I almost gave up on acting but look at me now

I almost gave up on acting but look at me now – Omoni Oboli

For award-winning Nollywood actress, director and producer, Omoni Oboli, life hasn’t been a bed of roses as she almost packed her bags when she returned to Nollywood years ago.

The actress who decided to take a break from acting in 1996 to complete her studies and to give birth to three boys returned to Nollywood in 2009 only to see there was practically no place for her in the industry.

The delectable actress had to show doggedness and resilience in a bid to show that quitting is not on the menu for her. “I did Figurine and Anchor Baby shortly after I came back, the two movies made
weighty impacts in the then returning cinema culture,” Omoni recounts.

Despite the fact that she was making a re-entry into the industry, she turned down scripts that didn’t align with her ideals, “I decided to take the more difficult but surer route to where I wanted, which is the route of ‘only good quality jobs’. I decided with my husband and team then that if the movie production did not spark my interest in terms of a good storyline and high production value, I won’t do it. It cost me a lot as I wasn’t doing as many jobs as many of my colleagues then. Often, even when the money offered was very attractive, I turned down roles because the movie production was not what I wanted.”

The A-list actress, whose last three movies – Being Mrs Elliot, The First Lady and Wives on Strike – have made box office hits with the last one becoming the third highest grossing Nollywood movie of all time at the cinema, now has a new work on the horizon titled Okafor’s Law.

Okafor’s Law though yet-to-be-released recently got nominated at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the top 5 film festivals in the world.

Speaking on the nomination, the amiable actress said “The selection of Okafor’s Law, which is my most ambitious movie ever as an actress, producer and director, at TIFF makes me emotional and nostalgic. I remember the many nights and days of sacrifices, going the extra mile and not getting enough credit. The TIFF selection is a form of validation for my work and I am grateful to God.”

She thanked the cast and crew of Okafor’s Law and with an emotion-laden show of gratitude, she said “I say a huge thank you to the entire cast and crew of Okafor’s Law. Words fail me in this moment, but I deeply appreciate all of them for giving me their best so that this movie turned out the way it is. If I have another chance to do this again, I will certainly do it again with this cast and crew’’.