Toyin Alausa comes across as a soft spoken actress but, taking a tough stand, she says that she does not subscribe to the notion of having cliques in the industry. Though prominent in the Yoruba movie scene, the actress made a name for herself starring on sitcoms including Family Ties, Treasures, Edge of Paradise and Doctors Quarters. A single mother, the dark-skinned actress speaks with DUPE AYINLA-OLASUNKANMI on life as an actress, entrepreneurship, spinsterhood and her desire to return to school among other issues.
MOST of your colleagues have ventured into movie production. What are you waiting for?
We cannot all be producers. We cannot all be directors, and make-up artistes. I guess everyone should be able to find where they fit in and can then work effortlessly. Producing a movie is not easy, except you have made up your mind to go into it with all you have. I have friends who produce. I have been on set with actors who direct, act and produce. For me, I don’t have a problem with that. It’s a matter of choice but I would rather want to give money for someone to produce for me while I act, than for me to produce and act.
You have not been very active on the screen. Why is that?
The scripts have not been coming regularly like my fans would want. That is why you don’t see me in movies like my colleagues. One thing I can tell you now is that the little that I have done, my fans have loved me for it. I know they love me. Every time I go out, I know the number of times I have to stop to answer my fans. Most of the time, they tell me they want to see more of me.
Did you lobby for the ones you got in the past?
They just came to me. I did not have to go to anybody or lobby to get those scripts. They know where I fit in and what I can do. When I get those scripts, we discuss. If it is good, I get it done and if it is the other way, I just say, I’m sorry, maybe some other time. I hardly reject scripts, except if the pay is not good and the script too is not challenging.
You are known to always play the good girl role in most of your flicks except probably Family Ties. Don’t you think you are being typecast?
Iyabo Williams was a very challenging role for me in Family Ties. That role that I took is in every woman, but it depends on how you bring it out and operate it. But back to your question, I don’t think I am typecast. I know my season will come.
Have you considered going into other ventures?
I intend working on my career as a caterer. At some point, I stopped because I want to be more established. You see, I do the shopping, cooking and serving all by myself. But now I want to make it a standard one like the eateries we have around. Where I can only do the monitoring part and have people who will be doing the running around when I am on set.
Some actors and actresses are of the belief that joining one of the caucuses in the industry will help their career. Do you share that view?
I really can’t say that this is the reason I have not belonged to any of them but I know that I am not a clique kind of person. I cannot really be in a group of people or camp, and not be flexible with the other camp. I want a situation where I can work for any set of people or group without getting in the way of the other. I think being in a caucus will limit me, and can cause rivalry too, which I do not need for my career. I am saying this because it has robbed me of a contract before and I will not let it rob me again. I started doing soaps with Wale Adenuga, and I went to AK Media, but I found that if there is a role for me, I will be told that because I already have with the other, I cannot have that one too. I don’t want all that again, and that is why I want to be free, to be able to work with anybody that is competent to work with.
If acting is what you love doing, what would you say is your strong point that makes producers want you in their films?
As an actress, when I get a script, the first thing I do is to read the entire script and digest my character. Then I can say my strong point is the ability to be able to interpret that character that I have read, and try to read the mind of the writer. And why he decides to make that character what she is in the story. That is why I have worked with the kind of people that I have worked with, because inasmuch as they want to bring out the best in you, there are times you deliver and they don’t tell you, but you see the satisfactory look on their face.
From the way you carry yourself, you do not come across to people as a dropout. How did you groom yourself?
I am flattered, but that is the reason I promised myself that I have to go back to school. When I tell people that I am a drop out, there is this look that I get. In order to make myself proud, I need to go back and get my degree, which will also help in some of the things I am working on. I do not want to bring an idea out and something from nowhere will steal it because I am not educated. I am also a good listener; I pick words and go to the dictionary to look them up. I read papers, listen to news, read novels and anything educative. Getting an education does not necessarily mean that I intend to also work in an office, because I can tell you that I am not cut out for office jobs.
Some people might not agree with you…
To be frank with you, I am not that settled to work in an office. I cannot sit in a position from morning to evening, it is not me. I cannot be all suited up, not being able to wear my jeans, I love to move. I can go to four or five places in a day, depending on my schedule for that day. So working in an office can never work for me.
As a single mother, do you hope to get married again?
I cannot say that I do not think about marriage but I have attained a certain level of maturity. Marriage is not what one can rush into and you do not force it. Because of our culture there are so many things and I see too many broken marriages. One of it is not being fully prepared before going into it. And that is the reason I want to be fulfilled as a spinster by impacting on my generation and being satisfied with myself before getting involved with somebody else. For me I am not crazy about marriage, if it comes, fine. I have a friend and it is defined, because we are mature people, we are friends and there is no strings attached.
Can you say your child is one of the factors holding you back?
I must confess, I do not have issues with men. I like them and they like me too. But I have made some grievous mistakes in the past and I try to be reasonable. I have a son who at his age right now needs monitoring, a best friend and undivided attention. At least until he is mature enough for him to take decision on his own. I can then probably invite a man into my world to take over. Because I do not want any form of competition between my son and any man. It is not a factor; I just want to dedicate this time of my life to him.
