Beautiful Yoruba actress Mojisola Olaiya-Okesola raised eyebrows when she acquired a new automobile worth four million naira. The daughter of highlife maestro Victor Olaiya says that she is out to seek fame on her own terms. She speaks with DUPE AYINLA-OLASUKANMI on issues surrounding her divorce. She also talks about her job, family, plans to get married again, as well as a new reality show scheduled to hit the screen soon in this interview.
WHAT has been keeping you busy?
I have a lot of things I am engaging myself in at the moment. I am working on a new project. It is actually a reality TV show expected to hit the screen anytime soon. We will be shooting very soon too.
When exactly are you going on air and what is the show about?
Well, I can’t disclose all now. The reason is that when you have an idea and you talk about it, people tend to steal your idea and use it. So that is the reason I am keeping it under wraps until it is ready.
Is your decision to do a TV show prompted by the fact that everyone is doing it?
The show I am talking about is not a TV show and I am not the brain behind it. I was called to come and anchor the show. So it is not my own personal thing.
As a busy person, how do you make out time for your daughter?
She is a grown up person now. She is fourteen and she is in boarding school. When she is home for holiday, we go out together and I try to spend as much time as possible with her. She is a teenager and I talk to her as a friend. We are always together, except when I am working. When I am at work and she needs to be somewhere and I also need to be with her, I rather cut off the work and go with her. There is no abandonment where she is concerned.
How easy was it for you to cross over genres?
It was very easy for me to crossover to the Yoruba movie genre because I am Yoruba and I also speak the language fluently too. Whatever I am today in the industry is by the grace of God, though I have paid my dues too. I mean I paid respect to my seniors who I met as an upcoming actress at that moment. He has also used a lot of people to bring me into limelight. I was not too desperate to become a star. I waited for God’s time, and he used Wale Adenuga. Superstory was my break in the industry. I had never met Wale Adenuga, Antar Laniyan or Bakare Adeoye.
These were the main people then when I started. Superstory was my main job then and my name stuck. I could remember then that I just went for an audition and they discovered that I had what they wanted. I was then picked to play the role of Ireti in Superstory.
Didn’t your dad’s name work for you when you started acting?
When I wanted to start acting, none of my parents were aware that I wanted to go into the profession. My father didn’t like the profession. I was surprised when he watched Superstory, though he just stumbled upon it by mistake. What he watches on the TV is just the news. I made him start watching TV anyway.
So now he watches Superstory and other Yoruba movies, thinking probably Moji would appear. I always tell people that he is my number one fan. Though his name has paved ways for me because there are places that I would go to and they will be asking which Olaiya. I hardly mention Victor Olaiya because I like to do things myself; I like to use my own name to get to places. But this thing is not something that can be hidden. Everywhere I go, they want to know if it is the same Olaiya and it has paved way for me. People around also know that I have a lot of fans so whatever I want to do, they accept me.
It appears you are less active in movies these days?
I have been working. There are some movies in the market that I featured in at the moment. It is just that there are so many of us now and the younger ones are coming up too. I cannot appear in all movies, I have to pick the ones I do.
There are some roles that I cannot play anymore. Should a producer call me now for a job, I get to look at the script, check the role I am to play and if it is a role that I don’t want, I would not do it. You can’t just be working all the time, though I do more of soaps now.
Would you say your preference for sitcoms now is because it is less tasking?
Soap is more demanding. We have to be on set for about three weeks a month at a stretch. You have to get your lines correct; it is not like the movies. In a soap you can do like 10 episodes with 200 scenes. Sitcoms pay more money.
Any plans to follow your father’s foot step in the future?
I have not really thought about it. If I wanted to do it, I would have done it a long time ago. It is in my blood, I sing as well but sometimes, when you are involved with too many things, you muddle them up. I sing for fun. When I am in a party, I can just pick up the mic and sing. I sing highlife, I sing juju, Christian songs and all that. When I pick up the mic to sing, people want to listen to what I have.
Comedy seems to be gaining ground in the Yoruba movie world; do you have any coming out too?
I have not given it a thought because I don’t do what others do. I do what I want to do.
How was your last production?
The last work I did was Isese. It was premiered last year and it was well accepted. They really appreciated the movie because it was an epic movie, and that is why I take my time to do them. That is one of the reasons I just don’t work anyhow. Isese is a film about tradition. It tells a story about our tradition, how we behave and how we can sustain our tradition.
You see, a lot of things are happening, which are now eroding our culture and tradition. I believe we need to come back to our culture and let our children not believe that we don’t have a tradition or culture.
Why haven’t you been producing like your other colleagues?
Well, I don’t believe they are producing more movies because they are not earning enough. I think it is the new ones that are doing that in order to gain recognition. They prefer to do their own production because the producers are not using them. If you look at it very well, you can’t see those that have been in the industry for a while producing indiscriminately.
Is it true that among actresses, there is a notion that scandals come with popularity?
My dad has built a name already and I won’t want to drag it into the mud. Also, because of my own personality too, I have decided to stay off controversies. This is coupled with the fact that I didn’t know where I might get to in life. I might turn out to be the First Lady of Lagos State or Nigeria or even go into politics.
And for your own children, there are some things you have to stay away from. I am not saying I am a saint. But as much as possible I am trying to stay away from it because of my name, my dad and my own family too.
Are you representing any brand as an ambassador?
At the moment I am not representing any brand but I have a ministry I am representing. I am an ambassador to the Ministry of the Environment dealing on issues like climate change and air pollution. My work is to talk to people about their environment and climate change.
How did you get the job?
They chose me and others for the advert on the campaign against using coals and others substances that can pollute the air. We encouraged people to live in clean environments. After the advert, they made everyone who participated their ambassadors. So far we have seen changes.
Because of many who see us as their role models, we have been able to get across to a lot of people. These days, you hardly see people dropping garbage on the road anymore. We also try to let people know the disadvantage of throwing dirt in the gutter.
Is a four-million naira car not too extravagant for you?
(Laughs)Well, I wanted something good after I had a crash with my other car. I wanted something that will last me for like two years. So I decided to go for something new and that is the amount you can get a new car for. I do a lot of things so I get money from different sources.
It was said that your marriage was abusive. Why did you choose to hang on?
Well, the thing is we do not like divorce. As a Christian, marriage is for better and for worse. I believe with prayers, everything can work out. And believing that prayers can do everything, I stayed that long thinking things will work for the better. When I found that things were not changing, I had to leave.
What was your daughter’s reaction when you informed her of your decision?
Well, she didn’t have to react badly because he is not her dad. She didn’t have any objection to it. I think her paramount concern is for me to be happy.
Now being a single mom, how do you balance the roles of a father and mother?
It is something that I have always been doing. I am used to it.
How do you explain to your daughter when she reads some negative things about you?
One thing is I try to be honest with her as much as I can. You know children of these days; you have to let them know the truth. I don’t lie to her. Whenever she asks me about something and I know it is something I need to let her into, I come out straight with her
.
Are there possibilities of another marriage?
Yes, sure. But I just have to take my time.
And you believe that you can’t fall a victim again?
I can’t. I just need to be more careful.
How do you relax?
I take time to relax when I feel I need it. I go on vacation. Most weekends, I am not at work, so I go to the club. I go to swim or go for aerobic some times.
It is stated that your ex-husband wants you back, any possibilities that you might both be back together?
I am not going to talk about that.
What is your typical day like?
It is hectic. It is very normal hustling and bustling day and night.
The Nation
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