Nigerian actress, Grace Ama, has said many actresses have benefactors who often give them gifts.
She stated, “When you want to pray, you ask God to send you a destiny helper. I’m sure it is their (actresses) destiny helpers that are buying cars and houses for them. It cannot be the same work that I do; we should not tell ourselves lies.”
However, the actress also stressed that there was a flip side to this as some people were not disposed to helping celebrities because they think the stars had it all. Recalling an ugly experience, she said, “I needed something badly at a time and I reached out to a friend. She told me that I was a big woman; I shouldn’t be lacking. People forget that we are humans too before being actors and we are not as rich as we may appear on screen.
“On the other hand, I don’t blame people. Actors that flaunt flashy cars and houses on social media are portraying the industry in a different way. We work hard too; they shouldn’t make us feel like the lazy ones. Yes, some actors are doing well and we know them.”
Describing her motherhood experience as beautiful, the mother of one maintained that she would not discourage her son from pursuing his dream. She said, “My parents were not in support of my decision to act because they felt I would be wayward. At some point, my dad sent me packing and I had to stay with a colleague for a while. But later, they became proud of me and gave me their blessings. I was able to convince them that I had passion for acting and I could assist the family with it. So, I will support my son in whatever he decides to do in life provided it is not illegal.”
Ama also admitted that when she returned to Nollywood after childbirth, she felt that she had been forgotten. She said, “When I came back to Nigeria after the birth of my son, I saw many new faces and I looked like an ‘old school’. I then decided to reach out to people I knew who were still in the industry.
“We all have our uniqueness and no one can take that away from me. Whenever I am on set, I try to give my best to show that I know my job. Once you can interpret your roles very well, you will always get jobs. The industry is big enough to accommodate everyone.”
