•CANADA Based Actress
Delectable Racheal Oyiza Ugorji is one of the few wave-making Naija actresses cum producers in Canada.
She started her career at a tender age and featured in movies produced by Calabash Movie Production before relocating abroad.
Her role in the movie “Tomiwa” shot her to the limelight, which she co-produced with Empire Goose Production.
In this interview with City People’s Head of Showbiz BIODUN ALAO, she talked about what inspired her to go into the movie industry and how she has been able to produce 5 movies within a year, despite being a Health Worker abroad. She also revealed the many challenges she has faced in the industry.
Below are the excerpts of the interview.
Take us through your journey into the industry?
I am Racheal Oyiza in my 30’s born in Ilorin Kwara State, attended Trinity School in Ilorin, I attended Obangede Girls Secondary School, I had my B.Sc. in University of Ilorin after my service in 2012 and 2013, I relocated to the U.S. in 2014, then 2017, I moved down to Canada I started acting at a tender age, I joined Calabash Dramatic Troupe while I was in Kogi State.
My stage name is Ozioma, I featured in like 5 movies from Calabash Production, while I was in University I travel to a different location when I am free to feature in movies and it was during this period, a friend introduced me to the owner of Calabash Movie Production.
I went through an audition and got a role in their movie production and that was how my journey started as a professional actress. I have always had a strong passion for acting and wanted to feature in English movies as well, so after my degree in UniIlorin, I came to Lagos to stay with my Aunty and started going for auditions and most male producers I wanted to sleep with me before giving me roles, so I relaxed and started praying to meet with a female producer, so instead of just sitting and wasting time, I started taking parts in church drama.
So, I told myself that I believe God will make a way for me. Eventually, when I got to the U.S. I still met with some filmmakers and still kept my hope alive, then I moved to Canada and met with Sister Lola Alao who is my mentor I have always loved her right from when I was small, I enjoy watching her movies, luckily for me someone introduced me to her in Canada and she was really nice and very accomodating. She helped me boost my acting career, honestly I don’t know how to thank her for everything.
I also met with Abass Akanji CEO (The Empire Goose Production), he was like I use to see on Lola’s Skits & Productions and I will like to work with you and I said it is fine, we started with the movie titled “Tomiwa” and it came out well. I eventually joined Empire Goose Production and I am presently the Vice President we have been producing movies back to back.
What inspired your latest movie Eru?
The name is really about our daily struggle, especially those of us abroad. A lot of people back home don’t know what we do and go through to make money, they don’t even care. I didn’t write the movie but can relate to the movie easily, so when I went through the script, I love every bit of the story. I produce the movie with Empire Goose Production.
Besides this, I also produced a short movie titled “Love Letter” and it will start showing soon. It was shot both in Nigeria and Canada. I have also done another movie titled “Isese” with a short space between last year and this year, I have produced like 5 different movies. “Isese” will be showing on Yorubahood. Then I am presently working on another one titled “Aramada” I started production on the 1st of March. All these movies feature A-list actors both in Nigeria and Canada. Then after “Aramada”, I will be working on another blockbuster movie titled “Asiri”, so far I have produced 5 movies and they will be showing on YouTube Channels by the special grace of God.
God has indeed been so faithful looking back at my journey, on how I used to beg for roles, now all that is history, I am now not only an actress but a very busy producer. Producing back to back since last year.
I never knew I could even be producing movies, talk more about producing 5 within a short space and using A-list stars for my production. I honestly didn’t envisage all these happening so fast. I use to beg for just a role back then and they keep demanding sex before I can get just a role, I know by the special grace of God, this is just the starting point, I am working towards cinema movies and Netflix.
My plan is that before the year runs out, I will be travelling down to Nigeria to shoot my cinema movie by the special grace of God.
What else do you know aside from acting?
Besides being an actress and producer in Canada, I am also a health worker, when I got to Canada, I went for more studies, so I could work in the health sector. And God has been so faithful.
How have you been able to combine acting, producing and work together?
Trust me, it has not been easy at all. It is really tough, I rarely go to parties or events. I do 14 hours a day, 7 hours in the morning, 7 hours at night and I still go through scripts, so it is very tough, I barely have time for myself.
I only get to sleep for 4 hours daily, I don’t have any social life. I sleep at 12am and wake up at 4 am every day, so it is not easy. I don’t have a social life at all. I work 7 days a week and sleep for 4 hours daily. I broke down at a point and was placed on bed rest for 5 days, so it has not been easy. I spend millions of naira producing movies so I barely rest, it has not been easy.
I have always loved acting, I have a strong passion for it, so I am just following my dream. Though my father never supported the idea he was like, you are a Science student and wanted me to do a professional course. I studied Bio-Chemistry, today I am still in the health sector and still following my first love of acting, trust me, it is not easy combining the two. But I thank God, he has been so faithful.
Who really is Oyiza, besides the one we see on screen?
Oyiza is a very simple and gentle lady who avoids trouble, a lot of people complain about my person, but I am just work-oriented and rarely have time for any other thing.
What is your plan as per your career in the next few years?
I want to be one of the young outstanding movie producers in the industry. I want to impact people’s lives positively. I am also planning to acquire more knowledge over here because for my career, I am not only looking at the Nigerian market alone. I will also do more international movies, so I pray I will feature in both Nollywood and Hollywood movies by the grace of God.
