Nollywood actress, Eden Attai’s journey into the moviedom is an interesting one. From chancing upon a lead role in the stage play, ‘Kakadu the Musical’ to the sitcom, ‘Zone 222’, she says that her best is yet to come. She speaks with OVWE MEDEME on her acting career, relationship and other issues
OW did your journey into acting begin?
I studied Biotechnology in school and while I was serving, I asked myself that if I wasn’t acting, what would I be doing? This was in the final week of my National Service. I had been doing a little bit of acting in school and church but it wasn’t serious, It was just a love that I had.
My school is not known for social activities because we are science students but occasionally, we just sneak out to do it. So when I made the decision to go into acting, I went to Royal Arts Academy to register for acting classes. I’ve always loved acting, but I loved it cautiously because when I was younger, my father took me somewhere and I met a man who told me that artistes suffer, they are hungry and they borrow the clothes that they wear. So even though I loved it, I loved it cautiously.
Also, I was a science student so there wasn’t a lot of room for me to explore. It was something that I did occasionally because I really did love it. But after I graduated, I decided to give it my all.
How heartbroken were your parents when you decided to give it a shot?
When I told my father of my decision, he said ‘finally’. My mum was the skeptic one.
After taking the decision, what was your first step?
I went to acting school. That was the Royal Arts Academy. It made me aware of the industry that I was in, they told me the truth; that is it’s not all glamour. Also, they taught us things to expect from the industry. It was an eye-opening experience for me.
So what was your first project?
My first project was Kakadu the Musical. It was a theatre job directed by Kanayo Omo. I was surprised to get the job because I just got out of acting school.
When I heard of the audition, I went there because I just wanted to see how auditions go. When I got there, I saw people who used to teach us audition for the same part I was interested in. I played Eno, a girl from the South.
Was it a challenging role?
It was very challenging because the director said he didn’t want acting. He wanted us to be the character. So we had to relieve the whole Biafra war story. I had to carry out some research. I heard stories from my dad I had never heard before. I heard stories from my grandmother I had never heard before. It was challenging. It was heartbreaking in the sense that at a point when some people where fighting and starving, other people did not feel the war. They were partying.
Just like we are in Lagos and life is going on, but somewhere in the North, some Nigerians are actually refugees. We just hear it like news. But if we are living in it, we will know that it’s not just news. That is the same thing about those who fought on the Biafran side.
How many movies have you acted in mainstream Nollywood?
I have done little here and little there. I did like a year and half of theatre before I started trying to get into Nollywood because it is hard.
Was it so hard?
There are lots of talents in Nigeria. If you go to NCAC, you will see one person who can sing, dance, rap and do everything. There’s so much talent but then if you are entering the industry for the first time, it is difficult to get in because people are not used to you.
Are you saying there is a form of discrimination against up and coming artistes?
I think it’s hard to enter, until they get to see what you can do. But then, how do they get to see what you can do if you don’t act? Sometimes, one might get auditions that is probably just an extra and they don’t have the patience and all that.
How did you get cast for a role in Zone 222?
When the director spoke to me on Facebook, I was belligerent to him because I felt he was just some man. He just added me up on Facebook and this was after we had done series of auditions. He wasn’t there and we didn’t even know he was the director. He started asking me questions and I felt he was trying to play me until he told me he’s the director of the job that I just got a role on and he just wanted to hear from me. I couldn’t take down the words I had said. It was funny because I though he wouldn’t call me again but eventually, he did. And I almost did not go back but I did.
Was it a challenging role?
I felt like the person that cast us for the role is a spirit because we are not all too different from our characters. I was a tomboy who had to learn to be sexy. At a point it was very uncanny because we were playing ourselves in some way. Maybe the shoot was challenging because there was no time for mistakes. We were drilled and we were expected to be ready.
So far, have you had cause to doubt your decision to go into acting?
Doubt begets me every day. Every day, I get doubts. Every day I ask myself if truly this is what I want to do.
What is that experience that will make you throw in the towel?
When I initially started, my first job was trying, the experience was hard. At some point, I asked myself, do I really need this? I have a degree; I can easily just get a job. But I know that when I would be working and watching TV, I would be wishing it was me. I did not want to spend years working in an office and then resign in the future and then start from the scratch, because I know even if I don’t do it now, I would still come back to it.
Aside acting, what else are you into?
I am also a scriptwriter and I sing.
Do you sing professionally?
I never release album.
Are you married?
No I am single.
Why haven’t you chosen one of your suitors?
I don’t know. I should probably ask them why I’m single.
What do you look for in a man?
Understanding, he must be a Christian. And he must love and fear God because a man that loves God and fear God will treat you right?
So you won’t marry a Muslim with those qualities?
It doesn’t matter. Does he love God and fear God? Those are the important questions.
Even if he intends to marry four wives?
Firstly, he has to love and fear God, and promise to treat me well because then, he will think about me as a child of God. I don’t know if I will marry a Muslim because one has not proposed to me. You know, it is funny how girls say this is what I want in a man until they meet the person one on one.
Will you date a man who is married?
No, I won’t.
Why?
I would not want my husband to date someone else. Some things are just sacred. If you sow orange from the seeds, you will reap orange tree.
