- Everyone Doesn’t Have to Marry Before Having a Child
- I Am Not Going to Let Motherhood Disturb My Acting Career
- My Child is My Best Gift from God
Shy, strong and sexy with a banging body –dainty and delectable,
she dazzles in appearances both on and off the silver screen. A delight
to watch, Grace Amah’s roles in various movies and TV series she has
featured in are always mesmerising. She is sought after and idolised by
her numerous fans. As time passed, she seems to have disappeared off the
screen. Where had she been? What had she been up to? Not a few of her
fans had wondered. After what seemed like an AWOL, Amah says she’s back
for good. While away she had to cope with the challenges of pregnancy,
childbirth and recovery. For over a decade, delectable and
multi-talented actress has been as constant as a “northern star” in
Nollywood. Since she first appeared in the 1999 Lancelot
Imasuen-directed flick, ‘Chains’, she hasn’t stopped dazzling movie
viewers. Echo of her acting prowess from the hit TV drama series ‘Super
story’ still reverberates. In this riveting encounter with Oge Ezeliora,
the Ebonyi-born thespian opens up on her child, the baby daddy, being a
single mother, her staying power and future dream in Nollywood.
I would say the part I played in the popular soap-opera Super story with the title ‘One Bad Apple’ really pushed me to the top. But along the line, the home video ‘Chain’ made me prominent as well. But to be candid, what actually shot me to limelight was ‘Super story’. I guess because it was a series drama and also a network thing as well, where everybody at home watched and was very familiar with.
For some time now, you seem to be lying low in your acting career; what happened?
I don’t agree with that; I am not lying low. I’ve been on break after having my baby, but now am fully back in the industry now.
How do you intend to fit in because they are lots of young, hot and desperate new stars that are determined to take over Nollywood?
I’m not struggling with anybody. I am Grace Amah; what I can do, I can do, what they can do, they can do as well. We have got different things we have to do, what we put on ground. My coming back into the industry by God’s grace will not be a problem, and I am not going to find it difficult, because I know I am going to come back. In fact, I have fully bounced back for good. And with time, everyone would surely see that Grace is back.
What makes you feel that you would still fit in at this time?
I can fit in anywhere, I still have my looks. I still have my portable self (laughs). So I am not scared. I don’t even think it is a challenge. When you talk about fitting in, is it the acting? My acting skills are there, so, fitting in is not difficult for me. It’s just for me to get it straight, get to know what the script is all about and play the role well.
How did you find your way into the movie industry?
I did my first movie in August 1999. The movie was entitled ‘Chain’, produced by Louis Isikafor and directed by Lancelot Oodua Imasuen.
You celebrated your birthday in February and you came out so beautiful and inviting, how do you handle your fans, especially the male ones?
Talking about my male fans, there is really nothing difficult about that. It is not a crime to admire the work of God. It is not a crime to admire what I do and especially when you do something and you are doing it so well, you get people to appreciate you. It’s really a thing of joy. So, when I work, I work with the mind of passing a message across and in return get favourable commendations from my fans out there. So I feel so happy about it, but when they come with otherwise intent, there is always something I say in other to chase them away, I use to tell them that I am a mother but you know some of them would always be stubborn, saying it doesn’t matter, that it’s not a new thing with them.
Can you tell us your experience the first time you appeared before the camera?
I must confess it was fun and exciting. It was a dream come true for me. I was like ‘God, I’m finally doing what I’ve wanted to do!’
Where are you from?
I am Igbo. I hail from Ebonyi State.
How about your family?
I’m from a family of four. I’m a Nollywood actress.
You have a child now. How do you intend to manage acting and motherhood, because both are tasking?
It’s all about getting one’s priority right. I am not going to let one disturb the other. I’m going to do it and do it well, and it’s not by my power. I can’t say that it is easy. It’s not easy but with God on my side, and everybody placed well, things work well for me.
If you have an opportunity to travel to other states to shoot, who do you hand over your child to?
My mom, she is in Lagos.
Is your child a boy or a girl?
He is a boy and doing great. He is four years now. In fact, he is the best gift God has given to me.
And she supports what you do?
Oh yes, everybody supports what I’m doing, and they have been there for me. My parents, siblings, in fact all my family members have been supportive. They enjoy watching me on screen. So they really appreciate my acting skills.
How did your parents feel when they found out that you got pregnant out of wedlock?
Like every normal parents will feel: ‘Oh, she didn’t get married first.’ But you would also want to agree with me that it is not everybody that has to get married before having a child. So it happened. I wouldn’t because I have to get married first terminate an innocent child. So what is better is to have the child.
I learnt you came from a very strict family, when you first noticed you were pregnant, what was your first reaction?
I was like what will my parents say. But I am not a child. I am an adult. So that answers it.
Like every normal parents will feel: ‘Oh, she didn’t get married first.’ But you would also want to agree with me that it is not everybody that has to get married before having a child. So it happened. I wouldn’t because I have to get married first terminate an innocent child. So what is better is to have the child.
I learnt you came from a very strict family, when you first noticed you were pregnant, what was your first reaction?
I was like what will my parents say. But I am not a child. I am an adult. So that answers it.
How about your son’s dad –how often do you communicate with him?
We do communicate. We talk on phone steadily so, no cause for alarm.
Are you saying there was never a time he denied his child?
Not at all, how would you deny a child that looks like you? Before he was born, there was nothing like that, you can only deny a child when you know the woman is promiscuous, or when the man is not a responsible person. Those are just the two reasons I know why a man would deny his child.
What about marriage, are you really thinking of settling down?
Oh yes. I will when it’s the right time is for me. I mean by the special grace of God; if that is God’s plan for me.
Do you have any plan to settle down with the father of your daughter?
You will get to hear when the time comes.
How soon would that be?
I don’t know, but don’t worry, you would get to know. You all would come and cheer me up on that day (laughs).
Since you came into the industry, what improvement has acting made in you as a person?
It has done a lot to me – lots of things – I wouldn’t personally have been able to do. But with the help of acting or with my fame, I was able to achieve them. I still take due advantage of that easily. What an ordinary person would find difficult to get, when it is my turn, I am favoured. In fact, I don’t have any regret for it. I love what I am doing. I am enjoying it and by the special grace of God I will be uplifted.
It is glaring that acting has both good and bad sides, what have acting and fame cost you?
It has cost me my privacy. That’s all I can say. As an actress, you want to do some things, but because one is an actress, is famous, one can’t do them for fear of what people are going to say. However, I try as much as possible to be myself because at the end of the day, it’s about me first before any other person and I also put in lots of efforts not to let my fans down.
You have been out of movie world for some time now, during the period, what were you doing?
Like I said earlier, I was taking care of myself, kid and home. I was also busy.
What movie are you working on now, and when should we expect it?
You know, one good thing about movie-making is that, you got started with a particular name, the title and at the end of the day it comes out with something else. Right now I have done so many movies. Some are in the market presently, while some, I don’t know when they are coming out.
When do you plan to produce your own movie?
At the appointed time, I’m going to produce my own movie. I will not produce a movie because everyone is doing one. I am going to do it at the appointed time.
And when is the supposed appointed time?
When I said the appointed time, appointed time means when God says it is time to do it. I am sure you don’t know what God has in stock and what God’s plan is; that’s what I mean by the appointed time.
Many movie stars are into music, do you intend to go into music?
Music? No. I don’t think so.
How do you handle scandals?
I am not a controversial person, I like living a low-key life. Like they say, ‘a good fish has no hiding place.’ As much as I have tried to live a low-key life, I cannot control other people’s conversations about me or whatever is written about me. But Grace Amah is a shy person and likes to live her life as a godly person.
We do communicate. We talk on phone steadily so, no cause for alarm.
Are you saying there was never a time he denied his child?
Not at all, how would you deny a child that looks like you? Before he was born, there was nothing like that, you can only deny a child when you know the woman is promiscuous, or when the man is not a responsible person. Those are just the two reasons I know why a man would deny his child.
What about marriage, are you really thinking of settling down?
Oh yes. I will when it’s the right time is for me. I mean by the special grace of God; if that is God’s plan for me.
Do you have any plan to settle down with the father of your daughter?
You will get to hear when the time comes.
How soon would that be?
I don’t know, but don’t worry, you would get to know. You all would come and cheer me up on that day (laughs).
Since you came into the industry, what improvement has acting made in you as a person?
It has done a lot to me – lots of things – I wouldn’t personally have been able to do. But with the help of acting or with my fame, I was able to achieve them. I still take due advantage of that easily. What an ordinary person would find difficult to get, when it is my turn, I am favoured. In fact, I don’t have any regret for it. I love what I am doing. I am enjoying it and by the special grace of God I will be uplifted.
It is glaring that acting has both good and bad sides, what have acting and fame cost you?
It has cost me my privacy. That’s all I can say. As an actress, you want to do some things, but because one is an actress, is famous, one can’t do them for fear of what people are going to say. However, I try as much as possible to be myself because at the end of the day, it’s about me first before any other person and I also put in lots of efforts not to let my fans down.
You have been out of movie world for some time now, during the period, what were you doing?
Like I said earlier, I was taking care of myself, kid and home. I was also busy.
What movie are you working on now, and when should we expect it?
You know, one good thing about movie-making is that, you got started with a particular name, the title and at the end of the day it comes out with something else. Right now I have done so many movies. Some are in the market presently, while some, I don’t know when they are coming out.
When do you plan to produce your own movie?
At the appointed time, I’m going to produce my own movie. I will not produce a movie because everyone is doing one. I am going to do it at the appointed time.
And when is the supposed appointed time?
When I said the appointed time, appointed time means when God says it is time to do it. I am sure you don’t know what God has in stock and what God’s plan is; that’s what I mean by the appointed time.
Many movie stars are into music, do you intend to go into music?
Music? No. I don’t think so.
How do you handle scandals?
I am not a controversial person, I like living a low-key life. Like they say, ‘a good fish has no hiding place.’ As much as I have tried to live a low-key life, I cannot control other people’s conversations about me or whatever is written about me. But Grace Amah is a shy person and likes to live her life as a godly person.
(c) This Day
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