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By Rita Okoye
Nollywood diva, Ebere Nwizu aka Bayray McNwizu is a graduate of philosophy from Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.
Bayray, who came into the limelight after winning the third Amstel Malta Box Office reality show, made a name for herself in the movie industry.
In this interview the actress shares her career growth, challenges and how she survived excessive bulling as a teenager.
What have you been up to lately?
I have been busy. I’ve been making films, travelling, creating content and the likes. I’m currently promoting two movies, Praise Party and Minèè. They are out in the cinemas since November. Both movies were hard and intense to make from the actor’s point of view, and I trust cinemagoers and lovers of Nollywood would enjoy them.
You are obviously making a huge comeback with movies, what’s your career secret?
I know exactly what I want and I already know what I need to do to get what is required. It’s one thing to want to do something, it’s another thing to know exactly what to do – that is a blessing that God gives. And of course, I like learning new things. I actually love learning new things, things within and outside of my industry. I also focus on things that are important for example, humanity – advocating better ways that men and women can explore their full potentials and live more beneficial lives.
Going down memory lane, how have you been able to stay motivated through the years?
We work at the motivation. Motivation and inspiration don’t just fall into your laps. When you put in the work required via imagination and sweat. Sweat can mean a lot of things; trust me. Trust the process, watch the process and keep learning; you’ll be divinely inspired. Also, when I open myself to learn new things, my brain gets excited, hence motivated to create new things in my life. I meet new people, I go to new places; it really works.
Two of your productions are big screen movies, can you share some set experiences?
It was tough as usual. My character is intense, a married woman at the forefront of her career. She finds herself alone in her marriage left with the decision to fight or flee. Which will she choose? Such a situation is a very difficult place to be and people in this situation are really trying. I hope they see this interview and flock to the cinema to watch the movie, maybe they’ll see something that will help. I guarantee they will. I totally enjoyed working with Tina Mba on set and ‘my father’, Keppy Ekpeyoung. Nigeria has such amazing talents!
How challenging was it for you to shoot different movies, was there a clash?
There was no clash at all; both movies were filmed at different periods.
What are your takes on stereotyping actors?
When you play a character well, people want to see you do it again and again. If as an actor you are happy with that, all well and good. If you feel you have other depths and colours as an actor that you want to explore and showcase, it behoves you to find the means of showcasing that and they will not be stereotyped. The power is really in the hands of the actor.
When I was given Minee script, the director told me he was not sure I could play the part of a ghetto, pidgin-speaking extroverted prostitute, and I told him not to worry that he would love the performance. I was so much into my character that at some point the director was overwhelmed and applauded my performance. The point isn’t to show he applauded me, because it’s always teamwork, but just to tell you that with practice, any actor can do anything.
What determines the script you accept?
As long as the role is relevant and someone will benefit immensely, I’ll do it. One has to be first of all equipped with the right mindset in order to carry out this type of decision. Several things also determine the kind of script I accept – production time, location of shoot, script value etc.
How have you ensured you stay scandal-free as you evolve in your career?
I always advocate a healthy mindset, because when you have a healthy mindset, you will make healthy decisions – first for yourself and then for the good of others. So, why worry about scandals?
You mentioned that you were bullied as a teenager; can you share the experience?
Oh… it was so terrible. I think as a result of that bullying I became somewhat more introverted. There was a time I got a cake for a friend on Valentine’s Day and one of the students told me that my friend, a boy with whom I had a completely harmless relationship, was downstairs at the assembly area and he wanted to see me urgently. So, I left class in a hurry and my friend wasn’t downstairs, only to come back to class to see that they had ransacked my bag and destroyed my Valentine’s gifts for him, and even took my cake and scattered it all over my seat. I was too shocked to cry but my heart was definitely broken. They teased me about the scar on my face. I think what upset them the most was that I didn’t give a damn about what they thought about me, and I just did what pleased me. Although, their teasing hurt me, by the time I got home and told my mother and sisters, I felt stronger to stand my ground and love myself.
What would you advice any young lady under pressure to do to meet up with the social standards of these days?
I would definitely tell teenagers to discover who they are. They need to watch the right contents on TV, online platforms and also watch the content they listen to. It’s a personal journey and no one can live your life. Regardless of whatever has happened to you, it has happened to you.
But by all means, you must carry out that divine assignment we all have been tasked with, and by all means have fun while doing it. No one is better than you.
Do what makes you feel fulfilled. If you want to be a cook, be the best at it, if you want to be a guard, read about what will make you be the best guard ever so that you can stand out as the best anywhere in the world. Be the best at whatever you decide to do and it is unnecessary to compete with anyone.
As an actor, what makes you standout?
What makes me standout is the skill to embody a character without wondering if people will laugh at my performance. This is key. Also, the discipline to work with my imagination makes me standout. An actor without imagination will burn out easily.
