Before the advent of the home video in the early ’90s, the likes of superstars like Regina Askia, Lizzy Benson, Dolly Unachukwu, Ameze Imarhiagbe were ruling the screens but most of them disappeared from the scene when the ovation was loudest. Pretty actress, Ameze was one of those superstars of the ’90s, she relocated to the U.S. in early 2000.
She was popular for her roles in series such as Ripples, Fortunes, Checkmates and movies such as Flesh & Blood, Glamour Girls, Suicide Mission and a host of others.
In this online interview with City People, she talked about her relocation to the U.S. how she has been able to cope with the pandemic considering working with the health sector in the U.S. and how she is staging a come back to the movie industry. Below are the excerpts.
How have you been doing?
We are grateful, God is good.
What is the secret of your ageless look?
It’s God, he is the secret, I let him take control of everything.
Where exactly are you based now and what have you been up to?
I am based in the U.S. First and foremost I want to say thank you for inviting me here, I am honoured to be a part of your live interview. I am really honoured. I also want to acknowledge your contributions to the growth of the industry Nollywood and the entertainment indsutry as a whole. I really appreciate it, I am super grateful. Back to your question.
A lot of people think most of us who have relocated have stopped acting but we are stillacting, probably not in a large scale the way we were doing before we left the country, I am still writing, I produce but my day job, I work in the health care industry, I am a registered Nurse.
How have you been able to combine all of these?
You just need to make out time for everything. Sometimes, you want to move faster like you can just walk into Nollywood and say hey, here I am. It is one at a time, little by little, things will work out. It has not been easy but it is doable.
Let’s take you back memory lane, how did acting start for you?
I grew up in a household of theatre. It all started with my dad, I even used to say if my dad had the opportunity, he would have gone into filmmaking. So we grew up with him recording everything we do back in the day, so at early stage of my life I was already into movie stuff. We will do quiz and other stuffs. I am a very creative person, so I knew early that acting was for me, and my journey into the movie industry started up with Ripples, that should be between 1989 and 1991. That was the first national program I did, after Ripples, I did Blossom, then Fortunes, then Nigeria home videos started and I was invited as well.
Which of the movies made you a household name?
I think people knew me from Ripples because of the role I played, then for movies it was “Tears For Love” by Opa Williams. Immediately people just knew me, because the character I played was very daring to lots of women and men too. Then, I followed that with my own baby “Flesh & Blood”, where I played a twin. Before then nobody had actually played such role, it was a big one, then I went further to play others.
At what point did you relocate?
I relocated early 2000, so I have been away for over 20 years. Yes, that I know, I have been away for long.
What do you miss about Nigeria?
The food (laughs!!!) I miss food, I knew basically all the amala joint back in Nigeria, and I know there are some new ones that would have come up by now, so I really miss my amala joints. When I come back to Nigeria, I will revisit the old ones, if they are still there, then also visit the new ones too, I even have friends who have gone into the business too.
How did you cope with the pandemic?
It was scary but I didn’t have a choice because I work in the health sector, so, it was really scary. Working in that sector exposed one to lots of things, the infection and even people you deal with but I thank God. It has been by God’s grace because many have lost their lives. I had colleagues that were infected, even my Pastor died, so, it was tough but we are coping, everyday is a gift so we never take it for granted.
What sort of person is Ameze?
That is a good one. She can be simple at the same time complicated but one thing about me is that I am very loyal. I am God fearing, I am not judgemental. I am a grateful person and I always endeavour to impact anyone who comes close to me. I believe strongly that once you are blessed, it shouldn’t just be for you, you should pass it on.
How big is your family now?
It is big enough and I am happy for all I have.
How do you balance up all your roles?
It’s been God. If you are a mum, it is by the grace of God, if you are a wife, it’s by the grace of God. If you are a healthcare provider, it is by the grace of God, God has made it easy for us to play different types of roles.
I am sure people watching will say ah when did she become spiritual saying God, God, God (laughs!!!) But the truth is that, as you begin to grow you begin to select the realness from the chaff.
It is just like friendship too, you begin to know oh, this is the one that is really for me. I am not preaching folks, I am just keeping it real, this is Ameze.
What is your message to your fans friends watching from all over the world?
This is my message, never give up. I feel accountable for younger women growing up. Remember when I joined the industry, I met other women and some others are still coming in, so never give up or say no, you will eventually find someone who believes in you and vision and would want to be part of it so never give up. Keep going on and your let haters hate, they are doing their job. They are going to hate, you do your job, give them something to hate, something to talk about, you need to have a believe system that will help you move along in life.
So, never say never, no is not an option, and to my fans, I am back.
What do you mean by “I am back”?
I am actually working on some productions right now, then you know as a filmmaker, we never let the secret out of the bag until we are ready, so that is the making. So, I am super grateful to my friends, colleagues, people that have been supporting my coming back, I don’t want to start calling names because it won’t be nice to forget any name, but I tell you there are people in the entertainment industry that are really supporting me and I just want to say I am very grateful and I won’t forget those that are not supporting me too (laughs!!!).
Don’t mind me, everyone has been great and I am really grateful.
How do you see the state of the movie industry now?
Nollywood is doing great, it has put us on the world map. Before Nollywood we had people in the sport, music industry and we started to develop our own brand and hopefully, we have become better. It has put us on the map, right now Nollywood is either 2nd or 3rd, it keeps moving back and forth. We would get there. Rome, Hollyood were not built in a day.
Fine, we might have some little problems but it is expected, as you are growing it is necessary to experience those little problems. One thing I do on my show when people say we are not authentic enough, again it is a growth process and we will get there. I am happy about the growth and super proud of what is happening, we have our brand already. Even our music, everything has started to cross over. Here in America when I hear our music in some TV commercials, I am always proud, so, we are doing good.
Thank you so much for supporting the entertainment industry, we won’t forget.
READ ALSO: WHY SHORT TERM LETTING IS ON THE RISE IN REAL ESTATE
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
