Nigerian veteran actress cum screen goddess, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has opened up on why she has not been acting lately.
Omotola Jalade aka Omo Sexy who has been sizzling up movie screens for over two decades, and has acted in a myriad of blockbuster movies including Blood Sister, Ije, Last Flight to Abuja, Alter Ego, Games Women Play, Lockdown, and a lot more has in recent times been off the screens.
During a new interview, the actress who sparked reactions for sharing a private photo of herself and her hubby in bed revealed why she has been taking this long break from acting, as well as some of the hurdles she faced in the industry. In her words:
“I slowed down for many reasons. You know we started a long time ago, I think people forget that I have been in the industry for 28 years. So sometimes, you have to re-organize yourself. I can’t continue to pump out movies the way I have and not grow. So I’m growing. And what that means is that I need time to do other things. I have adult children, I’ve had to take care of that. I’ve had to also move back a little bit and also grow my businesses. I have a studio in Lagos, Nigeria. I’m also into real estate. And I’ve recently relocated to the United States. I have businesses there also that I have to grow.
So once an actor, always an actor. I will be coming back to the screens when I think it’s time and I prefer to do projects that are actually meaningful, other than just doing projects just because we want to be working you know. I’ve done that when I was younger. So you’ll see me back on the screens very soon, by God’s grace with projects that I know are worth my time.”
On some hurdles faced in the entertainment industry, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde said:
“Some of the hurdles for me was when I was younger. The fact that I got into entertainment very early in life and the image of people going into entertainment at the time was really bad. It was even unheard of. I went through a lot of beatings from my mom. She didn’t want me to go into entertainment, certainly not acting. So I had to struggle. It was a lot of struggle. Times where I wasn’t supported. I wasn’t given any sort of transport fare maybe to go to auditions or anything.
So I guess the beginning, just getting into something you believe will pay off eventually. Sometimes, it’s very hard. But if you believe in what you’re doing, keep at it. If you’re serious and focused, in time everybody will come around.”