Star Actress, KATE FUNKE ADEPEGBA On Life @ 60

• Tells City People About Her 40 Years Acting Career

Kate Funke Adepegba will be 60 in a few days time. And she is quite excited about her new age. Call Kate a veteran actor and you won’t be wrong. She is a Nollywood star who has acted in several block bluster movies. She is in ITURA, the current movie trending on African Magic. When we asked her to tell as how many movies she has acted in, she shook her head. “I really don’t know. I have lost count. Should I start from the days of Checkmate. It is long and endless. I am a Jewel of the Screen,” she says.

She is right. When you have been acting for the past 40 years and you are good in what you do then that appelation is appropriate. A few days back, City People spent an evening with this star actress who continues to look ageless. Below is her story.

What has kept her going all these years, we asked her? “Grace of God. Hardwork. Tenacity, Focus, Passion for what I do basically. And in anything I want to ever do, if I decide to do it, I just stay focused on  it and I make sure I see it to the end, basically”. “So, it is more of my passion for what I am doing andI believe so much in it. So much so that it has become my lifestyle.”

For how many years has she been acting? She bursts out laughing. “Its very funny. Haaa! You want to turn me into Metusselah. Its actually my 40th year. Come November, it will be 40th year as an actor, consistently. Yeah!

How easy has it been to stay on course? “Hmmm! It actually depends on your believe and how patient you can be, how tolerant you can be. Basically for me, the love that I have for my job, has kept me going. It is what I want to do. Yeah there might be distractions here and there, like there was a time I was heavily distracted, but it was good distraction, actually. That was when I had my shop and I was doing fabrics. I was doing shoes and bags, jewellery. It was a lot of fun for me. It afforded me the opportunity to know the world, gain more knowledge, other peoples culture.”

“When I thought I had exhausted that route then I came back to acting. And even at that time, it wasn’t as if I left, left, I just needed time to go and do my side hustle and do it well and do it thoroughly. That is why there is nothing I do in my life that I regret. I hardly ever regret irrespect of how it comes out. That is why I always like to put in my very best. So, that at the end of the day when I look back, I am fulfilled. So, I wouldn’t call that a distraction. I will call it versatility to discover myself and to see other things that I can do that will give me pleasure. That was it. So, I have stayed focused still.”

She is about to turn 60. How does she feel? How does 60 come to her, we asked her? “Hmmmm! Tough question. I don’t feel anyhow, at all. I don’t feel any different from when I was 30, 40, 50. I don’t feel different, mentally and physically, I don’t feel any different. How do I feel? I don’t know. I feel good. I feel happy. I feel ok. I thank the almighty because the journey between when I turned 50 till now, has been the rockiest time of my life”. Why is that so? “It was as if, suddenly it just dawned on the universe that you are growing older, and you need some gbas, gbos to actually test your strength and if acutally you have come of age. And if  actually you deserve to be that age, to test your maturity, to test your tenacity, to test your patience, to test how much you can take out of life. Our life experiences are our teachers. Most importantly it is what you learn out of those experiences that determines your age. For me, age is just a figure. It’s a number. But what actually determines your age and who you are is how you are able to flow through the ups and downs, the gbas & the gbos, how you are able to hold on, how you are able to stay focused, how you are able to learn from set backs, disappointments, discovering some people, see life for what it is truly is. That is when you come to the reality that life is not a bed of roses and how you are able to stand the test of time, that determines your age. I have just been learning more out of life and preparing yourself for the late times”.

As she gets close to 60, does she feel scared or afraid of ageing? “Why should I be scared or afraid?. I am not afriad of scared. It is a thing of joy that you are getting old. I have friends who are my age mates. They have died along the line. So, to still be alive is Grace. Unmerited favour. The mercy of God. So, why should I be scared. I cannot be scared. It is a good thing. It is a really good thing thatone is enjoying a lot of Grace of God, Death is inevitable for all us. Just enjoy your life. I am not afraid.”

So, how does she plan to celebrate her 60th Birthday? “I want to enjoy myself. I actually wanted to just have a day of Praise & Worship, all day, like a concert, and just have people stroll in dance, have fun, praise God, thank God, go and come again. That was the plan. And is still the plan. Actually, I just want to have a whole day of being in God’s presence. I don’t really want to have an Owambe. I don’t know why some people think it is when you turn 60 or 70 before you start having a  party. Everyday you live is a day of celebration. I love parties. I love throwing parties. I love entertaining people. But as you grow older, some certain things are no longer priorities. I like to think outside the box. I like to be a pioneer in a lot of things. I like doing things that are different. I like doing things that a lot of people don’t think about. I intend to spend my day in God’s presence. And when I am done, I will just take a holiday to Seychelles or Maldvies. I don’t know”.

When she looks back, does she feel fulfilled? If she was to mark her script what will she score herself? “Do I feel fulfilled? Yes. I am. I am not in the hospital. I am not crippled. I still have a job. I have a roof over my head. I still have people who still invite me to one occasion or the other. Tell me why I will not feel fulfilled. As a person, I have always felt like an over contented person. I am always grateful for whatever it is I have today. And I always believe, tomorrow will take care of itself, I don’t do a do-or-die anything, basically. I do not do unnecessary hustle.”

“For me Grace takes care of what is on ground today, Grace takes care of the issues of today. Let’s solve the problem of today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Worrying about tomorrow makes people feel unfulfilled, or less privileged. Don’t look at what other people are doing or what they have. I feel contented. Some people will say she is too religious. I am just a Christian. I am a normal everyday Christian. And I just believe in the God that I call upon that I serve. So, lives will always fall in pleasant places for me, no matter what. And if I look back at my career, I thank God. If you don’t know my name, you will have seen my face before. And if you have not seen my face before, you must have heard my name before. That is why atimes when I travel abroad, I still meet people who are so star struck when they see me and I receive so much gifts from people when they see me. So tell me, why won’t I be grateful to God? Why would I not be fulfilled? I have a child. What am I lacking that will make me feel unfulfilled. I feel fulfilled. I feel good. It can only be better I have friends who are far richer than me but who want to be like me. What that is called is Grace. When you have the Grace of God upon your life, you will always be fulfilled.

– Seye Kehinde