Magazine Cover: Omoni Oboli Talks Nollywood, Family And Career As She Covers Guardian Life Magazine’s Newest Issue

Award-winning actress and producer, Omoni Oboli shines in the latest issue of Guardian Life Magazine as she reminisces about her first movie role, her earlier days in Nollywood, stepping into character for a role and her most recent exploits in the Nigerian movie industry. Omoni who is the mum of three handsome boys also hailed her husband whom she says takes care of the home-front while she is away filming. Read excerpts from her interview
What was growing up like for you?
Mostly happy and eventful, even though we weren’t rich. My experiences with my mum and my sister were such that I couldn’t trade them for any other. Living in the Delta Steel Complex at Aladja was a dream for us then; it had all the facilities that made for a great community, and that made me live a somewhat sheltered life, away from the larger society of Warri. The schools there were great, and that’s where I also discovered my love for acting. I loved those days.
Would you say acting is a natural gift or training is necessary?
Both. You can be naturally gifted in anything, but without any further training, I don’t see how you can get very far. The training may be formal, studying at an institution or taking courses, or it may be informal, which can include on-the-job training in school dramas or any plays with friends and people of like interests or in Nollywood directly. The naturally gifted ones then shine when they are featured in roles after they’ve been trained either way. So yes, acting is a natural gift, but even some people who didn’t think they had the gift still go on to be great through training and sheer determination.
What is it like stepping into a character?
Every role has its own demands and challenges, and depending on the director and the script, I always try to put myself in the place of the character I’m playing. They say an actor can’t or shouldn’t judge the character he or she is playing and that is what I always try to bring to any movie production I’m featured in. We also somehow still retain a bit of our own traits and mannerisms, which is what makes two actors give different performances for the same role and that is also what brings spice to the entertainment world of movies.

“Okafor’s Law” – describe your character in the film?
I played the character of the “good” church girl, Ejiro, who had been stood up at the altar and after finding God, fell for an old seduction trick to find herself in the same position as when she was first jilted. We have all come across an Ejiro in our lives, who has, due to experiences, given up on relationships on the surface, hoping for that person who ticks all their preconceived boxes of the ideal Mr Right. Unfortunately, some people know just how to satisfy those requirements on the surface, until you probe deeper to find that “perfect” doesn’t always come in ideal packages.