Mercy Aigbe Gentry, Nollywood actress, producer and entrepreneur, is a lady who continues to make waves in the industry. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde and Mujidat Balogun, she talks about the early days, awards, challenges and motivation on the job.
We thank God for what has been done in the past and what I am planning to do this year. At the moment, I am working on my next job, which is going to be my first English-speaking movie and the experience has been very interesting. If you check the records, you will see that I am more popular in the Yoruba sector in Nollywood. As a producer, this is a great experience and it has been good working on my first English movie, and that, for me, is new. So, I would like my fans to watch out for it soon.
Which of your movies do you like most?
I love all my movies because every experience is unique. In addition, I would say that as a producer, all the movies that I produce have different messages that I want to pass on to the society and the fact that I am able to play different characters in those movies and show the different sides makes it all very interesting. So, I must say that I love all the movies that I have produced. It’s a long list that includes Kofo, Osas Omoge Benin, Gucci girls and also the recent one called Victims. I love all my movies.
Let’s talk about some memorable moments in your life and career
I have two memorable moments and they were when I had my children; my daughter and my son. Those were and still are the happiest days in my life. In my career, when I look back till date, I would say that it was when I did my movie Kofo and won the AMBC Award 2014. I was very happy and it was a memorable experience in my life.
What are some of the challenges encountered on the job?
I had a number of interesting times on the job and they all came with some challenges. Some of the challenges I encountered as an actress are my privacy. You know when you there in the limelight, all eyes are on you; your life is not yours any more. Just because you are under public gaze, people want to know what you are up to and all that. So, whatever I do, I have to be extremely careful. This is very important for me because I don’t want to disappoint people. A lot of people are looking up to me as their role model.
That explains why I am always very careful, and one thing that I have also learnt in this career is that when you are climbing up you have got to be careful. I am not just saying that it is not difficult when you are climbing up, it is difficult but it is most difficult to sustain that when you eventually get there. To stay on top is very difficult; it’s not easy, and those are some of the challenges that I have encountered. Also, as a film producer, one of the challenges I encountered is funding, because most of the movies that I have produced, I have had to use my personal money to fund such movies and it hasn’t been easy.
How did you cope with the financial challenges?
I try to manage what I have and make sure that I optimise what I have to give out, as well as make sure that it is something that is worthwhile. As a producer, I try as much as possible to produce very good movies; movies that have good messages and when my fans watch them, they won’t be disappointed.
Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life and career?
The greatest influence in my life is my mother because she is my adviser. She is a great pillar of support and she calls me from time to time to advise me on so many things. Most times, when things are tough, you can be sure that she would be there to push you on and give her words of motivation and encouragement. I would say she is my greatest influence. However, when it comes to my career, I would say it is my husband because he’s always supportive. So, taking a deep look at it, my influence will be my mum and my husband.
Let’s compare when you started and now, what has changed?
That is a very interesting question and I must say that a lot has really changed. When I started, nobody knew me and I was up and coming; now Mercy Aigbe is a household name and I have fans that really love and appreciate what I do. I love them and they love me too, To God be all the glory.
What are some of the changes that you would like to see in the sector?
Yes, we are growing and so many people are putting in a lot of efforts in what they do. However, what I would love to see now are good scripts; fantastic scripts. I think we should improve a little bit in scripting, but we are growing and I am very impressed. For instance, if you check the movies we produced in recent times and compare them to maybe movies produced like five years ago, you will see that there is a great improvement. I am proud to be part of Nollywood and I am grateful for all the opportunities.
What is your definition of style?
It is very important to look good and have a sense of style. For me, looking good means being chic, looking elegant and simple.
What are some of the items that you treasure in your wardrobe?
I treasure everything in my wardrobe; there are times that I call myself Oliver Twist when it comes to fashion. The truth of the matter is that I love fashion very much, so I love everything.
How do you relax?
I usually travel abroad when I want to relax and this helps me to refocus. Sometimes, I travel with my husband and sometimes it can be with my kids for vacation. Here in Nigeria, there are times when I take a break off work to spend quality time with my kids and my husband, we go to the cinema to watch movies. And at other times, I just hang out, that, basically, is how I relax.
Tell us about some of your awards and recognitions
In 2009, I got the best actress in Yoruba movies from Afro Nollywood Award. That same year, I got the best upcoming actress, courtesy the City People award. The following year, I got the best actress, courtesy City People, again. I also got the Woman of Style category awards from Links and Blinks in year 2014; my movie won the best indigenous movie in the Africa Magic viewer’s choice category. This year, I got the most fashionable celebrity and there are a whole lot of other awards from different organisations.
Tell us about the people you admire and your role models
My role models would be Patience Ozorkwor and Sola Sobowale. I love them and I think they are fantastic actresses. I love the way they interpret their roles and I just love them because they are my role models.
