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Caroline Uduak Abasi Ekanem |
Caroline Uduak Abasi Ekanem is a princess from the
royal family of Ekanem in Eket, Cross River State.
She went into acting not only for the fame and
glamour, but to use her talent to impact on her
society. Born to a British father and a Nigerian
mother, Caroline is from a God-fearing and
disciplined family. This undergraduate of the
University of Calabar loves singing, but has acting
as her first love.
Since she cut her teeth in acting, when she featured
in Chico Ejiro’s Deadly Kiss, she has never looked
back.
Though blessed with ravishing beauty, Caroline is
not one of those Nollywood actresses who allows the
glamour of screen acting to get into their heads.
She told Daily Sun that she would rather die in
penury than bare it all before the camera.
In this interview, Caroline speaks on her life,
career and why parental influence would not make her
do anything untoward as an actress.
How I started
I was into modelling for three years before I went
into acting. I had always wanted to act, but
something told me that the time was not ripe for me
to go into it. I started acting through a friend
called Mrs Dominic. She was the one who took me to
Chico Ejiro and he featured me in the movie entitled
Deadly Kiss. Although the movie was my debut, I
played a lead role and people said that I performed
so brilliantly.
Best role
My best role in a movie was when I acted alongside
Ikechukwu Onyeka, Emeka Nnoecha and Tu Face Idibia.
The role was challenging to me as well as the
setting. I felt real good doing it and I believe
that it brought out the best in me and for the fact
that I had to play five different roles in the same
movie.
Inspiration
I am always inspired by the role at hand. At times,
people see me as someone who cannot hurt a fly. But
the irony of it is that some of my roles present me
as someone who could be very mean.
Relationship with directors
My kind of relationship with directors is strictly
on business, nothing else. As a lady, I know what it
takes to be in the midst of men. So, if a director
wants a relationship other than business, I would
make him understand that I am not one of those
upcoming artistes that sleeps around with men.
Challenges
I don’t like people to know that I am a half-caste.
I am a Nigerian and I love African culture and I
want people to see me as an African. The challenges
are quite enormous because at times, some people
would conclude that I can’t play certain roles
because I am thin, or I am not dark skinned, or
because I speak with British accent. There are other
times that people have the impression that I should
not be well paid and so on. However, I want people
to know that I am not into acting because I am a
half-caste but because I want to play the role that
I am given.
Movies featured in
Some of the movies include Deadly Kiss, A Second
Time, Missing Angel 2 &3, Foreign Affairs, The
Twist, Angel and the Beast, Real Love Part 2 and a
Yoruba movie.
Happiest moment
Everyday is my happiest moment because God grants me
the grace to see each day. I am happy for that. So,
there is no particular happiest moment for me.
Artiste fee
I won’t tell you, it is a secret. Some people always
put my fee in the range of N500,000. May God bless
them for rating me so high. Anyway, I am still an
upcoming actress and I don’t earn up to that.
Night clubbing
I can’t remember the last time I went to a club, but
I love singing. My social life is a kind of boring
one because after acting and everything, I would be
so tired that I would have to go home and rest the
next day. As a student, whenever I don’t go to
school, I am at home taking care of my grandparents.
But when I want to have fun, I would have it to the
fullest. If I don’t have fun in a day, that day
would be boring.
Acting negative roles
Damn it! I am from a disciplined home. My parents
will disown me should I act nude in a movie for
instance. Rather, I would wear a bikini or shorts
instead. I will not expose my body to the public
except to my husband. That is to say that I can’t
act nude in a movie even if I am paid the money in
the whole world.
Advice to my fans
My advice to my fans is that whatever they want to
do, they should not allow anybody to stop them. They
should always give it a trial even if they think
that it will fail. They would be surprised that they
would make it and in everything, they should
remember God first. They should be determined,
self-confident and learn to please themselves before
others. They should always follow the dictates of
their hearts. In everything, they should not allow
fear to conquer them.
Future plans
My future plan is big. I would like to be somebody
that people would see and they will say! I want to
be like this lady. I want to achieve all my dreams
even before I attain 30 years and I know that I will
do it in Jesus name.
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