Nse Ikpe Etim is an award winning Nigerian actor who came into prominence in the late 2000s. Connect Nigeria recently had a chat with her where she revealed her favourite Christmas gift. Enjoy.
CN: How did your acting career begin? Is it what you’ve always wanted to do, or did it take you by surprise?
NIE: I think I have been noticing that acting happened as a surprise for me, it wasn’t something I was quite sure I would ever do. Yes, considering the fact that I do have a degree in Theatre Arts, but it really doesn’t mean that if you read Theatre Arts, you are going to be an actor. I majored in administration really which is what producers do but I find myself as an actor today. Though I dabbled into acting after my graduation, friends around me gave me the push. People like Jeta Amata and Emem Isong who insisted I took up a role in a movie, and that was my first plunge into acting world officially.
CN: If you weren’t an actor, which other career path might you have followed?
NIE: If I wasn’t an actor, I would still have been an actor, that’s the only way I can put it. I have come to terms with the fact that I love my job and I get satisfaction from it. But when I’m pushed to the edge and everyone keeps saying ‘Nse, you need to pick one’ I would tell you I’d rather be a professional chef or a teacher.
CN: Are there any actors you would like to work with, locally and internationally?
NIE: There are always actors you want to act with, but I have been lucky to work with really good people locally, and everyone has something they bring to the table. So I can’t really say it’s this person or that person. Yes, there are actors I would like to work with but I have worked with almost everybody I would like to work with here in Nigeria. And I’m hoping that I get a chance to work with some international renowned stars or actors.
CN: What do you enjoy most about your job?
NIE: One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the satisfaction that other people get from watching me. How much I’m able to affect people’s lives motivates and drives me to be a better person. It might not be seen as the right answer, but I don’t think there is a wrong or right answer. Because for me, when I see someone has a smile on their face, that’s really enjoyable for me. And the fact that I can be anybody I want to be in the whole world; I can be anything just for being an actor.
CN: What do you like least about your job?
NIE: I won’t say I don’t enjoy my job, but I crave my privacy a lot. So I miss that, I miss my privacy. But then again, something has to give.
CN: How do you relax when you’re not working?
NIE: When I’m not working, sometimes I like to go on road trips. When I was much younger, I did a road trip around Nigeria because road trips for me are a lot of fun. Then I play a lot of scrabble, I play chess, and also I enjoy cooking, it’s a form of relaxation for me. I just enjoy that a lot.
CN: What do you consider to be the best career decision you have ever made?
NIE: I think my best career decision is yet to come, but I believe every decision I have taken in my career, I’ve got no regret about them, because I’m not afraid to make mistakes, I’m not afraid to fall and stand up again. So, I stand by everything I have done in my career, completely.
CN: What are the upsides, and downsides of being a celebrity?
NIE: Am I really a celebrity? Well, I think it has to be more personal than a general thing. For me, I do miss and crave those times when I could go unnoticed, but then again it’s such a good feeling to know that you have affected someone positively and the person just walks up to you and say “Oh, hello. Thank you, this is what you did” but sometimes you are going through some personal issues and it might not be the right time but then again, you have to keep up and be nice.
CN: What is the most challenging project you have ever worked on?
NIE: Every project I have worked on is challenging. I always say the most challenging job I would do is my next project, because you can’t tell what is coming in front you; you can’t tell what the future holds. So my most challenging job is yet to come.
CN: Do you work out? Which form of exercise do you prefer?
NIE: Yes, I do work out. I do Pilates, but I am thinking I should add a bit of yoga to it because it is also sort of holistic exercise that would work on the mind, so I’m thinking of adding yoga to my Pilates.
CN: What song motivates you?
NIE: I think different songs motivate me at different times. And what is funny is I don’t have a genre of music that I’m more into than the others. But really I love classical music, I love jazz, I love Nigerian music but that’s not a genre, is it? I just enjoy music as long as it is inspirational and uplifting.
CN: What’s your favourite food?
NIE: I don’t have a favourite food, I just love food. Give me a plate of good food and you would have me eating out of that plate voraciously, and I can be a voracious eater especially when I really love the food. But you see afang soup is beautiful, it’s amazing, there is no how you would see afang and say no to it, no matter how much weight you are watching. And then my next new thing I’m working on is Korean food, it’s the new fad. I love sushi as well but afang is awesome.
CN: It’s the Christmas season, people exchange gifts, what kinds of gifts would you like to receive?
NIE: Yes, people exchange gifts. And I honestly do not know what I want for Christmas but if you remember that song by Michael Bublé “All I Want for Christmas is You” I’d probably be singing that song, but then I already had what I want for Christmas. It’s an eternal gift, an all-year round gift. But then again, a nice book wouldn’t be bad, because I miss reading. I can’t read when I’m working on set because the book will take me out of where I am. So a good book would be really nice.
CN: Which books have impacted your life?
NIE: One of the books that impacted my life would be one of the first books I read when I was very young, and I am very thankful to my father that he had that book in his library. It’s called Sorrows of Satan by Marie Corelli.
CN: What’s your favourite travel destination?
NIE: I have always said that I love Austria very much, I think it’s because I’m in love with Sound of Music, the story and everything. It’s just a constant reminder of my childhood. But I like a nice getaway anyhow; I’m not bothered if it’s the beach or anywhere. I love the water but I really don’t mind anywhere. As soon as I get away, it’s fine; I try to open up myself to experience new things. I love Scotland too, the highlands, there is whisky there too; just a nice little shot of whisky is nice sometimes and maybe lots of wine. But anywhere you can just find a spot to relax is okay for me.
CN: What advice do you have for women who aspire to a successful acting career?
NSE: I would say do what works for you, but always remember that talent is not enough. You need the grace, you need to strike a balance, and you need to be hardworking and focused. Do not get distracted by mundane things, because those mundane things are there to distract you. Also know that the first thing an actor should learn is discipline, be disciplined and you are on your way to greater heights.
About the author: Chris Bamidele is a passionate and unapologetic Nigerian, who believes in God and humanity. He is a writer, blogger, and an aspiring Television Director; and an optimist to the core. He blogs at
www.chrisbamidele.wordpress.com and tweets @Chrisbamidele.
