I can't date anyone I don't know - Omowunmi Dada

Nollywood actress and aspiring filmmaker, Omowunmi Dada, was a year older recently but she says that her best is yet to come. With two nominations for the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, Best Supporting Actress and Most Promising Actor, it appears that the thespian is geared towards taking her place in the industry’s hall of fame. She speaks with OVWE MEDEME about her budding career, aspirations and life as an only daughter, among other issues

LOOKING back now, how far would you say you have come?

I think that it has been His grace. I’m not where I used to be but there has been a great movement. There has been growth. I can only be hopeful for better things to come.

What is your next step?

I intend to continue to live better. Basically, for me, it is a new year. I’ve learnt the lessons to be learnt. Life has thrown some challenges to me and I have survived them in the last year. I hope to get better.

Today, most of your colleagues are going into filmmaking. Are you considering toeing that line?

Yes, I definitely do have plans of becoming a filmmaker. People will get to hear all about it when the time comes.

You recently received two BON nominations…

I was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress and for the Most Promising Actor. They are actually my very first award nominations for my career and I’m very excited about it. Most importantly because I look at the list and the names of the people I am nominated alongside. It is such a huge honour to share the same space with people like Liz Benson, Uche Jombo and Iyabo Ojo. These are people we watched growing up and being nominated with them, I feel elated. I’m excited.

What are your hopes for the award?

The fact is that I’m excited that my work is being recognised, people appreciate what I do and there is a movement. I do hope to win the awards because it is an award that is not voters-based. Winners are picked by a jury and I trust their sense of judgement. I believe that whoever takes the plaque is a winner and the others who are also nominated are all winners. So definitely, if I get to win, I’m excited. if I don’t, I’m still excited because winning basically means that you’ve been able to impact people and people recognise your effort in your career path and whatever it is you do. So already, I’m a winner.

As one who has been in the industry for some time, how timely would you say the nominations are?

It’s not too early and it’s not late. There is always a time for everything in life. There is a time to sow; there is a time to reap. There is a time to prepare, there is a time to get ready and there is a time when people would celebrate with you. I think it’s coming at the right time. I trust God, I believe in His plans and I believe in His purpose for me. I believe in whatever it is He does in my life. If this is the time that God has said something like this would come to me, then it is the right time. I got an award previously but it was a honourary award by a school which named me as their creative role model of the year. I was awarded alongside Tunde Kelani and Bolanle Austen-Peters of Terra Kulture.

Presently, are you working on any production?

I’ve been working on various productions and other ones are coming up. I recently was part of a Pan African movie titled Sink or Swim. It had people from Nigeria and other African countries. It had Seun Akindele, Zack Orji, Ali Nuhu and others from Nigeria. It also had actors from Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. It was directed by a Nigerian. It’s a movie on human trafficking and illegal migration.

What was the experience like?

Being on that set was very challenging. We shot a lot of scenes at night and it was always very cold. During the day, it was so hot and at night it becomes very cold. I remember that inside my normal costume, I would wear like three or four cardigans just to get some warmth. It was fun.

Working with people all across Africa was a wonderful experience for me, coupled with the fact that I got to learn a lot about the movie industry in other countries. I got to learn some of their cultures too. It helped me to understand my brothers outside Nigeria. It was interesting.

You seem to do more of soap operas than feature films. Is that deliberate?

I do soap operas as much as I do feature films. But in recent times, some of the series that I’ve done take my time and I’m not the kind of actor who likes to jump from one set to another. I like to finish up with one and then move to another one. The thing is, most of the movies I’ve done are not yet out. So it looks like I do more of soap operas. I’ve done some Africa Magic Original Films. One of the movies that got me nominated, Ojuju, is not out yet, though it has been too major festivals. I have a lot of movies coming out soon. Public Property got me the nomination for Most Promising Actor and it’s not out yet. It’s not like I have a preference for series but I take it one step at a time.

Which do you find more challenging?

They are both challenging in their different ways. For movies, you research on a character and you have to bring the best of that character within a short period of time. And then, when you do the movie, it might not take too long so you are at liberty to move on to other things. But for series, if you are on that set for example, you are almost practically locked down, especially if you are trying to retain your character. When I get a script, I become that character.

Financially, how rewarding has your career been?

It can only get better. I’m happy doing what I am doing.

How do you make out time for yourself and your family?

I do find time. When I’m not on set, I’m always at home. I’m always with my family but they understand the nature of my job. They understand that at some point in time, I won’t be around but I always keep in touch. Civilisation and technology has actually bridged the gap. Now you can talk to anybody anywhere in the world and you can keep in touch. When I’m not working, I like to stay at home, read and have fun with everybody. I like to cook. I am the only daughter in my house. I have three brothers, though some of them are married. I am the last child so most times, I do all the cooking.

You must have been pampered a lot…

Unfortunately, I wasn’t pampered. My mum is a very strong disciplinarian so I was treated like the others and my brothers were always bullying me. I didn’t grow spoilt at all. Growing up, we just used to mind our business, stay in our house, read our books. We were never on the streets playing.

How much of a tomboy are you?

I’m very much in touch with my feminine side. If I wear certain things, my tomboy side would show and maybe the way I relate sometimes. Guys are the live-and-let-live type but ladies can be troublesome but one thing about me is, if I wear jeans and sneakers and T-shirt, I would feel like a tomboy. But I am very much in touch with my feminine side; I’m a lady. I love my heels, I love my handbags, I love my accessories.

How would you react if a guy walks up t you and asks you out for a date?

Do men still just walk up to ladies and ask them out? I can’t date anyone I don’t know. I have to know you first. We need to have been friends for a while. I need to know your kind of person because a relationship is not something you jump into and jump out of, except if you are just going into a relationship for the fun of it.

Have you ever gone into a relationship for the fun of it?

No, I haven’t