The Fuji House of Commotion star is never weary of taking on new roles

Ngozi Nwosu gained popularity for her role as Peaceful Peace in the 1990s family sitcom, Fuji House of Commotion, directed by the late Amaka Igwe.

Playing the third wife to Chief Fuji, the actress brought more than enough laughter to the viewers.

The 60-year-old actress has been a mainstay across different eras of Nollywood and is an eyewitness to all the changes that have happened in the industry.

The veteran actress is set to star in an upcoming film, Broken Portrait, which tells a story that feels very personal for her.

In an interview with Pulse Nigeria, Nwosu discusses the past, present and future of her career.

Tell us about your Nollywood journey

It’s a lifelong career for me. It's work and play but sometimes we are emotionally linked to the characters we play.

Sometimes, you break down and someone is there to lift you. It’s all-encompassing. You know sometimes these new ones make it boring but we are not relenting. We are not giving up.

Honestly, there’s nobody in this life who doesn’t get tired no matter the kind of work they do, But when you have the passion, you get motivated. You stay focused. It’s not over until it's over.

What differences have you seen in today’s Nollywood compared to your time?

A lot. You see, we started with VHS. So when you talk of improvement, there’s been a lot. The movie industry has improved tremendously. But, the problem is that before we used to work with time, we used to rehearse and discuss as well. When a writer brings a script, we put it on the table for people to talk about it. But today, it’s not like that.

Why might that be?

A lot of people who are not supposed to be producers are now producers. Wishy-washy stories every day. There are some stories you read and you know immediately this is from foreign movies. They are not relatable. People have become lazy. They don’t want to research again because they are after the money.

We no longer relate as we used to anymore. We used to go to our fellow actors’ houses and drink water but you can’t do that anymore because you don’t know who to trust. All leaves are lying down but you don’t know the one with a stomach ache.

People in our time were more careful with how they represented themselves but now everybody just does whatever they want. Today if you like, be naked, no one cares.

What then would you say attracted you to the character you play in the upcoming Broken Portrait?

The storyline is so emotional. You can imagine when a mother is left to fight for the only thing she has, it’s an emotional thing. I loved the story. I know there have been stories on drug abuse but this one is told differently.

How was your experience on the set of the film?

It was nice and so emotional. You see how a mother struggles to help her son, it’s something else. I know someone whose son is going through that and I know what the family is going through.

Addiction isn’t something we pray our enemy should struggle with. It is one of the fastest ways to get someone off the surface of the earth. Sometimes, these drugs make them lie. They tell you they are clean and you believe it; meanwhile, they are still struggling.

But all mothers are mothers, they have feelings too, so they do whatever it takes to help. From childbirth to nurturing, it’s a strenuous process. Drug addiction affects the whole family.

What was your mental process? Considering the theme of the film, were you triggered at any point?

As an actor, you have to put yourself in a certain position. Of course, that will happen and the director typically gives breaks. There was a scene where I was so emotional that I wept and couldn't stop crying. I was given some time to cool off.

After the shoot, were you affected in any way? Did the feelings linger?

During the shoot, yes I was a bit affected but I’m an adult. After that period, I was okay. I sincerely feel for people who battle addiction. Your resources will be gone especially if you try to keep an addict at home.

When they don’t have the money to buy those drugs, they turn to stealing and other crimes. Anything you keep in the house is gone. Imagine having a guest over and you have to tell them to keep their things well because your addicted son can take it. It’s embarrassing.

I asked earlier what attracted you to this particular character but in general, how do you decide whether you'll take a role or not?

The story. To me, if it makes sense, then I’m down. You can't collect scripts and shoot wishy-washy stories. It can harm the name you’ve taken time to build.

Secondly, who is playing who? What character am I playing? The next thing is the money. That should be considered too. But, when there's a big and good story, sometimes the money doesn’t matter.

What would you say is your favourite film role?

Any character I play, I play it as well as I can, but with the age I am now, the roles I’m given will be limited. I’m often given motherly roles. But in any role I’m given, I’m versatile. I’m not stagnant at all. Any role I'm given, I play it to the best of my ability.