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By Christy Anyanwu
Joy Elumelu is a talented Nigerian screenwriter and actress, known for her work on the comedy film “Crazy Grannies” (2021). As a screenwriter, Elumelu has also penned other notable projects, including “Trump Card” and “Desperate Housegirls.”
As an actress, Joy Elumelu has appeared in films like “Kayanmata” (2018) and “The Bunglers” (2017). She is the National Secretary of the Screen Writers Guild of Nigeria (SWGN).
In this interview, she speaks on her career and more.
Tell us more about what you do now in entertainment circle?
Oh, I’m a screenwriter. I am currently serving as the National Secretary of the Screenwriters Guild of Nigeria.
How was your journey to the entertainment industry?
My journey started in the year 2000. I remember, a friend asked me to come to Winnies to audition for a screenplay, to audition for a film. So, when I got there, I saw a huge crowd. I was scared. I wanted to leave. But, you know, I met someone. We started chatting. And so, myself and the person became really close friends.
And then, I got a role in that particular audition that I went for. The name of the movie, I think, is called Beyond Pardon.
After Beyond Pardon, there was another audition. I did the audition. I also got a role in that one.
I can’t remember that particular one. But, I remember that, after that, I went for an MNET audition in which Amaka Igwe, of Blessed Memory, was the director. And Tajudeen Adepetu, too, was the producer. It’s called Barber’s Wisdom. Luckily, I got a role. Hilda Dukubo played my mum. Justus Esiri of blessed memory was my dad. Foluke Daramola was my sister.
And then, we had people like Jim Iyke, Jude Norah, and I think John Njamah as well were on that project. So, from that project, I got a role to start playing ‘ Ejeata in Everyday People. And then, a role to play Jumoke in Fuji House of Commotion.
So, are you still acting, even as a screenwriter?
To be honest, no. I took a backseat from acting because I just suddenly wanted, I don’t know, I just wanted to be incognito.
I just wanted to do my job, earn my pay, and just enjoy my life without people really knowing me. But, somehow, people still recognise me, which is crazy. And it depends on, well, how I’m looking, what I’m wearing that would make me respond to you. (Laughs)
If you meet me like in the market, and you’re like, excuse me, are you the actress in….? I say, no, it’s not me. But if you meet me like as an event, all decked up, and you ask if I’m an actress, I would say, yeah, yeah, it’s me. Yeah.
How is it like to be a screenwriter? Tell us your experience, challenges etc?
Like with every profession, it has its ups and downs. The truth of the matter is that without a screenplay, there will be no movies. And it’s very unfortunate that a lot of productions are not exactly willing to pay writers what they’re really worth. It’s a battle sometimes to even get credits on jobs that writers, like professional writers, have written. And I don’t know why you would see the post on Instagram or social media or anywhere.
They are tagging even production assistants, but they will not tag the writer. And I don’t understand why. Sometimes, some producers don’t even give writers credits.
Sometimes the producers will just put maybe two or three lines and ad-lib. And before you know it, they are sharing credits with someone who did the entire write-up. You know, it’s discouraging sometimes.
But the satisfaction comes when you see your work on screen. You know, it goes from paper to screen, from script to screen, when you see the production and all that. I’m sure even Hollywood writers will tell you, it’s not what I wrote that they shot.
You know, because sometimes some of us writers too, we are in our own world. We’re not realistic with what we’re writing. For instance, when you know someone has a YouTube budget, why are you writing what someone with a Netflix budget is supposed to write? Those are the challenges.
The biggest challenge every writer is facing is, of course, money. Sometimes, it starts with us, it begins with us. That’s actually our slogan.
Our slogan for Screenwriters Guild of Nigeria is, it begins with us. So we would like for producers, you know, to start to pay us what we’re really worth. Outside the fact that, okay, individual bargaining power also comes to play.
And then sometimes to your body of work. I know that there are some writers who have had even more experience, but they haven’t gotten the opportunity to do big projects. So based on that, they’re not earning what they deserve because they keep seeing, you know, the small productions. Those are the big challenges.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Lagos. So, as a child, I think I was in America with my parents.And then we came back to Nigeria. And when we came to Nigeria, we came straight to Lagos State. So all my education is in Lagos.
Do you intend going back to live in the US?
Personally, I don’t have any interest in relocating to America. I personally don’t even have any interest in relocating anywhere. I tried sometime though, travelling abroad. I would go somewhere and say I’m relocating. After five, six months, I’ve run back to Nigeria. I’ve tried it once more.
I’ve done it at least four times. The last one was with my cousin, ISIS models in South Africa. I didn’t even spend six weeks.
I ran back to Nigeria. Me and Nigeria, we’re five and six. I believe in Nigeria. It is, at this very moment, very discouraging, very scary to believe in Nigeria. But I really still believe in Nigeria.
And I’m praying for the best. Hoping for the best. Working in my small capacity for the best to come.
