What I usually tell my stubborn male admirers

Ireti Osayemi is one of Nollywood’s  crowd-pulling  figures. The Yoruba actress who recently attended the Best of Yoruba Nollywood Awards speaks to JOAN OMIONAWELE on her life as an actress and her personal life. 

You were recently at the Best of Nollywood Awards, what was the experience like?

It was a wonderful and amazing experience, we haven’t seen the end of it because I’m sure it will get better  every year.

What is the secret of your beauty?

This is basically just me, there is nothing more to me.

After two kids, you have been able to keep your size intact, what’s your daily routine like?

Are you sure I have remained the same person?(laughs)

Of late, I have been trying to work on my weight seriously, because I am in the business of showbiz and one can’t just fix a particular time for whatever you want to do. You have to be dynamic to be able to play a role. There are some stages in your career that you have to go with the trend.

What size are you currently working towards?

I was a size 14 before and I am now a size 12.

How has life been as an actress?

It has been amazing. I always tell people that this is the only profession which affords  you the chance  to try your hands on other professions.

Many of your colleagues are going into music, are you thinking of toeing that line too?

(Laughs) No, but maybe now that you have said it, I will try to think about it.

You have been able to stay off scandals, what strategies do you use to steer clear?

I really don’t know how to put it, but I try my best to stay out of trouble. There are certain things that you would do and within yourself, you know you are not doing the right thing and at times you might think you are doing the right thing and your fans and the public may see it in another light and….boom, it becomes a scandal.

Sometimes, some stories which are rather untrue but when they become stories are blown out of proportion, so it is not as if I have any trick or routine, but I have just been living my life.

AS a popular actress, you are not that active on the social media why is this so?

I  have got my hands full at home. My two kids are enough to get me preoccupied. They need my attention , so where will I get the time for social media? I love to go online, though to follow the trend and read about issues.

Most of your colleagues flaunt their kids on the social media, why don’t you try this?

I do my best possible to keep them off social media and the hullabaloo of the industry. My son doesn’t really like it, my daughter doesn’t mind you putting her on the social media. If my children were to be here with me, you may find my daughter sitting beside me but you would not find my son because he doesn’t like the social media or the publicity it brings and I respect that once they get old enough, they can choose whatever they prefer to do.

You are a beautiful actress, how do you handle your admirers?

I will not dispute the fact that I have admirers, it is just normal for a woman to have admirers, but I try to tell my admirers that the room is booked and they should try the next one.

How do you mean ‘the  room is booked’?

Yes, this room is totally booked, I tell them I am a married woman who is blessed with kids… Or would they want to buy a bus filled with passengers? I’m married,  have kids and I have no reason to look out.

But there are some men who don’t mind.

Yes, some men will tell you they are married as well, so what is the big deal, if one wants to stay out of scandals, they look away, but if you want to throw caution to the wind, it is okay. But I try my best to be good.

You are a versatile actress, how many languages do you speak?

I speak  Yoruba, English, a bit of Igbo, and I speak Liberian English fluently.

If you were to work with an international  artiste, who would you pick?

I would love to work with Denzel Washington and a whole lot of them, then I also have so many actresses I would love to work with…

Why Denzel Washington…..

He is hotter than fire….

Which Nigerian actor have you enjoyed working with most?

I have worked with a lot of them and they are all amazing. I have to be diplomatic here.

What are you up to at the moment?

I have some movies I am featuring in now, we have Oju Apa and a lot of other movies.

Do you reject roles?

Yes, I do , especially when they clash  with a job I am already working on and sometimes on monetary terms. I try not to turn scripts down if they aren’t what I want, I tell the producer to balance the script. I don’t believe that there is a bad script, you take some things out, and add some things to make it good.

With a million dollar, will you act nude?

No, I won’t. I’m an African woman.

How does your husband react when you act romantic roles?

Sometimes, he would say, “why did you kiss like that? That was so fake, if you are being professional, if you have chosen this career, do it and do it right’’.

So he supports you being an actress?

Yes,  he does.