Being slim does not equate being fit-Gregory Ojefua
Edo born actor, Gregory Ojefua is one of the promising actors in the industry presently having featured in countless cinema jobs; a lover of books, dance and a white belt holder in Karate, Greg OJ as he is fondly called is equally a voice over artiste and a plus size model.
In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, the Business Management and Administration graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo state open up on his sojourn into film making, relationship, being a plus size amongst others.
Is there something we are expecting?
Yes, because I came into the industry to give my best, and the truth is when you give your best you only get better, so each year I know the next will be better than the last.
So tell me about your coming into the industry?
Coming into the industry, well as always as many people would say what is easy, I started at the bottom,I did extra ,I did wakapass, very cheap jobs, I was lucky to not have done a free job but I did very cheap jobs that basically just catered for my transportation, but persistence and passion and the desire to achieve success in anything I put my hands into kept driving me, and I really must say without bragging that God’s been good, and yes it is finally paying off.
Okay so at what point did you attempt or feel like throwing it all away, was there ever such experience?
Yes, more than once. You know, I’m a graduate, I did accounting, did business management, I have an advanced diploma in information technology so when I realized what I could be doing with these certificates, when I look at what some of my colleagues, you know I had colleagues who were already head of departments of multinational companies and all that, when I looked at what they have achieved so far it was kind of scary, there was thus point in my life where after about the first one and half years and I still saw myself on the same level although there were some slight improvement I just told myself if it took me one and half years to get here, how many more years would it take me to get there (giggles) and I started thinking am I doing right? Yeah this is what I wanted to do but you know there’s so much. I have younger ones, I have a family, I have friends, you know psychologically we would always rate ourselves by comparing ourselves with people who we believe are on the same status with us and when we see that we are not on the same level with them, then there’s a feeling of imbalance in our lives, but then you know like I said the desire to always succeed , I’m not a minister of uncompleted projects if I start any project I must finish, and I said okay we are going to see this through well if you have to get to the top then step out and go and start working elsewhere you know to start making the money to leave your mark in this industry but I don’t think I am going anywhere.
So are you there yet?
I’m almost there (singing) I can see the light shining through. I’m almost there.
So at what point would you say you have achieved?
To me personally, I would know I’m there when I no longer have time to go for auditions, I still go for auditions you know sometimes, when I realize I’m being booked up to six months ahead, when I realize that look at my calendar in January I no longer have space till somewhere in October then I know that I’m up there then from there, looking at it from the social point of view when I get invites from every event that is an event when I get preferential treatment at every red carpet event, when I get reporters flooding around me, when I get into the market place, and then 70%of people there are like I know you then I know I’m there then again when my bank account begins to bleed(laughs).
So far, do you have any regrets leaving your educational background?
In all honesty, the only regret I will have is the fact that I know if I had remained in my field of study, gotten a job, and all that, I definitely would have achieved a better financial status than I have now, you know over time it has been improving, but in the real sense, this songs, Falz says ‘We’re working hard, but we are hardly working’ soft work, to me, when I’m working, I’m having fun, I still get paid it might not be as much as if have gotten a white collar job, but I’m getting paid, I’m having fun, I’m doing what I love to do, so eventually it’s like every day to me is play, and I get paid for playing, some of my. Colleagues out there, my friend outside the industry are like, they have to wake up by 5am, that are in traffic, their boss is screaming their heads off, they are in traffic back home, and I’m like sorry (you wan work oga, you wan work for AC, you wan buy car) and they are like you are having fun, I say yes the work can be hard, we can shoot film 2, or 3am sometimes, I’ve shot film, I’ve worked thirty-five hours before, without closing my eyes, it happens once in a while, but at the end of the day you feel good, you walk down the street and see an old man, I went to a wedding before, and there was this old man, the father of the bride saw me and walked up to me, and cuddled me, I was like hello sir, and he Said I love what you are doing, this old man looks free, but am giving him so much life, it satisfies him.
Have you ever been turned down because of your size?
No, but let me put it this way, I can remember in more than one occasion, making a production change the character from being a regular size person, to something that can suit, because I did audition and they were like no no no, it just as to be this guy, I remember the Chinese guy that was like ‘oh I want him’ the Nigerians were like the guy us meant to be slim, but he was still said’ I don’t care, I want him, I want him’ with my size I played Ojukwu, it says it all, with my size, if you go on my Instagram page, I have two fight scenes, like I told you I do karate, there is one I chased the dude down caught up with him, and fought there’s another one where am an ex-soldier, there is more of fighting in there.
So many people won’t believe that with your size, you still do karate?
Yes that’s the thing, I keep telling people that this body to me is just a clothing. Back then in school I will club all night with my friends, I realize in school that being slim does not equate being fit. A lot of slim guys, you just tell them to do something for one hour, they’ll just pass out. Over time, as far as I push myself to the limit, the fat starts to burn, and gives me extra energy. In my school I was a very naughty, jumped fence to go check out the girls in the hostel, and all that, I ran around, plat with my friend, go clubbing, till date I dance a lot, and if am chanced to jog, I still jog pretty well. So I think I am one of those people who started exercising a bit early in life through normal childhood running around, playing around, and I also got into sports, I play cricket like I said I did karate.
Is there a woman in your life?
Right now no, I’m actually still a hunter looking for which meat to keep.
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