entertainment

Ayo Adesanya - 'Goriola is a closed chapter, I have
found another love'
Ayo Adesanya is not a new face in Nollywood. She
has acted alongside veterans like Regina Askia, Liz
Benzon, Ucharia Anunobi and many others. The
University of Ibadan graduate of Communications
and Language Arts, like many of her peers,
ventured into movie production. She spoke with
AJIBADE ALABI recently on several issues in the
industry.
Why acting and not practicing what you
studied in school?
I have always liked acting; it is just inborn. Right
from my childhood days, I knew I would end up
being an actress.
How did you join the industry?
I went for an interview somewhere, where I met
Ifeanyi. It was he who invited me for an
auditioning, and in that auditioning I was given a
waka pass role. That was my first role, and that
was how the journey began.
But I had always wanted to be an actress. I had
started right from when I was in nursery school. I
acted also when in secondary school. I also acted
in church. So, it has been part of me right from
the beginning.
Who are your contemporaries in the
industry?
I have Bimbo Akintola, Sandra Achums, Eucharia
Anunobi and some others I can’t remember now.
What about Regina Askia?
Ha! Regina started before me. The reason people
always think we stated together is because we
acted many films together, like in Most Wanted,
where I played a lead role with her, and that film
shot me into limelight. So many people thought
we were contemporaries. No, we were not; she
started before me. I must give God the glory for
that film (Most Wanted). Though I had acted in
many films before that, that particular film
brought out the talent in me. And it was a film
where I acted with the who is who in the industry
then.
People seem to see you as being arrogant.
How do you take that?
I don’t know where you got your fact from, but all
I can tell you is that I am not arrogant. I am a
normal person. I am a cool person. The fact that
one plays one role in a movie does not make that
person to be wicked, arrogant or controversial.
There are roles that you will play that people will
like you, and there are also roles that you will play
that people will feel like stoning you to death.
People should know the difference between when
one is on set and when one is living one’s normal
life. These are two different things. The fact that I
acted as prostitute in a movie does not make me
a prostitute.
After Goriola Hassan, your ex-hubby, what
next?
What next as in what? I am leaving my life as
normal. Goriola is a closed chapter in my life; it is
one of those things in life. Life continues. Will I
continue to ruminate over that? A beg, life
continues
Have you found another love?
Yes. I have found another love. I am into a new
relationship.
But has love been fair to you?
Yes. Love has been fair to me, and I thank God for
that.
Do you still remember 2005 when you were
voted as one of the sexiest actresses of the
90s?
I still remember.
Then, you said your eyes were your sexiest
part. Are you still holding to that view?
I still believe that my eyes are the sexiest part of
me, and people always talk about my eyes as
being the sexiest. And I do not doubt that; my
eyes are sexy and captivating!
You are one of the very few Yoruba
actresses who dumped the English sector to
join the Yoruba. Tell us why
I just feel I should go back to my roots. Even while
I was doing English movies, I was still appearing in
Yoruba movies. For instance, I acted in Iru Oka
alongside Ramsey Nouah while I was still in the
English caucus. So, it was not as if I did not act in
Yoruba before or I just dumped English for Yoruba.
I just feel I want to come fully to the Yoruba
sector.
As someone who has done both Yoruba and
English films, what can you say is the
difference between the two?
There is no much difference; the only difference is
that Yoruba is rich in story line and they
(producers) have very deep story lines that teach
morals. I am not castigating any tribe here, mind
you; I’m just telling you what I feel. If you take
note that a lot of improvement has occurred in
Yoruba film industry. The cameras, the location
and the costumes and even the effects that are
now being used cannot be compared to what we
had in the past. So, I can tell you that good things
are now happening in the Yoruba section of
Nollywood.
Did you have a taste of sexual harassment
as an up-and-coming actress?
 I did not believe anyone is harassing anybody. If
you are talented and you know what you are
doing, nobody will ever harass or molest you.
Fine, as a fine lady, you are bound to be toasted,
it now depends on you to succumb to whoever
you want to date. It is not a matter of life and
death. I don’t believe anybody can be harassed
sexually, except they are not good. If you know
what you want, nobody can harass you.
You have acted in many films. Which one
can you say was most challenging?
All my roles have been challenging. Take for
instance, my role in Osuka, where I played two
roles. In that movie, I played the role of a young
girl and an old woman – which was very
challenging. But you need to watch this my latest
film, entitled Amope Alasela. In this one, I played
a dual role. I must tell you it was very daunting
and tasking, because I had to change many times
to play the roles of different people. The director
had to wait for me to change. And there was a
scene where both characters met. It was very
demanding. Apart from that, I also acted some
funny part in the film.
Talking about being funny, it seems you
have added that to your acting now?
That is what I was telling you. That is to tell you
that as an actress, I’m versatile. There is no role I
cannot play.
Source: Nigeria Tribune