Myself: I am referred to me as Soji Bankole in the soap opera, Tinsel. I am fun loving, weird but a bit on the shy side.
How I got my Tinsel
role: Modelling got me on Tinsel. I have been doing fashion and
photography modelling until my agent called me for an audition. I went
for it thinking it was the usual fashion stuff. I didn’t know it was an
audition for a soap opera— probably, I would not have gone. I was
supposed to be there by 10 o’clock but eventually got there by 5pm! I
was auditioned but didn’t expect anything to happen. Five weeks later, I
was called and told that I’d gotten the role and was instructed to send
my clothing measurements for a photo shoot. I never took them serious
until I got to the venue of the shoot and I saw other cast members from
other countries.
My modelling career:
I started in 2005. If I
am counting from then, I’m sure I’ve done many fashion shows in Nigeria
and about 17 TV commercials. These are aside from billboards and so many
other adverts.
Growing up:
I hail from Kogi state,
was born in Maiduguri but grew up in Benue state. I spent two years in
Jos and from there, I moved to Benue. I had my primary education at the
Makurdi International School (1986 – 1994) was in the secondary school,
and later got a degree in Biology Education from the Benue State
University. I never liked my course. I wanted to study computer science
or medicine. I always knew I’ll never use the certificate.
I have always enjoyed
attention: Right from the university, I have enjoyed attention. As a 200
level student, my friends compelled me to take part in a Mr. Campus
contest and I won. Subsequently, I enjoyed everything and my love for
the stage developed and grew. I started watching a lot of fashion shows,
made a lot of research about modelling and I found out that I loved the
whole business and the promised glamour.
My lateness to meetings:
I always encounter traffic in meeting up different schedules and this
makes me arrive late on set oftentimes.
My sexual harassment experience: That has occurred so many times but I consciously channel the energy to something else.
My leisure: I hang out
with friends, play video games, basketball. I swim, do work out, engage
in martial arts, I watch cartoons and cook.
My relationship: I am not married but I’m ‘seriously’ involved with someone.
People’s opinion of me:
People always say to me, ‘you are doing a good job, keep it up.’ My
response would always be, ‘thanks a bunch.’
My philosophy of life:
There is power in positive thinking.
After Tinsel: People
should be seeing more of me on the big screen. I am living my dream and I
have everything. I give thanks to God
What I want changed about me:
If I could, I would stop displeasing myself to please others. Why? Some people don’t deserve it.
Gbenro Ajibade is an
actor on Tinsel, a M-net drama series and he won the Most Outstanding
Actor Model in the Nigerian Model Achievers Awards 2011.
Culled from PUNCH Newspaper
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