The price we pay for fame -Ireti Doyle

Ireti Doyle seems to have defied age and now looks more radiant everyday. The actress, who debuted in Nollywood about two decades ago in the movie, Sakobi the Snake Girl, has been as versatile as anyone in the showbiz industry. She spoke with JOAN  OMIONAWELE on various aspects of her life, marriage and career. Excerpts
You seem to have dumped home videos for soaps
I am an actress, meaning that I can work for any media, and I have worked in all the different media; but yes, I tend to do more of television series than home videos.

Why
No particular reason; I work where I find work.

You were once a broadcaster…
(Cuts in) I am still a broadcaster.

How do you manage being an actress, a broadcaster, mother and motivational speaker all in one personality?
It’s pretty easy; everything is well structured. There is a timetable for everything I need to do.
Aside Tinsel, I present a weekly show called Mimasa, the public information of the Nigerian Maritime Agency; and I go there once a week to shoot. I also present a Hausa show called Turingiwa, produced by Mnet. When we shoot, it has a separate schedule; so things are arranged in such a way that they don’t clash.

Did you live in the North at a point in your life?
Yes I did. I have a diploma and a first degree from the University of Jos. I lived there for 12 years.

What was life back in the North then?
It was beautiful and very peaceful. It was very accommodating. It did not matter who you were or where you were from. Anyone could come in to study or leave a good life. It is very unfortunate the damage that has been done to that beautiful city over the last couple of years.

You are also a public speaker. How did that come up?
First, you cannot have or receive anything unless it is given to you by God. For me, I was forced to discover as many talents as I could possibly find, because I had always wanted to do something. In the early days, while I was building my career as an actress, I needed to find a job to pay the bills, so it was just a natural progression going into production. From production, I went into presenting. It was just a natural step to go into public speaking.

What is your greatest fear?
Failure.

What has been the highest point of your career so far?
That moment hasn’t come yet.

You are ageing gracefully. What’s the secret?
I would first and foremost say grace, because I don’t think I am doing anything different from the next person. I eat in bits and watch what I eat. This is not to say that I don’t overindulge with chocolates and amala. I am fully aware of who I am, age, experience, life. If you are wise and you work in that full awareness, you can get a lot of work done, not just for yourself, but for general good.

You are in your 40s. Do you still get advances from men?
Yes, I get those most times.

What are your hobbies?
When I am free, I love to read books, watch movies and I also like to travel.

If you were not in the public eye, what else would you have become?
I would have been the Public Relation Officer of some big multinational company.

Going down the memory lane, what was your first movie role?
Sakobi the Snake Girl. She had a boyfriend and I was dating the guy before him; and there was a confrontation scene between me and the snake girl. I was supposed to be with the guy and at the same time I was all in her face. She was meant to transform into a snake. Though I was meant to appear in one scene in the movie, I was given the opportunity to display so many emotions, and it surprised me because it stood me out and got talked about for a long time.

Whom do you enjoy working with most on the Tinsel crew?
Well… my immediate family members: Fred-Ade Williams (Victor Olaotan) and Phillip (Gideon Okeke).

How has it been acting in the most popular TV series, Tinsel?      
 It’s been a lot of hard work that is for the most part fulfilling.

Nollywood then and now; how much growth has taken place?
Very huge growth. It started with a group of people who wanted to do something creative and it has grown into a multimillionaire business, which sustains hundreds of thousands of people everyday, with little or no help from anywhere (though they are getting help nowadays). Some of the best public relation our nation has received over the last few years has come from some of the work done in Nollwood. Nollywood is responsible for creating a new set of young people doing great work. So, it’s been a success story.

What part of being an actress do you hate the most?
Sometimes your public (my public whom I truly respect because without them, what’s the point of what we do?), sometimes they expect you to perform all the time.
I can’t perform all the time. There are times when I just want to be Ireti, somebody’s wife, somebody’s mother, not an actress. Maybe I don’t want to talk to anybody, but you are in their TV screen everyday. So, they think they own you and want you to act in a particular way. Sometimes, you just want to go get groceries in flip flops and an everyday T-Shirt, but that isn’t possible.

Your most recent movie, Torn; why did you take up that role?
The movie is hot. That’s a role that any actress would die for. When I got the call, I had to make enquiries and I found out that though the producer was much younger, he was good. I later asked for the script, and when I read it, it was an original story, a deviation from the conventional Nigerian story and I fell in love with a particular character – which ended up being given to me. It’s a wonderful movie.

When you are stressed, how do you pamper yourself?
I like to pack my bags and take off for a few days, alone. If I can’t do that, then a day at the spa with the full works will do.
Marriage could get rough at times. When your husband  gets you upset or angry, what is that thing that he does that still keeps you attracted to him?
(Laughs) The fact that no matter what, I am still his number one priority.

Lastly, with your wealth of experience as a married woman, what can you say is the cause of failed Nollywood marriages these days?
It’s wrong to say Nollywood marriages are failing. There are divorce cases everyday in courts. Well, maybe (it’s) because we are in the public eye; but I think it’s because one doesn’t take time to understand oneself,  before rushing to understand someone else. Sometimes, it is even difficult to accommodate oneself, let alone live with someone else.

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