Stats: 3,168,824 members, 7,872,763 topics. Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 at 09:21 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Celebrities / "My House Was Like A Brothel" I Had Girlfriens After My 2 Wives Died. (519 Views)
Marrying 2 Wives Has Brought Me Blessings And Elevated My 2 Wives - Yul Edochie / Segun Ogungbe And His 2 Wives, Atinuke & Omowunmi Ajiboye 'Awoko Aliyah' / Jide Kosoko: "My House Was Like A Brothel, I Had Girlfriends After My Wife Died" (2) (3) (4)
"My House Was Like A Brothel" I Had Girlfriens After My 2 Wives Died. by jherhald(m): 4:51pm On Dec 04, 2017 |
Popular actor, Prince Jide Kosoko, in this interview with
OLUSHOLA RICKETTS, speaks on his passion for acting, the
death of three wives and the tussle for power in the movie
industry
What makes this year different from previous years for you?
The year has been a very good one for me. I have been going
from one production to another. As you can see, I am on a
movie set as we speak. Once this project is completed, I will
travel out of the country. Also, I have not recorded any
negative incident this year and I thank God for that.
How do you manage to remain active despite your age?
It is perhaps the grace of God, the will to achieve and the will
to continue to prosper in my chosen career. I am in love with
my profession and I am always determined to face new
challenges. However, I thank God that I am full of experience
in my profession and life in general. But the truth is that you
must continue to learn and there are certain things where you
are still a complete novice.
What profession do you think you would have been
practising if you didn’t venture into acting?
I wouldn’t know. I don’t know what would have become of
me if I hadn’t taken to acting. What is certain is that I would
have been engaged in a profession where I would be able to
demonstrate my creativity as well.
I started acting precisely in 1964; I think I was just 10. You
know what that means especially at a time when parents
didn’t allow their children to venture into acting. I started in
primary school and since then, I have been acting
professionally. My first performance was Makanjuola, a
stage play.
Did you ever think you would attain this level of fame?
I might not have known it would get to this extent, but I
wanted to be like my role model, Hubert Ogunde. Then, we
both lived in the same vicinity. Whenever he passed, people
hailed, adored and respected him. Seeing all that, I said to
myself that I would love to be like him. That perhaps must
have prepared me for what I am today.
How were you able to cross over to English-speaking
movies?
I think an actor should be versatile. If I am given a role in the
French language category for instance, all I need is time to
master the language and I will deliver. If you talk about
English, I think I am learned enough to go with the flow. But
acting to me is the same all over the world regardless of the
difference in languages.
I find acting in Yoruba and English movies fulfilling and I
feel comfortable acting in both. We have people who are in
this industry and are desperately trying to make money while
others just go with the crowd. However, my passion for the
industry goes beyond all of that. As one of its pioneer
members, it is my desire to see the industry develop at all
times. I will continue to contribute my quota until I die.
Do you have concerns about the movie industry?
When we started, the doors were opened to everyone
regardless of your background. Though that made us have an
industry today, we are now regretting that we didn’t set
standards. Then, we were happy that people were joining us
in what we were doing.
Yes, in all sincerity of purpose, the style (welcoming
everyone) we started then was one of the reasons we have an
industry today. But like any other growing industry, you will
see unserious participants and people who could not define
the reason they joined an industry.
All the categories of people I mentioned above will soon
leave and I am happy that we are now going back to the
cinema culture. The cinemas will prepare serious
professionals who can produce something good technically
and otherwise. Then, people who cannot meet up will have to
leave.
In the Yoruba sector where I come from, everyone sees
themselves as producers and directors and it cannot continue
like that. If you are a producer, produce well. As an actor, act
well. So, whatever aspect of the industry you find yourself,
try to do it well.
Upgrading is important; people need to train continuously to
ensure that their skills don’t become outdated. If at over 60, I
still went to study Performing Arts at the Olabisi Onabanjo
University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, it goes a long way to tell
you that learning is a continuous process.
When was the last time you produced a movie?
I produced a Yoruba movie titled Akanni, last year. It is a
comedy movie and I had a good outing.
Was the movie pirated?
There is no movie that doesn’t get pirated in Nigeria,
especially a successful movie. Piracy is our common enemy.
But I strongly believe that the cinema culture, which we are
all embracing now, will curb piracy.
Of course, we’ve asked the government to find a stiffer
penalty for pirates because the one in the copyright law is not
strong enough. I think it is one of those things encouraging
people to pirate other people’s works. So, we have begged the
government to give a tougher penalty. If possible, they
should leave out the option of fine unless the fine is huge and
they make sure that offenders pay.
Was there a time you wanted to quit the industry?
There was no time. Yes, there have been challenges. Even
when we started and there was no money in it, we enjoyed it
and felt happier doing it than now that there seems to be more
money in showbiz. Then, we were doing it for the passion, but
when money started coming in, the happiness was divided.
My best periods in life are when I am on set working because
I love my job so much.
What is responsible for the disunity in the industry?
I don’t think there is disunity. I agree we have multiple
associations and there is nothing bad in that. Our industry, as
far as I am concerned, is new and various things are expected
to happen. Ambition will make people establish other
associations and it will make people think they have better
ideas than their leaders.
Also, some people feel they can use the leadership of their
respective body to make money for themselves. Others
believe that their participation in the administration will help
get more jobs. And if some people don’t have a cordial
relationship with the leadership of an association, they think
the best option is to leave.
We established the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts
Practitioners, which is the foremost association. Though I was
not part of the formation, I was at its inaugural meeting. I was
even elected to be one of the national executive members
under Hubert Ogunde. So, looking at that period till date, you
will realise that I have contributed in no small way to the
development of theatre association and I worked hard to
make the association popular. From being the PRO, I rose to
the position of the president.
While I believed I had served the association well, it got to a
point when some elders in ANTP thought Oga Bello and I
were becoming too powerful in the industry. They felt it
should not go on like that. They even went ahead to convince
Bello to betray me. But in his own wisdom, he knew they
were difficult people to understand and he didn’t do that. He
came back and designed a way forward for the association.
But in a situation where we had an enemy who was
determined to hijack the association for selfish reasons, what
do you expect us to do? For more than nine years, we were in
court and they later claimed he (Victor Ashaolu) won the
case.
Since he is not a professional and he is not practising, we see
him as someone who has nothing to offer the industry. I
fought the situation. But when my colleagues told me that we
shouldn’t drag a case with him if we meant well for the
association, I left him to do whatever he wanted to do. With
the support of some elders, he went on. But few months after
we left, they started fighting each other and divided the
association into two. Ashaolu now leads one part while Jimoh
Aliu leads the other. We were thankful to God for letting us
pull out before the split.
Our new association, Theatre Arts and Motion Picture
Producers Association of Nigeria is a gathering of focused
people with the same interest. You were at our convention;
so, you should be able to say what the association looks like.
Nobody is fighting anyone and there is no leadership tussle
there. Everything is going accordingly.
At my age, should I even be fighting for positions? We have
children and younger actors who are experienced enough to
take the mantle of leadership. What people like me and Bello
should do is to give them the necessary support because I
believe that is what we need in the industry. Everyone must
work together to move ahead.
But one thing is certain and I want you to put it in mind. All
associations will soon collapse as soon as we set up the
Motion Picture Council. The council will be a body that will
take decisions, regulate the industry and ensure that the rules
and regulations of the profession are strictly adhered to. We
are waiting for the government because it must pass through
the National Assembly.
Don’t you feel some people may work against the new body?
Some persons are already working against it, according to
what I heard. But I consider them to be irrelevant people.
Do you plan to go into politics?
At first, I planned to venture into politics. But I must be
sincere with you; I am so attached to my profession. My
profession doesn’t really want rivalry and politics will give it
a good rivalry.
I still belong to a political party, which is the All Progressives
Congress, and I’ve contributed my bit. But I have refused to
seek public office through an election. If I am given an
opportunity to serve in any capacity, I may take it, but I love
what I do, which is acting.
We have been able to identify some serious-minded people
and we plan to give them support. It is not possible for
everyone to be in government. If you think you must be there
before things work out, the country will still be in problems.
All I can say is for us to give good advice to those who are
there. By that, you would have contributed positively to the
country in a way.
Did you encourage your children to take after you?
I feel so happy about it because it goes a long way to say that
I have been institutionalised. I have passed the baton on to
them and they will also pass it to one or two of their children.
Once it continues like this, our name will remain indelible. At
the moment, I don’t really watch my movies anymore. I prefer
to watch the ones my children featured in. Whenever I sight
loopholes, I try to call their attention to it. If their argument is
superior to mine, I surrender.
How come your daughter, Bidemi, is always in the news for
the wrong reasons?
All the people blackmailing my daughter are bastards. If truly
she did whatever they’ve said she did (dating a married man),
whether she likes it or not, she will be punished. But if they
are telling lies and trying to destroy her image, the people
involved will not go unpunished.
If you know Bidemi well, she is highly disciplined and she
has her own way of doing things. Unlike her sister, Sola,
Bidemi is outspoken and principled. I don’t think it is an
offence to be principled. So, if she doesn’t take nonsense, so
be it.
Everyone cannot be like me. Though it is good to be humble,
I can tell you that being humble also attracts unnecessary
insults. Since some people don’t like being insulted, they
keep to themselves. But people like to attribute it to many
things. If you decide to blackmail people unnecessarily, then,
you must check yourself. It means something is wrong with
you, and there is a problem between you and God.
So you are certain your daughter didn’t have an affair with
Bose Alao’s husband?
When I heard the news, the first thing I did was to call her to
know what went wrong. I know if she had done that, she
would not tell me she did it, but I know my daughter. Apart
from seeing her grow, even as an adult, I am very close to my
children and I know what they do every minute. If you ask me
where Bidemi is as I speak with you, I will tell you. I don’t
joke with my female children especially. Their lifestyle is
important to me.
For people who are always blackmailing our actresses, they
should turn a new leaf. This is part of the disadvantages of
the social media, as everyone wants to talk. A friend once
told me that some people are mentally disturbed or sick.
Since no one checks what they say, they say whatever they
like and get away with it.
I am not saying our actresses are completely innocent. We
actually have people with funny characters, but the majority
of them do not engage in the things they are accused of.
Are you closer to your daughters than your sons?
The female children have challenges mostly. If anyone goes
after a lady and she shuns his advances, he may go to social
media to insult her.
I always advise journalists to stay away from false stories
because the more you get into them, the more trouble you
find for yourself. We’ve forgotten some journalists today
even though they are still alive. Instead of them to practise
the profession diligently, they were busy blackmailing
people.
Have you ever been blackmailed?
That is not news anymore. I have been blackmailed many
times, but I sailed through. They have called me a ‘ritualist’
before, which means I am a murderer.
What came to mind when certain people claimed you used
your wives for rituals?
Initially, as a human being, I felt bad. But my skin is too thick
for all that rubbish. Instead of feeling bad, I will go on my
knees and pray to God to give His judgment. And I always
see these people get their judgment. I don’t want to mention
names. I don’t know anything about what is happening to
Kemi Olunloyo and I don’t follow her on social media. Apart
from her, there are other people who have rubbished my
name in the past.
Do you see yourself getting married again?
At my age and with over a dozen children, why should I
marry another wife? I still have a wife, but people are mixing
things up. I have heard many terrible things about me. There
was a time some people said I have moved in with another
woman. They have forgotten that my wife, who is still with
me, Alhaja Bimbo, was a senior to my late wife, Henrietta.
The first child we had together has graduated in America, but
they think I just got a new wife. She is the only woman left
with me.
What do I need another wife for? Maybe you can tell me.
Becoming a polygamist wasn’t my design. With my
upbringing, I am not supposed to be a polygamist. Though
my father was a polygamist, he didn’t marry the number of
women I have married.
My first wife, Sola’s mother, was working with the Nigerian
Customs Service. She was not involved in my industry and
then I would travel for two months. So, I was tempted to take
a second wife. But unfortunately for me, in the circumstances
I cannot explain till today, I lost two wives within a year. You
can imagine that! So, I decided not to remarry again, though I
had girlfriends; I was a ladies’ man.
Two of my girlfriends were very close to the house and my
friends too would come with their girlfriends. So, we were
almost turning the house into a brothel. Later, my doctor, a
lady, visited me and advised me to remarry. She said it was
the best for me, insisting that I was too young to be without a
woman. I lost my two wives in 1992 and 1993 respectively,
and I was not up to 40 then.
I agreed to take a wife in the long run, but I had two women
who were intimate with me – Henrietta and Alhaja Bimbo.
Since I couldn’t say no to either of them, I married two wives
again.
Do you regret marrying many wives?
At a point, when I started having issues, yes, I regretted. I
said to myself that if I didn’t have more than a wife, I would
not be in the news in a bad light. But am I the only one that
has domestic family problems? I don’t think I am the only
one. Without being too negative or defensive, we have seen a
family where the children, father, and mother died at the same
time.
I thank God for all that might have happened to me. But
regrets come when there are issues. But all my wives have
given me beautiful and responsible children.
How have you been coping without Henrietta?
I cannot say it has been easy because her memory will never
leave me. She was in the industry with me for a very long
time, for 22 years. We were acting and moving around
together. All that has been written about her in the media is
enough for me to continue to think about her. She had her
own shortcomings and I have mine too, but we endured each
other. With all the things she did, I will continue to miss her.
Don’t you think it is unwise to marry in the same industry?
It is perhaps the best because getting married to a woman in
your industry means she will understand your trade and she
will not have issues with your movement. I salute those who
are not in the entertainment industry but are married to
people there. No matter how strong they are, they will always
question the sincerity of their spouses.
What would you have loved to do differently?
I would have loved to be more educated. In whatever you do
in life, education matters. I know there are people who are
educated than me but are not doing much as I do. But I have
always believed that if I have had more education, I would
have done many good things many years ago for the
betterment of the industry.
Why didn’t you take education seriously at a time?
I started acting at the age of 10 like I said earlier. But for a
former Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing, Alhaji
Femi Okunnu, maybe I won’t even go to a higher institution
at all. So, proceeding to Yaba College of Technology at a
time I did was because he advised me to get a good
education. I did business administration at Yabatech.
How do you wish to be remembered?
I want to be remembered for my professionalism, as one of
the people who fought for the stability of the movie industry
and as one who contributed hugely to the growth of the
industry.
If you want to be a successful actor, my advice is to get
trained regardless of how talented you think you are.
Someone must still take you through the rudiments of the
profession. If you are not trained and you find yourself in the
industry as a result of your talent, you will still go back to
learn certain things or you learn on the job, but learning on
the job takes more years. 1 Share
|
Re: "My House Was Like A Brothel" I Had Girlfriens After My 2 Wives Died. by bjt(m): 4:53pm On Dec 04, 2017 |
This your epistle too long o 1 Like |
Re: "My House Was Like A Brothel" I Had Girlfriens After My 2 Wives Died. by Nobody: 5:09pm On Dec 04, 2017 |
bjt: Copied and pasted without editing. |
Re: "My House Was Like A Brothel" I Had Girlfriens After My 2 Wives Died. by JayCynic(m): 8:40pm On Dec 04, 2017 |
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. Op I hope you are still happy with your long story |
(1) (Reply)
Video: Wizkid Blasts Int’l Organizers Who Give African Artistes Awards Backstage / Monster Crocodile That Was Captured And Killed Inside The Ota-mmiri River In Ihi /
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 55 |