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By Rita Okoye
Nuella Njubigbo is an award-winning actress, scriptwriter, and entrepreneur with over 90 Nollywood film credits. Renowned for her versatility, she is also the CEO of fashion brand Nuellafrik and skincare company Noella Skin Naturals.
In this interview with Saturday Sun, she discusses her journey in Nollywood, the challenges she has overcome in her business ventures, and aspirations for the future.
Enjoy!
What inspired this beautiful movie, My Own Sister on your YouTube channel?
I appreciate the compliment. First of all, I missed our old way of telling original and very relatable stories so much. Recently, we’ve been speaking too much of the English language in our movies, so I said to myself, ‘Let me give people the nostalgic feeling they’ve been longing for.’
A story immediately came to my mind about two sisters. I called up the person who writes screenplays for me, told him the story, and we worked on it until we achieved a full script.
Then it came to deciding who was best for the role of Adaobi. No better person came to my mind than Queen Nwokoye for that role. So, I called her and shared the script. Thankfully, she loved it, and the rest is history.
How do you come up with those comedic stories on your channel?
I love to laugh, and I love seeing people happy and laughing. Besides, our country is very ‘sweet’ right now, so I try to give my lovely viewers something that takes their minds off what’s happening around us for a few hours and makes them laugh.
Of course, there must still be a strong plot and a good lesson to take away by the time you’re done watching the movie. I always make sure of that.
You’ve had a successful career in Nollywood for years now. How did your journey into acting begin, and what has kept you motivated in the industry?
Yes, and to God I give all the glory. I was in my third year at the Imo State University when I started as a writer and, after writing a few scripts, landed my first major role. The movie did so well when it came out, so I started getting a lot of calls from producers and marketers, and here we are today. What has kept me going is passion, an unquenchable passion. I feel like I still have a lot inside me to share with the world. I love being part of the reason people have fun, laugh, and are happy.
How do you decide which roles to accept, and what factors influence your choices?
The storyline is always key for me. After that, I consider the pay and then the shooting location.
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Is it safe to say you only appear in movies you produce?
Of course not. I also work with other producers. It’s mostly about my schedule. Once I get a good script and I’m available, I’ll take it up.
As an actress and filmmaker, how do you balance the creative aspects with the business side of entertainment?
The goal is to be fulfilled, make money from your hard work, and live well. The Bible says, ‘A man’s gift makes way for him.’ So, while I love what I do, which is telling stories through acting, I also monetise it by producing and selling movies on different platforms. I also have other businesses. Juggling all of these isn’t easy, I must tell you, but I try to balance them with God’s help.
You also launched a fashion brand, Nuella Afrik. What inspired you to enter the fashion world, and how does it reflect your personal style?
For me, fashion is a means of self-expression. It’s a way of telling society and the people around you who you are. You hear people say they don’t wear traditional fabrics because most of them look outdated, boring, or unfashionable. So, I decided to use these same fabrics to create very trendy styles that even our Gen Zs can wear and feel very good in. They can feel sexy, not irresponsible, just trendy and stylish. I also have a skincare brand called Nuella Naturals.
How do you manage running a successful fashion brand while handling acting and filmmaking duties?
E no easy o, Rita. What I do is take one thing at a time. If it’s time for film production, I’m putting my all into it while my staff handle the other businesses. If it’s designing and quality-control time at the fashion house, then I give the fashion house my attention.
Thankfully, I have good people around me who help make it a bit easier.
You’re rarely seen at social events. Are you an introvert, or do you not connect much with your colleagues?
Really? I connect very well with my colleagues, and I attend some events, not all the ones I’m invited to. Most times, it’s because of the timing or because I’m out of the country when those events take place.
Has fame altered your relationships with friends or family in any way?
No, fame has not changed me in any way. Most of my friends are girls from my secondary school and university days. I know I can’t keep up with everyone, but I try. My friends understand that I can be very busy, but they also know that once I clear my desk, I make up for any break in communication. They are also very busy people in their respective fields, so we find a way to balance it. I love my family, and I love my circle of friends, so I wouldn’t let anything, not even fame come between us.
Have you ever felt pressured to accept roles that go against your values?
Well, acting is make-believe; it’s not real. You only act it out in a way that seems real to viewers. That’s not who you are; you’re simply telling a story. The only roles I rejected, especially when I was coming up in the industry, were roles where my character had to be almost naked or involved in extremely steamy bedroom scenes. I avoided those roles. It wasn’t easy saying ‘no’ at the time because producers would try to convince you that such roles would take you to the highest level of stardom. As much as I wanted that stardom, my home training wouldn’t allow me to accept such roles. Thankfully, we still got here.
When you watch your performances, what do you critique first?
I am my own worst critic. I critique my voice, my tone, and even my smile sometimes. I always look out for things I could do better because you never really graduate from acting. Creativity knows no bounds.
What has success taken from you that fans might not be aware of?
My privacy.
Apart from My Own Sister, what else should fans look forward to?
Yes! I have new movies coming soon on my YouTube channel, Nuella Nolly Movies: Love and Loyalty and A Wife Like Mine.
