Sosanya
Fast-rising
Yoruba actress, Empress Anu Sosanya would describe herself as a simple person
but one with everything but a simple dream. Her dream is to be one of the
biggest stars there is, and she appears good on her way, as she already has a
number of good movies to her credit. In this chat, she talks about her career,
love and the industry.
What was growing up like?
My
growing up was awesome, but at the same time, rough. I lived with my mother who
had to cater for her eight children. We went through thick and thin then, but I
thank God that today, the story has changed. My siblings and I are doing well
in our various fields.
Did
your mother okay your going into acting?
Convincing
my family took a lot of effort. It was only my sister who bought into my dream
from the beginning. I had to organise a family conference to plead my case. My
mother insisted I had to go to a tertiary school before I would be allowed to
act. I studied marketing at the Lagos State University. Surprisingly, we have
marketers too in film production. So it all works together, I don’t feel bad
about it all.
What
went wrong between your parents?
It’s
their issue because I was still a baby then.
Didn’t
you bother to ask questions?
We
grew up living like that. Though, we spent sometime with him which I’d say
wasn’t fun at all. We always had to come back to my mother.
Did
your father re-marry?
It is
not as though he married another woman, my dad is a flirt. Even as an old man,
he is still fresh and cute. He gets women at his beck and call.
At
what point did you miss the “father” figure in your life?
I
missed him as a child especially during parents -teachers meeting in my school.
I saw my mates with their mum and dad having fun. And due to the nature of my
mum’s job, she wasn’t always available. The pressure was too much on my mum,
though she never made us feel my dad’s absence. I love her for that. I don’t
wish my daughter such an experience.
How
did you get the name ‘Empress’?
It
was through a friend who encouraged me. We became friends after he saw my first
production. One day, he called me and told me “You are an Empress and don’t let
people oppress you, build an empire each time”. So my first BBM name was
Empress Anu Sosanya and since then, the name stuck.
What’s
your view about the industry?
We
are not there yet because I see a lot missing. I hardly watch Nollywood these
days. I don’t want to sound like I’m condemning our industry, but we have to
work more on our films. Our story-lines, costumes, and our subtitles to mention
a few, need to be checked and corrected. I agree that piracy is really killing
the business, but we should not compromise our standard because of that.
Will
you agree that another factor responsible for this is that our market is
saturated?
I
totally agree and that is because everybody wants to be an actress and also a
producer. And not all of us went through training. We have many talents in
Nollywood who want to showcase their talents but lack the opportunity. These
people believe that producing their own movie will showcase them, but
sometimes, they do poor quality movies due to lack of funds.
How
about one person producing, directing and playing the lead role in a movie?
I
don’t know much about that. I think that can be linked to cutting cost. An
actor might decide to direct the movie instead of getting a director who will
take away a large percentage of his capital. This kills the product itself.
When a film lacks professional touch, it collapses. We should learn to know and
understand our limits.
Are
you married?
No,
but I have a child.
How
did it happen?
It
just happened. So many people didn’t know I was pregnant. People say it is not
too good having a child out of wedlock but I am a proud mother. I love my
daughter to a fault. I am not encouraging people to have children out of
wedlock though.
This
seems to be a trend in Nollywood, what’s your opinion?
I
don’t know about that, but I won’t have a baby simply because my colleagues
have theirs out of wedlock. I do whatever pleases me and at my own convenience.
Have
you ever been turned on while doing a movie role?
I am
yet to meet that actor who will arouse me on set. I don’t get turned on easily.
In fact when that happens, I will call for a press conference.
What
turns you on?
I
have not met that kind of man. It has to be natural, genuine, and delivered
with ease.
How’s
your sex life ?
Sex
is communication, it is passing a message to one’s partner. If I’m in a
relationship, I know it is not right to have sex outside marriage but I have to
know and understand the sexual ability of my future partner. This is somebody I
want to spend the rest of my life with. Sex is fun.
When
was the last time you had sex?
It’s
been a long time but I am looking for that relationship that will make me want
to have sex every second and every minute. For now, I want to be very sure, I
don’t want to have sex for the sake of having sex. I need a person that will
not make me cry, take me for granted or let me down.
It
seems you are heartbroken?
I am
not. I am happy with what life has to offer.
The
worst thing ever said or written about you?
It
was when I shot my third production Edidi (The bond). Mercy Aigbe and I acted
as lesbians. It later went viral that I was a lesbian. It didn’t really get to
me because I know very well that we are not. I didn’t even lift a finger
because of the story. I just let it go.
Have
you had any reason to reject scripts?
Yes I
have. Some script lack professionalism and being part of such film will only
belittle me.
What
is new on your plate?
I
have a new film titled “Oluwere” which will soon hit the market. It is about a
young lady whose father was too busy to have time for her, but only provides
her money. Find out more when you watch the movie.
Report BY,
ADERONKE ADEYERI and OLAMIDE OJO
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