Funke Etti is a delight to interact with. Spotted by our reporter at a career talk organised by Ojodu Grammar School Old Students’ Association, she talks about her movie career and why actresses are often trailed by controversies.
Some people say you are the only actress in Nollywood who is scandal free, is this true?
I am not perfect, but it is true. I am indeed scandal free. I still have my shortcomings, but they are not that bad.
Your industry is one which is riddled with sex scandals; tell us how you have managed without one
First, I will attribute it to God. Secondly, I will give credit to my manager. He is just like my lecturer. I always involve him in everything I do. He is my guiding light. He often cautions me on things such as control and how to talk. There are times when I would talk and he would ask me why I made such a comment. He often tells me that I am a celebrity and I should see myself as such, but I don’t see myself as a celebrity. First and foremost, I see myself as a human, a normal person. It is just my job which makes me different.
Who is your manager?
His name is Dare Best.
Dare Best has been in the industry for a while, how did you start working with him?
I came across him about four or five years ago. While we were talking he told me that he appreciated me for the fact that I take life simple and hardly behave like a celebrity. I told him that being an actress is not a big deal. From there, he asked if he could manage me and I agreed. Since then, he has been managing me and our relationship has been lovely. He is a lovely person.
In your industry, it is not a big deal to find an actress dating her manager, is there any such relationship here?
I won’t say you are right or wrong, but one thing I want to tell you is that it is not only in the movie industry that you find a man and a woman dating. It is also in other industries. The picture you just painted is synonymous with Nigeria; the moment people see a man and a woman together they find it hard to remove sex or an intimate relationship from the picture. In this particular case, there is no such thing. God is aware of the kind of relationship we have. I admire him as a person because he is a simple man. If you scream at him, he won’t react with anger. He would probably come back later and sort things out.
I know that you are married, are you still in that union?
Yes.
Not all men would appreciate their wife being managed by a man, how did your husband react to Dare Best working with you?
They are friends.
Were they friends before you started working with your manager?
No, I turned them to friends. Presently, if my husband is angry with me he calls my manager to talk to me. I often hear him saying things like he should talk to me because I want to start behaving like them. I often ask him like whom?
Who inspire you in the movie industry?
I was inspired to join the movie industry after watching Funsho Adeolu. I used to have a sister who worked with the Censor board. I told her I wanted to start acting, and that I wanted to go into the big league because people couldn’t recognise me from my acting in church. She told me she knew a lot of marketers and that she would introduce me to one who is very nice. He took me to Kolawole Olatunde, and I started working with Lakunle Films.
Broken home is so rampant in your industry. Why?
Often times, when this kind of things happen, it is not always because the individuals involved are celebrity. No woman wants her home to be broken. I am sure that there is no woman who likes that. No woman wants a situation whereby a man would leave her with the kids. I don’t know what is responsible for breakups, but maybe it is the nature of our job. Often times, the men we find our self with don’t believe what we tell them.
What is your advice for your women folks to avoid more broken homes?
Women should listen to their men because the man who is insisting on a point knows what he is talking about. Take for instance, the Tiwa Savage situation. I am really not happy about it.
What advice do you have for her?
I can only tell her that God will help her. I know she is a woman and she has a soft heart, so it is only natural that she should feel hurt. They should just ensure that their son is not affected by the situation. God will help her.
What are you working on presently?
I am working on a new movie titled Role Model. We are making arrangement to see it shot soon. It will feature at least two top actors from the English speaking part of Nollywood.
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