March 17th 2007

Delectable Nollywood star, Rita Dominic, speaks about herself, her career and the movie industry.

Q:What has been happening to you lately?
A: Well, I just came back from a long trip, a three-month trip to America and England. On my career, I will say it has been taken to another level and I thank God for that.

Q: What was your mission to America and England?
A: There are some things that I’m cooking and when it is ready, I will let you know.

Q: It appears you have cut down on the number of movies you act in. Why is it so?
A: I am choosy now. I won’t do every script that comes my way anymore. I need to take my time, do some self assessment. I am now busy working on other things internationally. So, I have to reduce my work load. Though the scripts keep coming, while producers are also calling, I try to reduce the job I do now.

Q: Tell us, what are you working on now?
A: You see, I like to do things separate from my character in real life. I like to do challenging roles, things that are very different, things that when you watch them, you’ll wonder if they actually came out of Nollywood. Those are the kind of scripts I want to be doing now. And I will add that so far, a lot of stories are coming out of Nollywood now. The way our movies are being shot now, you won’t believe something like that can come out of Nollywood.

Q: So what kind of person is Rita Dominic in real life?
A: Easy-going, very understanding, but I have my limits. I like to work hard and do different things by setting the pace. I’m from a proper family.

Q: You are at the peak of your career now, what are the challenges?
A: I will say that my best is yet to come. I don’t actually believe in peak of career as the public is there to judge. So, I don’t want to believe somebody is at the peak of his or her career. But the challenges I face in Nollywood come from the marketing aspect. I will say piracy is killing all of us in Nollywood and I will want a law to be enforced concerning piracy so that Nollywood can get to the next level. We want it to get to the international standard and for Nollywood to be big.

Q: How has piracy affected you as an actress?
A: You see, at the end of the day, you will find out that our movies sell quite well but they don’t sell as much as they should. This is because when you release a film and it is being distributed, a lot of people are in their homes pirating it. So we don’t really have a great turnover as it should be because Nollywood is a very large market. Since we have the biggest market in Africa, I believe we can do better than we are doing now.

Q: Are you planning to become a producer someday?
A: I don’t have any plan to become a producer because I can’t produce. I act and I’m going to keep on acting till I grow old.

Q: Are you fulfilled?
A: My best is yet to come. If I say I am fulfilled, I will relax. I’m not fulfilled yet. Even veterans in Hollywood cannot tell you they’re fulfilled. They are still acting. They still do very challenging roles. Let me put it this way, I am happy with the level I find myself today, but I still need to do more for the growth of Nollywood.

Q: Are you in anyway threatened by other star actresses in the industry?
A: No. This is because Nollywood is such a large industry and we actually need more people.

Q: Do you know how many people they have in Hollywood?
A: No! I don’t even know most of the big actors they have in Hollywood. We need more actors to come in and at the end of the day, you’ll find out that I have my strength. I know my strength and I know other people know it. Nollywood is big enough to contain everybody and I don’t think I should feel threatened by anybody’s presence.

Q: Is there anything unique that makes you different from other actresses?
A: By being me. By being a pace setter. You see, talking about Rita Dominic, I am simply myself and that has continued to make me a pace setter.

Q: What kind of roles do you like to play most?
A: Very challenging roles. Things that are not ordinary. Like I did a film that just came out entitled Burning Heart, in which I played the role of an Aristocrat, which is not common with our culture here. You know, things like a cripple, an armed robber or things that I don’t have any idea about. It may have to do with our culture as well, but it must be a good story.

Q: Apart from piracy, what other problems do you think Nollywood is currently facing?
A: I don’t really know. But I believe right now, Nollywood is going round like a cycle and I know whatever we do from this point will either make or mar the industry. So, I’ll say that if piracy can be stopped, every other thing will be put in place because as Nollywood grows, it will help other industries like the media.

Q: As an star actress, what’s your opinion on the crisis currently rocking the AGN?
A: I really don’t have anything to say to that. I don’t have any opinion on it. I’ll rather keep my idea to myself.

Q: Is it not affecting you as an actress?
A: I will not answer that question.

Q: What’s your most cherished possession?
A: My shoes.

Q: Why your shoes?
A: Because I love wearing fashionable shoes.

Q: You seem to be fashion-conscious. What informs your dress sense?
A: I like to create my own styles and I like to look different.

Q: Who is your best designer?
A: My best designer in Nigeria is not one person. I’ll have to say Frank Osodi, Biola Sagoey and internationally, it’s Valentino.

Q: What plans have you for marriage?
A: You’ll be the first to know when I’m ready.

Q: Are you not being pressured by your family members?
A: No.

Q: Are you into any relationship now?
A: It’s none of your business (laughs).

Q: Have you ever been emotionally carried away on set?
A: No. But before that can happen, you have to have professional chemistry with the actor you are playing the role with and after that, everybody minds his own business.

Q: Can you tell us some of the actors you have this professional chemistry with?
A: Olu Jacobs, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Ramsey Noah, Emeka Ike, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Mike Ezuruonye among most of the good actors.

Q: Do you have preference for any producer or director?
A: Yes, there are certain producers I will work with and there are some I can’t work with. I won’t mention their names, but what I can say is that I work with those that know what they’re doing. They are professionals, who can bring out the best in you.

Q: What were the sacrifices you made trying to become an actress?
A: I started acting in 1999. At that time, Nollywood was not as big as it is right now. And considering that money was not rolling in then, we made a lot of sacrifices. We were shooting with very little resources and we were handicapped in terms of equipment as well.

Q: What were the difficulties you faced in the quest of becoming a star?
A: There is politics in every industry. So you will find out that Nollywood is not for feeble minded people, it’s not for a weak person, it’s for someone who is strong physically and mentally. If you don’t have this, then I doubt if you can really get to the top in Nollywood.

Q: Has Nollywood come of age?
A: Nollywood has come a long way, but we are not there yet.

Q: Why is it so?
A: It’s because of what I told you earlier. In terms of taking Nollywood to the next level, in terms of getting the international market to realise that there is a big industry that covers the whole of Africa.

Q: Who is your kind of man?
A: It’s personal. Na wa o! You want to know everything? Ask another question joo. I’m not answering that one.

Q: Are you romantic?
A: I’m not a dead wood, that’s all.

Q: What is your experience about sexual harassment in the industry?
A: It has never happened to me, so I don’t talk about what I don’t know.

Q: But you experience sexual advances?
A: No, there was nothing like that. I never noticed it.

courtesy the news