By Rita Okoye
Charity Onah Iwezulu is a fast-rising Nollywood actress and producer who recently got married to her colleague, Lauren Kingstone-Igbo Iwezulu.
The beautiful and curvy figure is also a lawyer and humanitarian. She is the founder of an NGO, Center For Defense Of Widows Right In Nigeria (CEDWIN).
In this interview, the mother of two takes us down memory lane of her romantic journey with her hubby, fears, challenges and lots more. Here are excerpts:
You recently got married, how has it been?
I have been married since 2020. I just did a loud Igbankwu, which could have been as quiet as the bride price and court wedding we had earlier. Generally, it has been so fulfilling and I couldn’t ask for more. My husband and I have known each other since 2016. So, we have actually been together for seven years.
Why did it take you seven years to do Igbankwu (traditional marriage)?
My parents thought it was a Nollywood romantic story, because it was too good to be true. So, it took them some years to accept the reality and he was more than willing to wait.
What finally gave them that conviction?
His consistency. My husband is consistency personified.
Do you have any kids yet?
Yes, we have two boys. I was a single mother of two at the time we met.
You’re married to a colleague in the industry, did you see that coming?
Not all. We actually met outside the industry. He was in the military, Nigerian Airforce to be precise and had just won Mr Ideal Nigeria 2016, and we met on his connecting flight from Lagos to Enugu. I have never seen him before then and didn’t even know he acted sometimes. We met on the plane, so it is safe to say we met in heaven.
Was it love at first sight?
Yes. I have never been (love) struck by any man. In fact, I don’t see any difference between this man and that. But when he walked past me into the plane that fateful day while I was waiting to identify my luggage for boarding, a gentle Holy Spirit breeze blew past me and I stood gaping at him walking into the plane.
On stepping into the plane, there he was sitting next to my seat on the aisle, so he quickly stood up for me to get through to the window seat. That’s how we got talking.
Who made the first move?
He later told me that while getting his boarding pass, the man at the counter told him he was going on a lifetime flight, and he sure was going to enjoy the flight. This one is a heavenly romantic story.
You are also a lawyer, have you stopped practising?
No, I haven’t. I am a senior civil servant.
You act and still practice as a lawyer? How do you marry both?
Acting is merely a hobby. I started acting while in primary school. So, I use every spare time I have including my leave period to attend to my hobby.
What’s your most challenging movie role?
My most challenging movie role must be playing Weruche in “Ojukwu” series produced by Mary Remy Njoku, CEO of RokTV. The role was challenging because out of the blues, I had to play a character that was above 60 years with eight grown up daughters in 1802. I bet you won’t even recognize me if you see that series from season 1 to 4. Playing alongside Mary Njoku herself as my second daughter and veterans like Ernest Obi, who was my husband; and Francis Duru as well as Uche Odoputa was an experience I will never forget.
You also produce your own movies, right?
Yes, I do and I am very passionate about telling stories. I am convinced that I may be retiring from active service just to do justice to my inner passion.
What’s the one positive change you would love to see in Nollywood?
There are numerous changes and none is less than the other. From telling stories as it is in our real lives, because we are hindered from doing this due to many factors like marketing, politics, finance, etc. to changes in the welfare and remunerations of actors, to creating a conducive platform for upcoming ones to thrive and so on.
Are you worried by the rise in celebrity marital crisis?
When it comes to my marriage, not at all. However, I am deeply concerned because I belong to that industry. I honestly wish it wasn’t so. We have since dedicated our lives to preaching love for soul, which is the god in man rather than love for the physical being and things. We are also working on starting our own TV show where we can communicate with younger generations better.
What extra step are you willing to take to secure your home?
I have taken all steps before saying ‘yes’. In God and in love there is no injustice. You get what you deserve. There is no love without sacrifice. So, there is nothing too much to give for love. It is with that same love you live with your siblings, loving and leaving with them for life without casting them away no matter what they do. And it is the same love that makes a mother not to throw away her baby with the bath water. This we all need to live forever as one.
As a woman, when you decide to go into marriage, just make sure you go in with two buttons – the ‘let go’ button and the ‘give it up’ button and you will be fine. Just have it in mind that time solves every problem even when you do absolutely nothing about it. That’s why what was your worry last year is no longer your worry today. What happened? Time went away with it.
Do you share house bills with your husband?
I don’t have my money and my hubby does not have his money too. We have our money so we pay our bills.
Is he also helping with house chores and cooking?
Husband is everything. Husband can do everything. There is nothing too big or too small for him to do. Though, he doesn’t really know how to cook, he is willing to learn, and I am teaching him little by little. But with the way he perfects whatever he does, I will be in soup when he finally learns how to cook, because I can assure you he will give my cooking a smackdown.
What next should we expect from you?
A lot. I am careful not to let the cat out of the bag. But I am sure in no distant time, we will have another round of interview and a very explosive one at that. We are just warming up.
Looking back, do you have any regrets?
No. I learn as I live. I don’t have any regrets at all. Without the past, I won’t be where I am today. I won’t have the water tight knowledge I have today and more importantly, I wouldn’t be ripping all the goodies of today. I deserve who I am today and I deserve what I have today because I paid for it.
What lessons has the entertainment industry taught you?
It has increased my knowledge, and the knowledge of human behaviour.
Can you share your beauty secrets?
I exercise regularly and I am mindful of what I eat. My food revolves around fruits, veggies and proteins, so I can easily burn them while still retaining the required vitamins that my body needs.