I follow, though I have a beauty shop in Abeokuta. But the truth is that I know so much about taking care of myself. I located the shop in Abeokuta because Lagos is already jam-packed with such stuff.
With your own experience, what lessons are you trying to impact into your own children?
The particular thing that I want to impact into them is to be God-fearing. That exactly is what my own parents did to me, that in everything that you do, you need to fear God. I tell my children all the time that they need to be comfortable with whatever they have. I tell them to always be focused in whatever they do.
If you have the opportunity to ask God for one thing, what would it be?
(Smiles) I must tell you that, while I have something to ask from God, but I would not want to disclose what it is. I mean there is a particular thing that I would have loved to have in my life, but I hold on to the belief that God’s will is the best.
Would you say love has been fair to you?
Of course, it has. The fact that one thing stopped does not mean the end of life. And that is the main reason why I don’t want to talk about such issues now. I am now in a rebuilding process and I want to avoid anything that may be controversial in any form. For now, I am focusing on my life and what I want to do with it. Believe me, I wish to talk about now and the future, not about the past.
You’ll agree with me that you are a celebrity.
Well, if you say so.
You have fans who follow you and want to know what is happening to you. But unfortunately, you people give room to rumours because you don’t wish to disclose things. What exactly is your plan for the future?
My plan now is to help the less-privileged. I want to devote my time to helping the girl-child. You know, they face more challenges than their male counterparts. The boys can still survive in some situations, unlike the girls. If I have the opportunity to be of help, I would really love to offer my little assistance. This was why I formed a foundation about fours ago; it is called Faith and I Foundation. It was formed to help kids whose children cannot afford to pay their school fess. It is important that these kids go to school. But five of us, including myself, Muyiwa Ademola, Femi Adebayo, Sanyeri and Kamilu Kompo, have come together to form another foundation. We want to give back to the society in our own little way and to thank them for what they have done for us.
About a year ago, there was a rumour that you wanted to get married to a friend. How true was it?
I heard the story just the same way other people heard it. Believe me, I really don’t know where it came from. But one thing with our people is that they believe that you are dating any man they see you with, which goes to confirm what you said about celebrity status.
Could it be that these people were your friends who wished you well?
But even if they were my friends, should they have spoken for me without knowing what I have in mind? But I think I have developed a thick skin to all those rumours. I am not sure that there is anything that would be said about me now that will get to me, because I have through a lot. People want to view me from the point of a particular crisis, but I thank God for all He has done for me.
Tell me something, from all the crises that you have had to weather, which of them hurts you the most?
I don’t really dwell in the past. Whatever that may have happened in the past, I try to forget and move on. But you can imagine what one would go through if a bad story is written about you in the media. You go to a public function, and you would go round explaining to people that whatever was written was not true. It can be tough.
Are you arrogant?
No, I’m not arrogant in any way. But you know that everybody has his or her own five minutes of madness. I hate people who want to ride on me roughshod. I know my bounds when dealing with other people, so I expect others to know their bounds with me too. I love to live my life privately, but when you try to poke your nose into my affairs, I’ll give it back to you full dose.
If you weren’t acting, what do you think you’d be doing?
I sincerely don’t know. But I am sure that I would be into buying and selling. One thing that I know is that I don’t like office job at all. I love to own my business.
Why did you leave the country for the UK?
There was no job in the country and I needed to do something. I left for what people generally call greener pasture. But I had to leave when I realised that the work there was too much for me.
What is your normal day like?
I am not really outgoing. So, I sit down at home. And whenever I have the opportunity to rest, I sleep.
Do you drink?
I am a social drinker, a little wine now and then.
But the gist is that Urhobos love to drink…
Yes now, even when I had my kids in the UK, I would buy drink and drop in their mouth. It is the tradition, so we have to do it. But when I go to parties, I take vintage champagne. I won’t sit down anywhere and start drinking.
Are you wild?
I am not that wild at all.
But you play wild roles in movies…
But that is why you call acting make-believe. That is what makes you a perfect actor and why you win awards for interpreting roles.
What would you want your fans to see in you?
My sense of humour. That is one I want my fans to take from me. I would also wish that they take my sense of hard work.
Which food do you love most?
I love starch and banga soup.
