One of Nollywood top actresses, Bimbo Akintola who has been missing on screen in recent times has come out to explain why she decided to go undergound. She also talks about her role in the yet-to-be premiered musical flick “Hoodrush”where she played a lead female character. She also cleared the rumour that she is having an affair with her co-actor O.C. Ukeje.
Exrcept…
BY ANOZIE EGOLE
How will you describe yourself?
Bimbo Akintola is a peace- loving, God-fearing young woman who is so dear to her parents. I love acting and I do not think I can do any other thing apart from acting and directing. I played a lead role in the yet to be premiered movie, “Hoodrush”after several years off-the- camera. I am the kind of person who always like to please myself first before any other thing. That doesn’t mean I am selfish. It is what every other person would do. You please yourself first before thinking about the other person.
What are your grouses regarding your long absence from the industry?
Well, part of the reason I stayed off-the-camera for a long time now includes the fact that I hardly understand most of the scripts that are sent to me. I hate to be type-casted and most times when I send such scripts to a close friend to appraise, she would return them to me after few weeks with a remark that she doesn’t understand the scripts.
Bimbo Akintola : It is high time Nigerians start getting things right. As for criticisms, I ignore them so much
We can’t keep saying that when we get to the location, we will iron it out. Sometimes, it doesn’t work out that way. I can’t quit acting. I am still an actress. Talking about what I do aside acting, I am a producer and also a director.I also anchor programmes on the television. For any program I anchor, they pay me more than the amount I realise from acting. So, I do enjoy my programmes and they are less stressful. I’m paid handsomely for being on air for few hours unlike acting where it will take months for a production to be completed. Sometimes, the time frame clashes.
Why do you act more Yoruba movies than Nollywood?
Why I enjoy Yoruba movie most is that the stories are original. They are very easy to understand. So, I enjoy Yoruba movies a lot.
Lets talk about your role in the movie “Hoodrush” and how you have been handling your audience and their criticisms?
You know there is nothing you will do without rumours. It has been going around town that I am having an affair with O.C whom I acted with, but I want to clearly state to you that there is nothing like that. Why do people think like that? Because he was my toy boy in the movie and we had some pictures together, the next thing I heard was that we are dating. Before the picture was taken, there must be people there and also some crew members. So how can they expect something to be going on where these number of people are present or do they think it will be a public thing? For God’s sake, things are not like that. It is high time Nigerians start getting things right. As for criticisms, I try ignore them so much. There are some people that cannot do without criticizing others. There was a time they published that I fought in the airport because of runs money. Unfortunately, I was not in Nigeria then and my mother called me and was complaining.I told her to ignore them and she listened to me. If you want to take them to court, you will remain in the court forever. One of them was bold enough to tell me, Bimbo, you don’t even care and I told him yes I don’t. There was a time I felt so bad that I was ready to fight back because I felt that they have gone too far in writing negative things about me.
What is your body chemistry with O.C on the screen?
Whenever I pick up a role to act, I will do it in such a way that the person I will be acting with will understand me and follow up. This makes our body chemistry to grow up. Of course, there is always the feeling of togetherness when two people act together, stay together and do a lot of things in common. At a time, they might start feeling for each other.
There are speculations that you like acting with young people, how do you feel doing that?
There is nothing like that. There is no difference acting with young and old men. To some extent, young people are more vibrant to act with. After all, we started one day. The only problem is that some of these young actors when they act with established actors, they start being nervous. So what I do is to make fun of myself to make them feel free. I don’t think that they being young means that they are not established.
What about you marital life, who is you kind of man?
I am stating clearly now that I am not botherd about my marital status. I know all fingers are not equal so I am not disturbed when they talk about marriage. If I had wanted to marry fifteen years ago, I would have done that. In the area of raising children, I have several children under my care though they are not my biological children. They are the children I am helping. Some of them are married with children so, I am a grandmother now. I know marriage is a bigger task. You cannot compare it to the boyfriend stuff where you can pack your things and go if you are provoked In marriage, you are going nowhere. It is for better, for worse. I strongly disagree with this idea of an ideal man. There is nothing like that. As far as you’re given attention by the man, the age is insignificant. There is no particular man that is ideal. Choose the things you like about the man and you work from there. Before you know it, things will start working good from there. In marriage, you will continue to have problems until you understand yourselves well. And it takes a lot of time for both parties to understand themselves. So, if you are looking for a perfect man, you will die old ,wretched and wrinkled.
Does it mean you are supporting having children outside marriage?
I didn’t see any bad thing with that. There are some women who are ready to marry but they have not seen the right man. Some of these people are above 5oyears and they still have not gotten married.
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