By Rita Okoye
Nollywood actress Thelma Chukwunwem is one of the remarkable talents who experienced the evolution of the Nigerian movie industry—from the video cassette era to today’s digital and social media age. She recently starred in Love in Every Word, a film that garnered over 30 million views.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, Thelma reflects on her journey and shares valuable insights for aspiring actors who dream of making it big in Nollywood.
When you started in Nollywood in the 90s or 2000s, what inspired you to become an actress?
I have always wanted to be an actor. I believe I was born to be in front of a camera. Anybody who went to primary or secondary school with me, will tell you that they are not surprised at what I am doing now, because this has always been me. The only thing they would still wonder why I have not started a career in is music. I did a lot of music back in my secondary school.
You sing as well?
Yes, I even had a band back then. I did a lot of music in secondary school, plenty of that. I went to St Mary Magdalene Anglican Girls’ Seminary, Umuahia. One of the best schools back then. So anybody who knew me growing up won’t be surprised at what I am doing. This is what I have always wanted to do. Even when I didn’t know what course to study to become an actor. It wasn’t until I was about to graduate from secondary school that I learned that there is a course I could study in the university for what I love doing. So I wrote JAMB and went to university to study Theatre Arts, and then ended up in film. This has always been what I wanted to do.
So we can say you are fulfilling a long-time dream?
I am living the dream. I am having a swell time. I am just being who I have always wanted to be.
Has there been a time you felt tired of your career and wanted to try another career?
Normally, in every career, there are challenges. There was a time when Nollywood was quite challenging. It didn’t look like the money was there anymore. There was a time when many actors left the industry to find something else to do. Especially when they have families and dependents. So it was not particular to me. At some point, I left too and returned. I did other businesses and added it to. what I was doing, so that it will be easier to pay bills, but as life went on, things started getting better. Things picked up, different platforms picked up and things became easier again.
That brings us to the question if it’s true that acting cannot completely pay the bills?
For me now, I don’t even have time to do other businesses. I have other businesses I would love to do but there is no time for that. For me, as an actor, presently, I am very busy. Film is paying by bills in full blast. I don’t have anything else that I am doing right now aside from films. To earn well as an actor comes with a hierarchy. It comes with popularity. It comes with your face being out there. If you have not gotten to that point in the career, you might have some challenges. It might not come with fluidity of resources because the person is still trying to rise. Another example is, if you are working with three production companies, and you are willing to work hard, the money won’t be coming from one place. But if you are working with just one production company, the money won’t be coming in like that. You may shoot for three months and the other three months, you have nothing to do. More so, if someone masters the discipline of living within their means, the person will scale through. There was a time back in the days when I just started in the industry that I worked as a model. I even danced at some point, did other businesses until I got to the point it was only production I was doing.
In the past two years, your name changed from Thelma Nwosu to Thelma Chukwunwem, people assume marriage made you change your name, is this a fact?
No, I am not married. You know, it’s just a Nigerian thing when people change their names, especially women. It is believed they are married. Sometimes, you may just get tired of a name and choose to change it. It doesn’t sound Nigerian but that’s me. I felt like changing my name and I am happy I did.
Did you consider the fact that people must have been used to Thelma Nwosu and may affect your career?
I knew they would get used to it one day, it’s just to keep insisting. Like, my colleague, Toyin Aimakun, people knew her with that name back in the days. Now she is Toyin Abraham, I am sure now people don’t remember she used to be Aimakun.
Which movies are you working on presently?
I have worked on many movies recently, I can’t count, but I just finished shooting ‘Love in Every word’ Part 2 on Tuesday. The movie that gave Nigerians the popular slang, ‘Odogwu Parara’. It’s going to be a bang.
For someone who has been in the industry from way back when there was no social media and now you are still in the industry during internet and technology explosion, are there improvements and changes you have seen? what differences have you seen that you can call progress?
Progressively I like the fact that many of the young ones in the industry are taking the social media thing very seriously. They pay serious attention to their image. The image making. The branding aspect, a lot of them are taking it seriously more than we did back then. For us when we started, it was all about passion. You just want to prove a point once you are in front of the camera, or on stage and they say ‘Action’. You just want people to recognize that you know your onions. Back then, it was not all about how you look. But if you want to be more relevant, make more money, have more opportunities that will make brands start looking for you, you need to build an image. That is what I am learning now. A lot of my colleagues who are coming from back in the 80s and 90 are struggling with it, but the younger ones dived right into it because most of them were born into the computer age. To post is not a problem for them. I don’t have a problem of what to do when the camera is on but for me to mount my phone and be walking up and down, I feel a little awkward. Fortunately or unfortunately, that is what is happening in the world. That is what the fans want to see. The fans want to see how you live your real life apart from when they see you on set. I feel it’s invasion of privacy, but God will help us.
Not to compare, but do you see more talent in the actors we have now or in the actors of yester-years?
I don’t want to paint anybody in the bad light but I will say the older actors know their onions more. And I don’t mean it as a disrespect. The older actors who are pioneers pay attention to skill. They pay attention to talent and the way the character should be interpreted. There are also new actors among the younger generation in the industry who know their onions and pay attention to interpretation of roles and skill. There are some of the new generation actors that are fantastic actors, but, there are some. When I mean some, I mean those that are there for all about fashion. It’s all about looks. You cannot tell me you woke up from sleep early in the morning wearing lipstick. Even if you are Princess Diana or Queen Elizabeth. You have to take off your make-up before you sleep. These ones are permanently at war with the make up artiste or they are at war with the costumers because they want to look a certain way. When you check, it’s like it’s not acting they came for, they came to sell market. If you are an actor, your concern is to interprete that character the best way possible. You cannot be playing the role of a village girl in the farm and their is makeup on your face and wearing synthetic nails. Everything should come off and appear like a village girl who has not seen powder before. When it is time to act the part of a psychedelic boss lady, own it. Let a blind person know that this lady is psychedelic raised to power 10. There should be a difference. That is some of the problems production houses have with certain actors.
Speaking about looks, most actresses are going under the knife to make certain parts of their body bigger, that is BBL. What is going on? Are the directors demanding for actresses with big buttocks?
Those are personal decisions and luckily for me, I don’t fall into that category. God blessed me with big bum bum and I don’t wish to add more. There is this thing about confidence that people need to have. If they feel a certain part of them is lacking, they will go to any length to get it. With all due respect, I am not judging anybody. I am only concerned about the health implications. If health wise, it is not going to be a problem in future, or have a repercussion because of BBL, honestly, I don’t have issues with them. It’s their personal decision and I cannot tell anyone what they can or cannot do.
With your wealth of experience in the industry, what will be your advice to any young person planning to go into the Nigerian movie industry?
The first advice is for them to make sure the industry is where they want to be. They should make sure that is where God wants them planted. There is something Aunty Ngozi Nwosu used to say, ‘Uwa ka nma na TV’ meaning that living life comes easy on television screen. When you look at people on television, it’s all razzmatazz and all beautiful and you think it’s as easy as it appears. It comes with a lot of hard work. It comes with its own kind of pain. You must get ready to work very hard. The competition is very stiff. It’s very demanding, so you must up your game per time. Just like medical doctors keep reading and writing exams, as an actor, you have to keep improving yourself. You can never afford to remain static, if not, the world will leave you behind. Again, you must pray very hard. The job itself is a spiritual job.
How do you mean when you say acting is spiritual?
It is very spiritual. Anything that goes on the airwaves is very spiritual. It contends with powers. Somebody can make you see it at the periphery but we who studied Theater Arts understand it is spiritual. And that what you play might affect or not affect you, depending on how you handle it. And because the competition is stiff, you have to keep upgrading. You need to get better, you need to have more open heavens and these things are controlled by the spiritual. So I always advice people that if they are praying persons, they should pray harder. I cannot advise them to do another because I don’t know what they do. Pray hard, study, read, work hard, up your game and I believe that God will help you.
Lastly, do not fall into the temptation of trying to exchange a role by sleeping with somebody, either male or female. Whatever anybody asks you to exchange for a role can be very dicy. It will backfire. It’s better to hold onto God whom He alone is the lifter of men. You also have to me patient, because if you are in a hurry, ‘igbagbuo onwe gi n’oso’ meaning you will keep running when no one is chasing you. If you are meant to be in this field, God will lift you.
Some see acting as a feel good job, no stress but, tell us how challenging it is?
Acting is becoming another person. When you see a real actor, you will know. When the person is crying, it will move the audience to cry. The difference between a good actor and someone who just came unserious is as clear as night and day. Acting moves with plenty of emotions. The actor becomes that character. Your whole psyche is involved. It’s not a joke. That is why if a person is playing a character in a movie where he/she had an accident, after the person finishes the movie, if care is not taken, the person may have an accident. When you play certain roles, when you finish, detach yourself and pray. So that whatever it is you were would not follow you. Like we were taught in school, we don’t cram lines, we internalize lines. You take the lines in until it becomes you. That is why it is called make believe. The audience must be convinced.
Do you have some of your colleagues in the industry that you admire?
I have some of my colleagues that admire and love what they do. Some of them go beyond the surface and I respect them for that. My former lecturer in the university, Professor Sam Dede taught me acting in 200 and 300 level at the University of Port Harcourt. Late Amatu Braid. I salute them. She taught me acting and dance. Columbus Irosanga was my dance lecture. He is late now. He passed on earlier this year. I had great lecturers who did well and their impacts were felt. They knew their job, they drilled it in and we learned.
Also, I have never met the two actors am about to say their name, they are drop actors and they interprete their roles well. Odunlade Adekola and Ibrahim Shita are great at what they do. Aunty Sola Shobowale is another actor that I respect a lot.
Any future plans to make music since you can sing well?
I plan to sing but not to commercialise it. I am putting plans on the way to make music just to please that part of me. If it makes money for me, fine. if it doesn’t make money for me, it’s still fine.
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