By Rita Okoye
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Angela Eguavoen is captivating audiences with her compelling storytelling and remarkable performances.
In a recent interview with Saturday Sun, the Edo State native opens up on the unique challenges she’s faced throughout her career, her relationship status, desire for marriage, and much more.
Can you tell us about your latest project, Through The Valley, and what inspired you to produce it?
Through the Valley is a story so dear to my heart. I did my NYSC in an Air Force Base in Port Harcourt, and I got super close to some military personnel. Then I saw their lives, and I wanted to tell the story. It is a story about PTSD, about the struggles that military men go through after going to the war. Seeing their friends die. It’s the aftermath of the trauma they get to experience that people don’t see or get to talk about, and then how this affects their wives, families and all of that.
Through the Valley also talks about domestic violence in women. It explores what can go wrong when you don’t leave an abusive relationship in time. It is a broad story; it talks about self-esteem and true love, and it also tells women that they are not asking for too much. When the right person comes into your life, things are just going to change. The right people will treat you well. Someone who truly loves you treats you well. Going back to PTSD in military men, it also explores how it affects the family, and how these people tend to manage it.
As both an actress and a producer, what are some unique challenges and rewards you experience in each role?
I love these jobs so much with all of my heart. As an actor, I love the fact that I play different people. I can become different people at different times and as an executive producer, I have the liberty to tell the kind of stories that I want – impactful stories. If you check Angela Eguavoen TV on YouTube, you will see that every single story that I’ve dropped are impactful stories and films – stories that liberate, heal, elevate, teach and entertain.
My kind of films you would laugh, you would cry, fall in love and even learn, and then you would heal. These are the kinds of stories I tell. That’s one of the most beautiful things about being a producer and about being an actor.
Can you share some of the challenges you faced while producing movies for fans on YouTube? How do you overcome them?
As a producer there are lots of challenges. I know that nothing is really easy, but being a producer comes with a lot of emotional, psychological and physical stress. It’s a lot of stress from trying to get someone to write a story, and then after that, you need to find the perfect cast, and then the crew members, getting everybody on board and shooting.
After all of this, after you have shot, then there comes one of the most stressful parts, which is getting the film across to people, trying to get people to watch it and trying to make your money back. It is a lot. It can be very discouraging at times, but then we just hang in there hoping that everything is going to get better, and we’re going to make our money back some day. So yes, it’s not easy being a producer especially in Nollywood, and being one that produces good movies. Because, when you want to produce a good movie, it requires a lot of work, and then finances. It is money consuming to produce a good film. It’s not very easy, but you just have to keep pushing and believing that God by his infinite mercy would come through and help us make returns on our investment in an abundant way.
Are there particular genres or themes you are especially passionate about exploring in your future projects?
I tell human stories. I tell stories that people can easily relate with, and they are usually based on God’s inspiration, but I want to delve into comedy. I’m very funny in real life. But a lot of people don’t know that side of me. So I want to explore that side of me pretty soon and do something different. The stories I’ve been telling so far are emotionally driven. Yes, you will definitely find moments to laugh in my stories, but I want to do pure comedy very soon.
From your comic videos on Instagram, it seems you are not currently in a serious relationship. What qualities are you looking for in a potential partner?
Yes I am not currently in any relationship. I am single. Basically, a good man; a man with a good heart; a man who is caring. In all, a good man, a good person, someone who loves themselves and is God fearing, and financially stable.
What does an ideal relationship look like to you at this stage of your life?
An ideal relationship for me right now, is when two people come together and make life better for each other, not the kind of relationship when one person comes into the other person’s life and then frustrates the other person or makes the other person feel really bad about themselves. I believe that one person can go far. But with two people they can even go farther. When two people who are hungry to become better, and Excel in life and make better meaning out of it, the outcome is usually very amazing.
On some days when you don’t feel like it, that other person is nudging you and motivating you to push forward, not to give up. So an ideal relationship for me is one where two people really love themselves and want to see each other grow, and they support each other every step of the way.
Because whether you like it or not, we need each other to survive. So if we come into a relationship with that mindset of being a shoulder to lean on, with the mindset of actually being someone’s peace. There’s this beautiful thing about knowing that someone somewhere other than you cares about you and is rooting for you. That is an ideal relationship for me.
Not one that you guys are just having sex or one where you cannot be vulnerable to your partner and they judge you. An ideal relationship is one where you can be vulnerable and they won’t judge you. It is one where they will see you at your lowest and still elevate you. That is an ideal relationship for me.
You’ve spoken about the importance of forgiveness in relationships. Can you elaborate on why you believe this is such a crucial element for a lasting connection?
I believe so much in forgiveness both in relationships and in real life. I believe that forgiving someone who has hurt you, doesn’t just hurt that person, it frees you from that weight that you are putting on yourself on your chest, and makes you forge ahead.
I think people should practice it more, because it is really uplifting and elevating, both in relationships. Nobody is perfect, but there are some things that you just keep forgiving. If it has gotten to a point you cannot forgive anymore, of course you are advised to keep it moving. But even in keeping it moving, you can forgive and still choose your inner peace and still walk out of a narcissistic relationship that covers your shine and demeans you and makes you feel less of yourself. You can forgive the person and even forgive yourself.
The fact that you are forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you should remain in a toxic space. You can forgive them and waive them from afar. You don’t need to remain in that space. So, forgiveness is good and freeing, but do not remain in a space continuously where someone brings you down, and they are not willing to change.
Can you forgive and take back a partner who has cheated?
I believe all men cheat. I don’t think there’s a man that doesn’t cheat. There could be some that don’t cheat. For me, this belief is just there, so that in case it happens, I would not be extremely heartbroken.
Because something has happened to me in the past, where someone I was in a relationship with, I saw him as a saint, he was a saint in my eyes. He is someone that if they told me he would cheat, I would say never, you know.
And I walked straight into a room and found him cheating. The girl was under the duvet, and they had just finished having sex, and when I was confronting him, the girl couldn’t even come out of the duvet, because she was naked. It was after I left that she ran to me, and she was saying sorry. That he didn’t even mention that he was in a relationship, and she didn’t even know. I’ve seen men who are so loving and sweet to their wives, but they’re out there chasing other things in a skirt.
So, I just feel as a woman, just keep it in one side of your head that all men cheat. If you meet the one that doesn’t cheat, Hallelujah! I pray and I really wish to meet a man like that… Amen.
What are your thoughts on marriage, and is it something you see in your future?
I love marriage. My parents have been married for years. I have siblings who are married. I have seen the kind of great and positive impact marriage can have on people. I know that on social media, people project really negative things about marriages, but I have seen really sweet marriages, sweet people, genuine marriages.
Yes, I want marriage for myself but I am not desperate about it. If it comes fine, if it doesn’t, we keep moving. I believe that it is better to marry late than to marry wrong. Whoever you end up with in life can make or mar you. So, while being single, invest in your life, in your future. The more you grow the better you become, and the more chance you stand at attracting the man of your dreams.
Do you envision building a home with a colleague?
I don’t mind. Wherever the husband comes from, I’m not taking out a particular tribe or profession. I can marry from anywhere. I can marry from any tribe. Like I said, a good man is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter what the person does, or the field the person is in. The man shouldn’t be a criminal of course, but a good man. It can be from any field or tribe.
Beyond acting and producing, are there any other creative or entrepreneurial pursuits you are currently exploring or hope to pursue in the future?
Asides acting and producing, I have some businesses on the side. I enjoy spending money here and there and I’m grateful to God for that.
Are there still certain movie roles you would like to explore?
Of course, there are a lot of movie roles I want to explore. I’m yet to play as a man in a film. I am looking forward to that. If it doesn’t come from another producer, I am going to write something in that light, that centers around that, something very entertaining that centers around that kind of character and put it out there.
Have you ever encountered an embarrassing moment in public because of a movie role you played?
No, I have never encountered an embarrassing moment in public because of the movie role I played. I haven’t. It’s been the opposite. It’s been love, love all the way. It’s been amazing, some people gifting me, giving me my flowers, warm hugs when they see me.
What are some of your biggest personal and professional goals for the next five years?
I would like to keep this to myself. There are some things I love to keep to myself. So, these particular ones are part of it.
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