Oge Okoye; ‘NEVER SAY NEVER’

Sultry Nollywood actress Oge Okoye has recorded a great feat with her recent achievements in Nollywood. Precisely last year, she topped up her degrees as she was honoured with a doctorate by Wisconsin International University USA. 

 The beautiful actress was only just recently honoured for her remarkable role in the movie Fulani. It has been honours galore for this elegant and talented actress now to be addressed as Dr. Oge Okoye being the first Nollywood actress to receive such honour. africanpride magazine caught up with her when she threw a lavish party at Sleek Nite Club on Victoria Island tagged Posh Friday to celebrate the award.

It is usually not easy to see her and from the outside you may as well mistake her for a snob (we did!) but from the inside when you really get to meet her, it is ‘surprise! surpise!’ Oge Okoye Duru is a humble, God fearing and very observant person. She is very simple and warm. 

The bud of her now illustrious acting career started with a minor role in her second year in the university for which she earned a meagre of N7000 but such was her talent that in that same year, only a few months later, she picked a lead role in yet another movie and bagged N20, 000 from it! That is a lot of money for an undergraduate if you ask me. Like they say, the rest is history! What is the number of digits for featuring her in a movie today? Your guess is as good as mine.  Oge Okoye is today one of the most admired actresses in Africa. 

For her, her driving passion has been her greatest motivation. “It’s my passion and zeal to be somebody in the global market”, she says with a rich laugh. According to the movie icon, “originality counts. Be yourself always. Play real, be limitless, be happy and enjoy every moment of life as though it’s your last.” 

Being in the spotlight, Oge had to eschew some simple acts along the way such as buying food by the road side like boli (roasted plantain) and groundnut, Agege bread and Ewa-agoin, which to her is a price to pay in the walk of fame. “I love my job. It is fantastic -even the razzmatazz,” she said through glittering eyes.

 We quizzed her on how she feels when she has to cast romantic roles.  Her reply? “Romantic scenes are all about bringing the script to life and I blank out every other thing and slip into the role of the character. It does not interfere with my personal life. Hell no! It doesn’t.  My hubby is very accommodating and this might sound awkward but he doesn’t watch my movies for reasons best known to him. He understands that the scenes are merely ‘make believe’ and not real”. 

  “The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire”

Oge Okoye-Duru is a wife, a mother of two lovely children and the only child of her parents. A model in the making, her childhood dream of being in the entertainment industry led her to study Theatre Arts at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra state, Nigeria. Her career continues to progress since her family supports her. To this she proudly commented, “My mother is still in support of my career! I’ve come to realise that I need a hard shell to take all the battering in this industry”.

She takes her career seriously, “I am a lady who believes strongly in attaining goals and scaling the highest mountains regardless of any shortcomings. I never say never but I would not compromise the African culture of modesty by acting nude. To make it in your given career, you have to be focused and tough. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire”, she states. 

Her guiding philosophy is the belief in doing the one thing you think you cannot do, failing at it, trying again and doing it better the second time.

“Over the years, there has been an explosion in the movie industry which has seen the emergence of young actresses. It is encouraging and quite innovative having young actresses take on lead roles. This is grooming our young talents while giving them a platform to grow in the industry which is ever evolving and large enough to accommodate both the experienced and upcoming actresses”, she says. 

When our curiosity became piqued, we asked her opinion on younger actresses earning more than the experienced actresses to which she coolly replied “Earning more than experienced actresses is not a problem. This is based on availability, sustenance and strong bargaining power of the actress which is all about choice”.

The ace actress maintained that her youthful looks is sustained through tough and challenging situations like indulging in exercises, drinking lots of water through the day and eating the right kind of food in the right way at the right time of the day. 

She loves to personalise her ensemble to reveal her aesthetics with a distinct touch of class. There is that touch of class, that aura of perfection in all her outfit from the shoes on her feet up to her hairdo. She concedes that the limitless attributes of fashion fascinates her. She could easily pass for a model!

 Meanwhile, in recognition of her impact in the entertainment industry, she has been acknowledged with many awards like the Youth Empowerment Award (2004), United Nations Youth Ambassadorial Award (2011), African Peace Global Patron Award (2012) and African Children Talent Discovery Foundation Ambassador (ACTDF) (2012). 

According to her, “It is an opportunity for me to be a role model future stars would like to emulate. I’m encouraged to be a better person. My exposures and interactions with people from different walks of life have broadened my horizon with a deepening of my confidence and will power. Acceptance and recognition from people has been an extra. 

“A fan trailed me for almost an hour just to say ‘hi’ and take a picture with me. Oh gosh! My heart simply went out to him and after that gesture, I sat in the car tongue-tied, beaming with smiles and all I could do was to appreciate God for making me this relevant.”

The mother of two is not all about the silver screen and movie scripts. She is not all about work either. She revealed that Dubai is her favourite vacation spot although staying indoors with family, reading and watching movies give her just as much pleasure. She unwinds with a glass of champagne and nuts. “Besides acting, I have my modelling coaches and I’m getting better with Nollywood future”.

 On her view about the entertainment industry, the visionary actress has this to say, “we need to build an entertainment real estate, one that comprises all the various facets of the industry: music, movies, fashion, comedy and a host of others.  This is the effect of the challenges the industry battles with. Our greatest challenge is unity: lack of oneness; the ability to work as one big family, advance together and pool strengths, synergise with ourselves, foreign investors and facilitators will help build the industry”, she said.

Looking through her eyes one could see great days ahead for Nollywood but one sees just as great a future for the actress too. africanpride wishes her greater strides in her already glowing career

INTERVIEW BY: AROWOLO N. OLA

MAKEUP: YINKA MAKEUP INSTITUTE

PHOTOS:  HAKEEM SALAAM