{"id":273931,"date":"2011-01-14T12:48:35","date_gmt":"2011-01-14T12:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/?p=47280"},"modified":"2011-01-14T12:48:35","modified_gmt":"2011-01-14T12:48:35","slug":"ifeoma-okeke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/01\/14\/ifeoma-okeke\/","title":{"rendered":"Ifeoma Okeke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
Ifeoma Okeke<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nWhat\u2019s your background?
\nI am Ifeoma Okeke though, so many people know me as Ify Okeke. But Ozunde is also my name. I\u2019m from Anambra State, from a family of four, two boys and two girls.
\nI\u2019m the pet of the family. My mum is from Edo State and my Dad, from Anambra State. I trained as a nurse and well, did diploma in Theatre Arts and Computer science. Finally, I also bagged a degree in Business Administration.
\nHow did you get into the industry?
\nI was born and brought up in Surulere,Lagos where I used to do my legionary work. So in the course of the work, one day, I was at Nkem Owoh\u2019s office (a known Nigeria comic actor) and he said to me \u201cIfy you are a very funny girl and I know you can act as well\u201d so one thing led to the other.
\nHe said that I should come and act and that was how he got me into my first movie, Yogo Pam Pam. In that movie, I was asked to sing which I did very well and from there, it has been from one movie to the other.
\nBut to be frank with you, I never set out becoming an actress any day.
\nI am also an event manager,and I have a company called Geerach.I manage events including seminars. We handled the Festac at 30 last year. We also have models for events.
\nMy assessment of Nigerian movie industry
\nI will only speak for myself, it has been very rewarding in terms of pay off and the technical aspect of the industry. But, the pay for every body, has not been encouraging. Though I\u2019m well paid, there are some others in the industry that are underpaid.
\nMost times, we the new actors perform the main jobs while the so called big stars collect the lion share. Most times too, when the big stars are collecting like N1million for a job that we did together, we are given like a hundred or two at most. So, it\u2019s not really encouraging at all. But, I pray some day we will all get there.
\nWhat circumstances may lead to repeating stories?
\nLike I have always said, the white men can not go through what we go through on set.
\nWhite people go to the set with their scripts but we are meant to take in everything before going on set. At times, there are no lights on or fans on. One is meant to stand in the dark and render one\u2019s lines. I\u2019m not trying to boast here, but I beg Nigerians to appreciate what we have.
\nWe might have problem of repeating stories but Nollywood is trying its best. The issue of repeating stories is not even from us but the marketers and the viewers.
\nIf the viewers want a film staring Genevieve, the marketer has no other choice than to feature Genevieve again to make his money. This does not mean that the producer does not want to give the role to Ify Okeke but because of what the marketer wants.
\nHow do you see Nollywood in years to come?
\nIf the Government can come in, then we can move faster. Hollywood stars are treated as professionals so, if the Nigerian government can see the industry as part of it, as part of the branding project, as icons and ambassadors, then things will be much better.
\nIn other parts of the world, when you see Hoopy Gobbet, you are seeing America. So by the time Nigerians see us like that, then other people will begin to appreciate us.
\nRelationship among artists, producers and directors?
\nLike people always say to me \u201cIfy why do you always play comic roles and bad girls role?\u201d
\nNo, the only thing the producer does for us, is to stereotype, the moment you play a particular role well, you might be asked to play it again.
\nIf I\u2019m asked to grade in Nollywood how roles are given, I would say 60% is by merit, 10% is by I.M ( I.M is giving a role to some one that is your friend, not because you are sleeping with the person, but you have a cordial relationship with the person) IM happens every where, even in the banking industry, in the media and any other organization.
\nBut, if it is about sleeping with a producer, NO! Because how many producers can you sleep with to get a role? You will be dumped at the end of the day. So, most of the roles are given due to one\u2019s performance and the remaining 30%, is by luck. We have some very good actors and actresses but luck does not really shine on them.
\nWhat is the expection of Ify Okeke in the next five years? In the next five years, I should at least be married with one or two kids by God\u2019s grace. But in Nollywood, I should be one of the top rated actresses..
\nMy most challenging films
\nI can not really say which is challenging because each script comes with it\u2019s own challenges. They are all challenging in one way or the other. For instance, in Crossroad, I was asked to play a timid village house girl. Can you imagine someone like me playing a house help? But I have to play it well because that was what the script required of me.
\nLike my boy friend in the play, Ochuko, used to call me voluminous Vero. Sometimes when I\u2019m watching the play, I take a good look at my self before the mirror because in that play, I was really fat, as if I went to the fattening room before I did the play.
\nI can remember when Emeka Osaih came to me with the script that I should play Vero. He said I should play it well like I did in Treasures, In treasures I played a house girl so I took the role and did justice to the script.
\nBefore then during one of the read rehearsals, Kate Henshaw said to me that she liked my role, that this is the kind of roles that she would like to play one day.
\nSo, I put more effort in it and did my best. Vero which I played there, was so dumb but I have never been a dumb girl in life, but I had to play it.
\nThere\u2019s this movie too that I did with Uche Jumbo and Emeka Ike that is yet to be out.
\nI considered that as very challenging one too because in life, I can not imagine myself telling a guy I love you when he is using me as a spy to get money from other guys and spending the money on other girls. I see that very challenging.
\nIn Mr Ibu, which brought me to limelight, as big as I am, Osi said he wanted to marry me. Can you imagine things like that.
\nFor me, every job has it\u2019s own cross and challenges. And those are the things that make make the job interesting.
\nEach time I finish playing a particular character, people give me kudos for a job well done and that is the joy I derive that keeps me going.
\nWhat are your regrets?
\nI don\u2019t have any regret about my self, the only regret I have was my last failed relationship. If God can please give me another chance to turn back the hand of time, I will tell God that I\u2019m sorry, that I need an opportunity to amend the two years that I spent in that relationship.
\nI have never regretted anything in my life like that. Apart from that, I love the way I am, though I\u2019m fat but I\u2019m 5.8 tall. So, am tall enough and I have a pretty face. I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m perfect but, as a human being I\u2019m just okay
\nFILMOGRAPHY:
\nMr. Ibu, Treasure, Cross Road etc<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s your background? I am Ifeoma Okeke though, so many people know me as Ify Okeke. But Ozunde is also my name. I\u2019m from Anambra State, from a family of four, two boys and two girls. I\u2019m the pet of the family. My mum is from Edo State and my Dad, from Anambra State. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-273931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nIfeoma Okeke - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/01\/14\/ifeoma-okeke\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Ifeoma Okeke - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"What\u2019s your background? I am Ifeoma Okeke though, so many people know me as Ify Okeke. But Ozunde is also my name. I\u2019m from Anambra State, from a family of four, two boys and two girls. I\u2019m the pet of the family. 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