By Christian Agadibe
Nollywood actress, Florence Owanta has admitted she missed being loved and pampered by a man.
In fact, not many know the actress has been a single parent for over 15 years. Now, she’s yearning for a man who would put a ring on her fingers.
In this rare interview, the My Baby’s lead actor opened up on love, marriage, and her experience after more than a decade in the industry. Here are excerpts:
What do you consider your most striking achievements so far?
I am grateful to God. People would say there are reasons they came into the industry, but I would say I have what it takes to be here. And being here till now is an achievement for me. There is a great difference between when I joined the industry and now, so I have really achieved something.
Would you say you made sacrifices in achieving your goal in the industry?
The sacrifice has always been about passion. There are some things I would have done instead of being in the industry. My younger ones might not always be there for me in terms of support, so I had to take the risk to be here, and I have no regret whatsoever.
Talking about regret, is there a particular aspect of your career that you have regretted?
The only thing I regret is the fame and publicity that comes with it. Many people want to take pictures with you in public… but I no longer have the freedom to walk freely on the street. I never thought about it when I joined (Nollywood), I just wanted to act because it’s my passion. But then, I won’t quit because I’m not a quitter.
You came into the industry acting the role of a mother, would you have preferred to join earlier?
I would have preferred to join the industry earlier. However, when I joined, not many people were playing the role of a mother, so it was good timing.
Would you say other big names like Patience Ozokwor and Ngozi Ezeonu have been a threat to you?
Oh no, that’s some people’s mindset anyway. When you are in a particular business, people would always think there is competition. But in my own opinion, there is no competition at all. You are who you are; I am who I am. When I joined the business, there’s this elderly person that called me and said: ‘if you do like this, you will be getting roles like this person’. But I told him I wouldn’t want to copy anybody. Of course, I can always learn from good people in the business, by learning their acting skills.
You’ve not been seen much in movies produced in Lagos and other locations except Enugu…
That is what people say but the choice is mine. Very soon, I will be travelling to Lagos to work. Most times, it’s not that you are not good for the Lagos market, but because you are not close, they decide to use those that are close.
What’s your most favourite movie?
I would always talk about the movie that brought me into the limelight, which is My Baby. I played a Hausa woman alongside Nkem Owoh and Mama G in the movie. I’ve done a couple of other movies, but it will always be that particular movie for me.
What has been your staying power in the industry?
God has been seeing me through. I might not be everywhere. Maybe, it has to do with my kind of person that they would always call me for movie roles.
Talking about career, would you say you have sacrificed something as precious as motherhood to be in the industry?
No. You know, there is certain thing you shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about because tomorrow it might be all over the gossip pages. I have been out of marriage for over 15 years, and a lot of people do not know, and it happened before I came into this business. I have been able to manage my family and everything without people really knowing. When I meet some young actors and they ask me how I’m coping with my marriage and the movie industry, I just feel amazed that ‘wow, so people don’t really know this part of me yet?’ And I’ll still advice them on how to manage both family and acting.
What is your take about people staying in abusive marriage?
I remember a particular person I was advising about marriage, she was like ‘I have been surviving without a man’. I’ve never disclosed the reason I left my marriage, so there is no need talking about it. I don’t believe in putting out stuffs about my marriage so that they would now start blaming the man. I wouldn’t advise any woman to leave her marriage because she caught him cheating. They should both talk about it and sort out their differences. Or because your man slapped you, you will leave the marriage? It’s not that I’m supporting violence, but you cannot say you want to leave your marriage for that reason.
Are you saying a woman should not leave her marriage because her man cheated?
Why should a woman leave her marriage if she loves the man? If the man is doing his responsibility such as taking care of the kids, taking care of his wife and paying the bills, why should the woman leave because he cheated?
But would you advise the woman to leave when the relationship is life threatening?
Of course, the woman should leave when the relationship is life threatening. But in a situation where the man is always hitting and beating the wife, if it is not life threatening, they should talk about it and make peace.
There is a trend about women wanting to have babies without marriage…
It’s a matter of choice. Personally, I know that I’m a wife material but it’s unfortunate that my marriage didn’t work. Not being with a man or not married doesn’t mean you should be jumping from one man to another. It depends on your kind of person and how you want to live your life. These days, people have thrown caution to the wind and making the abnormal normal. You know, this thing about seeing life as your own and doing whatever you want, is confusing a lot of people.
Would you say sex sustains marriage?
I’m not here to lecture about marriage. I don’t believe sex can keep marriage.
What if a woman cheats and the man catches her, is that enough for the man to divorce his wife?
I am not supporting cheating but it is not enough ground for divorce. If the man loves the woman, he should sit her down and talk about it. There is an incident like that, the man caught the wife, made a video of her and posted it on social media. That is awful because I know the man in question is also guilty of the same offence; he is no saint. I just think the man has been looking for something to hold onto, to send the woman away.
So, would you say you regret leaving your marriage?
No. Never!
Was it a life-threatening situation?
I don’t want to go into that. But it is something I have never regretted.
So, are you still looking for love?
That is what I’m saying. I still want to be loved. Somebody should come and put a ring on my finger and pop the question. I want to relax and be taken care of.
Tell me something you have missed in marriage.
Hmm… I didn’t miss anything in marriage. You see, marriage is a beautiful thing. So, I want to be spoilt, pampered and be taken care of.
What are you currently working on?
I just finished working on a movie and I’m planning another one. So, it’s still moviemaking for me.
What’s your take about people lobbying or bribing their way to feature in movies?
I have not paid or lobbied to feature in any movie since I joined the movie business. It has always been God’s grace.
Are you into any other business aside movies?
I’m doing only movies.
Would you allow any of your children to go into movies?
Why not? My daughter, Sandra, whom they said look so much like me has featured in a movie. She has even been playing the younger character of me in movies.