Rising Nigerian actress Amara Maduka has always stood out—not just for her on-screen charisma but for her fiercely independent spirit.
In an interview with Saturday Sun, the bold entertainer opened up about her philosophy on marriage, growing up, and why she’s been noticeably absent from the movie scene in recent times.
When asked about her views on marriage, she said, “Marriage for a woman like me is not the same as for the regular woman. Don’t get me wrong, marriage is good and interesting, but the things we see and hear about marriages these days are scary. It’s a turn-off. Whether or not I’m going to get married is still a constant battle between me, myself, and I. Times have changed, and so have we. And I’m not a feminist in the Nigerian sense of it, but men just have to do a lot better to protect our women.”
Strong-willed but open-minded, Amara also offered insights into her upbringing. When asked if she was a stubborn child, she said, “I don’t characterize myself as stubborn. I know I have a strong will and my mind, but I’m not stubborn. Stubborn people are dumb, in my opinion. They hold onto the ‘I am stubborn’ mentality even when they’re wrong. If you lay the cards on the table and convince me with sense, I’ll change my mind. That’s the difference between being stubborn and having a strong will.”
And when it comes to the often-discussed topic of blacklisting in Nollywood, Amara had some strong words for the industry.
“We have just a handful of professionals. Before Nollywood can have the audacity to blacklist any artist, they need to first instil some professionalism. The few good movies you see out there are produced by artists. Those who think they ran the industry killed it. Notice I said ‘ran’—because they don’t run it anymore. The game has flipped. They’re just businessmen and women who want to invest money and get quick turnover without paying attention to the little, important details that good films need.”
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