I have the desire to go into Hollywood- Linda Ejiofor – Suleiman

Linda Ejiofor, one of the promising Nollywood stars, is famed for her role in the popular TV soap, Tinsel. Bimpe, as she is fondly called by her fans, is currently one of the Nollywood’s delights. Since her debut movie role in ‘The Meeting’, she has been enjoying attention from all quarters. Linda recently got wedded with her co-star Ibrahim Suleiman. In this interview with MUTIAT ALLI, the graduate of Sociology from the University of Port-Harcourt, River State, speaks about her foray into the world of make-believe, her dream roles amongst other interesting issues

How did your journey into acting start?
Before I entered the University of Port-Harcourt, River State to study Sociology, I had done a diploma course in Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

I think I was at the University of Ibadan for about three months. However, when I was getting into the groove and enjoying it, my father pulled me out.

He said, ‘No daughter of mine will go into acting’. You know, if God has a plan for you, His plan will always set the motion. So, here I am as an actress again with his full support and I have made him proud.

How did you come to play Bimpe in Tinsel?
At first, I hated the character, the role and everything about her because she was just dumb. When I read my script and saw all the stupid things she had to do and the stupid questions she asked, I just concluded that she was dumb and sarcastic.

She was supposed to know the answers to the questions, but she never got it. So, I was always complaining to the director. But the writer kept telling me to enjoy the character.

He would say the only way to love the character is to enjoy the character; and before I knew it, I started enjoying the character.

So, I had to go and watch a lot of dumb movies like Legally Blonde. At a point, I had to go and watch Devil Wears Prada because I had to be Brenda’s P.A. I had to research on how to be like these people.

So, what’s your dream role now?
I’ve always wanted to try multi-personality disorder. In other words, I will like act two or three people at the same time.

Yes, it is not easy, but it’s something I will love to play because I think being good is overrated. Too many people are playing good roles; so, I want to do something else.

Do you feel any pressure to break in Hollywood?
I don’t feel any pressure to go into Hollywood but rather I have the desire to go into Hollywood.

Before ‘The Meeting’ movie, did you ever feature in movies playing smaller roles Nigerians popularly call ‘Waka Pass’?
Funny enough, No.

What other careers were you into before you started acting?
I was acting in Tinsel. Tinsel was my first break through.

While growing up did you ever imagine yourself as a big business woman, a lawyer, doctor or any other vocation than acting?
First of all, I studied Sociology in University of Port Harcourt and I never saw myself as a doctor, lawyer or any other career because back then I was already a model.

I wanted to work in an advertising agency. I saw myself being creative. I saw what a commercial looks like.

The drive for advertising was is also because they have the money?
It was because they have the money, I have the face and I love the creativity that advertising stands for.

What is the transition into many characters you portray in different movies like?
The transition is always the same every time. Every time I am on a new set, it’s the same feeling because I don’t know the people I am going to be working with.

I have never worked with the director or my fellow cast I am working with, so I would always be nervous whenever I start a new production with other people.

I would always be nervous because it’s a new character that I have never played. The roles are usually different from Ejiro and The Meeting’, Halima in ‘soldier Story’ or the role I played in ‘Rumour Has It”. Every time I get on set, I am always shaking.

Are you working on any movie set presently?
I have a couple of movies coming out soon. There is an Ebony Live TV movie coming out in December, ‘Chief Daddy’.

I have ‘knocking out Blessing’ which I am so looking forward to because I played as a prostitute there. Then Soldier Story part 2 will be out in December as well and I have a political movie coming out next year.

How did you get yourself into that character?
It is hard. It is really hard. As actors we would need a lot of time to fit into the character but we didn’t have that much time.

We had to go and watch movies of other people that have acted the character. Not watching American movies, we had to watch our own local content.

I play the role of a prostitute in a recent movie that a friend did a documentary on prostitution and that helped us as well.

It was something that was cool because we had to speak pigin English so it was good. I had done ‘Out of luck’ where I spoke pigin English, so it was so much fun having to speak it again.

Don’t you think people may mistake that character to be real life?
No they wouldn’t. People have always likened my real life character to that of Bimpe in Tinsel but when they see me in real life they notice that I am totally different. I am quiet.

Tell us about your high and low times in your acting career?
The high time in my career was ‘The meeting’. The movie gave me the breakthrough after Tinsel. My low times, I cannot remember because my high times always surpass the low times. I don’t even remember the low times.

What is the best thing that acting has given you?
We hide behind a lot of characters. There are a lot of things that we would want to play out in person but we can’t do. Acting has given me the opportunity to play different people whenever I want to, and the fact that I can interact and pass information to people watching in front of a camera.

What is the most embarrassing thing a fan has done or said to you?
Someone saw me outside and she said, ‘Hi Bimpe’ and she goes ‘you are actually small in person’, and I just smiled.

Another person which was a guy, sometimes they don’t know how to hug and take pictures, he actually put his hand o my low waist. I had to tell him, ‘guy, its not there, please take your hand up’. You just have to set boundaries.

You have always maintained a clean slate in the industry, no controversy, how have you been able to maintain consistency?
I always remember the family that I come from. I think ‘would they be proud of me if I do this’. So even if bad publicity is also publicity, I just don’t want it attached to my name.

Which celebrities would you say are your fashion inspiration?
The first person that comes to mind is Rita Dominic. I love her style. I just love how she places her style together. Another person is Ini Dima-Okojie, she is so gorgeous and then of course, my friend, Adesua Etomi-Wellington and myself.