Beverly Naya is an actress who has featured in Nollywood movies like the Wedding Party, Chief Daddy and Skinny Girl in Transit. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about how it all began, her inspiration and working on a new documentary titled Skin.
What’s happening at the moment?
At the moment, the year just started and I am currently working on new projects. I am also working on my documentary and we are just rounding off on post production.
What is the documentary about?
It is called Skin and it deals with colourism. Colourism basically focuses on the light skin versus dark skin epidemic that we have in Nigeria and how it affects our society. It’s also about getting information and finding out why people feel the way they do about their complexion. That is what it focuses on primarily and it was sponsored by Amstel Malta. Right now, what we want to do is to take it to various festivals around Africa and the world, and then bring it back to Nigeria. And just inspire as many people as possible.
Why are you interested in the skin?
I think it is a very powerful conversation and colourism is something that is clearly affecting our society today. I feel it is something that would inspire the youths and the society as a whole.
Do you think that would make our ladies to be proud of the colour of their skin?
No, not just the ladies but men and women.
What are some of the things you learnt personally doing this production?
Yes, I learnt a lot while doing this. I think it is important to know your heritage; where you are from, know who you are and know why you are the way you are. Because I think if you have a greater and better understanding of who you are as a person, then it would be easier to love yourself as you are.
For my documentary, I went back to my village, Ibuzo, Delta State. That was my first time over there and it was a great experience. I learnt a lot of new things about my tradition, about my culture and I was really inspired by that. I think if other people are able to spend some time learning about their history and who they are, then a lot of people would love themselves more.
Can you share some of the new things you discovered in your village?
I went to my grandma’s house and she gave me some history; she talked about the Biafran war. Her experience during the war, she also talked about living in the UK as a chef and whilst doing some dishes in the kitchen, the white lady was really surprised that her black skin wasn’t rubbing off. That was the first time she experienced any form of colourism.
What are some of the things you share in common with your grandma?
I would say, just being proud of who I am. My grandma is very proud of who she is. She is also very industrious and I took that from her. Now, she is retired but back then she was a caterer; she is very good at making the most out of situations.
Are you very good with cooking?
I am a really good cook but I don’t enjoy cooking. But if you find me in the kitchen, it would be something really good.
Let’s talk about your movies, what are some of the things you have done recently?
We have Chief Daddy, that’s showing nationwide. It is fantastic. We have a film called Lockdown, which is coming out soon. There are so many projects.
Some of my best films include Wedding Party, Skinny Girl in Transit, which is a web series showing on YouTube right now. There is also In Sickness and In Health by Muyiwa Aluko on domestic abuse, where the character is physically abused by her husband. It was a very challenging and exciting role for me at the same time.
Tell us about your first movie, what was it like?
I was in London and I came home during my break and shot the film. It wasn’t the easiest transition. I hadn’t really done that much acting for film. I had done short films and theatre but I hadn’t done features and I was also working with actors that I grew up watching on TV. It was surreal for me at that time. But I got through it.
Let’s talk about acting in the UK. What was the experience like for you?
For me, it wasn’t like I woke up one day and said I was going to be an actress. I was studying Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology and I just felt like I wanted to try something new. I changed my courses completely and decided to study drama and dance and I ended up totally falling in love with drama at 17 years old. I haven’t really looked back ever since. I only took a break for university to study film making; basically directing and script writing. Once I graduated, I went straight into acting.
What was the experience like over there?
Living in the UK was just basically living in the UK. I didn’t have anything to compare it to at the time. Now, I do. If there’s anything I miss about London, it’s the simplicity of life. You don’t feel the pressure as much; there is quality of life over there. And if there is anything that I miss the most, then it would definitely be my friends and the tube to get from point A to B. Driving in London is fun as well.
Let’s compare when you started and now, what has changed?
It’s definitely been exciting. In the beginning, it wasn’t an easy transition for me; dealing with just the culture shock and trying to adapt, understand society and how it works. Finding myself definitely made living in Lagos easier. I understand what makes me happy and I don’t put myself under any form of undue pressure.
What are some of the other things that occupy your time?
As I said, I have done my documentary, Skin, and it is taking up a lot of my time now. I also have private businesses as well. I have a garri business; it’s like a mass market product. I sell within Nigeria. A lot of people focus on what serves the elite, not enough people are thinking about the grassroots. A woman should have her own, that’s the way I was raised. My great grandmother taught my grandmother that and she taught my mom, and my mom instilled that in me.
How did your mother influence you?
My mom is a property investor and she influences me because she is very hard working. She is also very ambitious; she is a go-getter, who knows what she wants. So, that is why she inspires me. She has been doing property for a long time. And because of her influence and wisdom, I own lands too. She taught me how to invest, she taught me how to save and for those reasons, I am that way today. I am not dependent on anyone because I’ve got my own.
Tell us about some of the awards and recognitions that you have
I have been nominated a number of times. I was nominated for an AMVCA in 2016. Last year, I won the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival Award for my role in a film called Demon Inside and I got the best actress award for that film.
How about the challenges, or has it been very smooth?
There have definitely been challenges. In Nollywood, a challenge would definitely be trying to make magic with small budgets for films; things could be better if we had more investment. If we have more time to shoot films, we would produce the best of films. Sometimes, for the amount of time that we put in, I feel actors and even crew deserve better pay. I feel like the pay can be a lot better, then it would be fantastic. That is definitely a challenge, but the industry is getting there.
The 2019 elections are around the corner, there would be debates soon, what are some of the issues you would like reflected?
I definitely feel like we need to address the empowerment of the youths. We need to start looking at free education and I worry about the next generation because I feel like a lot of them aren’t being empowered. Universities have been on strike for God knows how long; I mean, come on. We have more and more beggars on the street than ever before. And in spite of being the richest nation in Africa, according to GDP, this is also the poorest that our people have ever been. It is also the country with the highest amount of poor people in the world. There is a huge contradiction, this shouldn’t be happening. It is really unfortunate, it is heartbreaking and I really feel that our leaders can do better to empower the youths.
It is not just by speaking, it is about taking action, it’s about doing the right thing. There has been a lot of talk from our politicians about change since the 60s and it is about time they put their money where their mouth is and start empowering us. I don’t think it is right to embezzle but we sadly live in a society where politicians do this .Fine, we are absolutely not encouraging it but at least have great plans for the nation so that we can actually move forward. It’s sad that I have to mention Ghana but it’s necessary. I was just in Ghana last week; look at their airport for crying out loud! Can we boast of a nice airport in Nigeria? Go to Accra Airport and it looks like an international airport, it’s embarrassing. They have wifi at the airport and it’s the only airport in West Africa that’s able to land the airbus 380. They built a new terminal for this purpose. Ghana flew in 100 Americans, celebrities included, to visit their country, why did they do this? In order to boost their tourism. So, this year, when more people go to Ghana, they will feel inspired. Ghana is now seen as a holiday destination for many around the world, this is incredible for their economy. We are not focusing on the right things. We’ve got agriculture; we’ve got places in Nigeria that can be considered tourist friendly. We focused on oil to the point that it no longer has any relevance. Our leaders need to do better, we need to empower our youths. They are the future, if we are not empowering them, then what kind of future or legacy are we trying to create? What is the future for our people?
Do you see yourself going into politics in future?
Personally, no. But I am all about advocacy. I feel like it is really important to speak up. It is important to empower the youths. I am doing my own little bit and inspired by motivating others. I want to do more public speaking, I want to inspire young people to believe in themselves and know that they can actually achieve. But with regards to politics itself, it’s a dirty game. You have to really be prepared for it. You have to be somewhat educated in the field as well; you can’t just go in there blindly. I don’t want to do that. What I want to do is to empower as many as I can, using my influence and my clout.
Do you have young people that you mentor?
I have some young people that come to me for advice. I also have a lot of people that say that I inspire them. I try to be inspiring; I think it is really important to lead by example. I want to be able to make choices that I will always be proud of.
Are there some people you look up to in the sector?
I feel like the term role model puts a lot of pressure on people, so I don’t feel like I have role models in the industry. I would prefer to be referred to as an inspiration rather than a role model. I would also say that people inspire me for different reasons. I love Aunty Onyeka Onwenu’s graciousness. I love how Rita Dominic carries herself as well; I love her style.
Where do you see your brand in the next ten years?
I see my brand being renowned internationally. I see myself growing beyond the shores of Nigeria. I see myself inspiring and empowering people globally and being recognised and respected as an actress and an entrepreneur.
What are the things that you like to wear?
I like to wear what makes me feel like me. On a day to day basis, I just like to be comfortable. If I am going to an event, I like to stand out.
Are there some designers that you really like?
I love Weizdhurm Franklyn for major red carpet events. I also love Wanasambo for meetings and dinners. I like Fablane by Derin for the same reason; she is a fantastic designer.
Are there some things that you would never do in the name of fashion?
In the name of fashion, I would never walk around half or almost naked. As far as I’m concerned, I think it is unnecessary. You can be sexy but there are classier ways to go about it.
Tell us about your early life
I am an only child. First and foremost, I had many dreams. I wanted to be a baby sitter, because I have always loved kids. I also wanted to be a professional dancer but I had to stop at a point. I wanted to be a sprinter; I used to be really fast. I had several medals in school which was why I wanted to be an athlete but I got put off because I noticed that they tend to be broad and very muscular (physique) and I didn’t want that to happen to me.
