Why I Have Not Been Acting So Much – Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Nigerian veteran actress and screen goddess Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is by far one of the most popular Nollywood actresses out of the continent today.

The actress has been sizzling up movie screens for over two decades now, and has acted in a myriad of blockbuster movies including Blood Sister, Ije, Last Flight to Abuja, Alter Ego, Games Women Play, Lockdown, and a lot more.

However, in recent times, we have not been seeing Omotola on screen as much as we used to in the past. During a new interview, the actress is now opening up about why this is the case, and explaining the reason why she has been taking this long break from acting, as well as some of the hurdles she faced in the industry. Here is what Omotola said.

Omotola during interview
Speaking about why she has been taking such a long break from acting, Omotola revealed saying:

OMOTOLA JALADE-EKEINDE: I slowed down for many reasons. You know we started a long time ago, I think people forget that I have been in the industry for 28 years. So sometimes, you have to re-organize yourself. I can’t continue to pump out movies the way I have and not grow. So I’m growing. And what that means is that I need time to do other things. I have adult children, I’ve had to take care of that. I’ve had to also move back a little bit and also grow my businesses.

I have a studio in Lagos, Nigeria. I’m also into real estate. And I’ve recently relocated to the United States. I have businesses there also that I have to grow. So once an actor, always an actor. I will be coming back to the screens when I think it’s time and I prefer to do projects that are actually meaningful, other than just doing projects just because we want to be working you know. I’ve done that when I was younger. So you’ll see me back on the screens very soon, by God’s grace with projects that I know are worth my time.

Then, speaking about some of the hurdles she faced in the entertainment industry, Omotola said:

OMOTOLA JALADE-EKEINDE: Some of the hurdles for me was when I was younger. The fact that I got into entertainment very early in life and the image of people going into entertainment at the time was really bad. It was even unheard of. I went through a lot of beatings from my mom. She didn’t want me to go into entertainment, certainly not acting. So I had to struggle. It was a lot of struggle. Times where I wasn’t supported. I wasn’t given any sort of transport fare maybe to go to auditions or anything. So I guess the beginning, just getting into something you believe will pay off eventually. Sometimes, it’s very hard. But if you believe in what you’re doing, keep at it. If you’re serious and focused, in time everybody will come around.

Source: Jide Okonjo

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com