Picture: I Don’t Like Kissing On Set, But If It’s Compulsory I’ll Do It Professionally -Judith Audu

Posted by admin Headlines, Nollywood (Film Industry) Friday, September 28th, 2012

Though many people may not readily recognise her face, Judith Audu is not a new face in Nollywood. The graduate of French Language from the University of Lagos says she will never sleep with anybody in exchange for roles. The actress speaks with

Judith Audu

Adunola Oladapo on her journey so far in the industry and her relationship among other issues.

AT what point in your life did you decide to take on acting as a career?
I have always loved acting and was always running out when there is an acting opportunity.

Given the type of life actors and actresses live, would you say acting is worth it?
Everyone has different paths in life. We all have different destinies and we live our lives differently. I can’t speak for others, but for me it is worth it if that is where my happiness and fulfillment in life lie. I would say it’s worth striving for.

So far, how many flicks have you featured in?
So far, I have done just four movies, but I have been in a lot of soaps. I have featured on Tinsel, Comfort Zone, Huzzel, House Apart, Queen’s Drive, Rush, Behind the Smile, Burning Spear and a host of others.

You have done more of soaps than feature films. Is that a deliberate thing?
It is not deliberate. I would rather say that less movies are being made in Lagos now. These days, there are more productions going on in the East. So, auditions are mostly for soap operas.

How challenging would you say the profession has been?
This is an industry where you have hundreds of thousands of people struggling to breakthrough at the same time and we all know only few would be chosen. So, it’s quite tough especially when you don’t have the opportunity to showcase what you are made of on a good platform. With hard work and consistency, I believe I would get there.

How would you relate your field of study to the arts?
Remember, the French Language is in the Arts Faculty too. As a student, I did a couple of plays in French. Like English, there are also literature books in French that we have to act out and while in school, I identified with the theatre. I belonged to theatre groups like T15, Campus playhouse and others. I was involved in a lot of stage plays. Till date, some people have the misconception that I graduated from Creative Arts Department because I was always around them.

To what lengths are you willing to push your career?
We have a lot of unprofessional and mediocre people in the industry. That makes me get tired and fed up of the whole thing sometimes. People have no idea it is a job and not just mere hobby. Financially it is a no no sometimes. So, if you have nothing to fall back on, your pocket will run dry fast and you wouldn’t be able to push more.

I thank God I have a lot of people encouraging me to keep on moving and believing in me, if not I probably would have fallen off or move on to the corporate world, make enough money and then come back and start producing my own movies. Staying off acting completely would be a tough deci-sion. I have tried my hands on other things and I don’t feel inner happiness like I do while acting.

How long have you been in the industry?
I came into the industry in 2004 but left that same year and returned late 2010.

What do you consider your major achievement in acting?
I would say one of my most priced achievements would be the boldness it has imbibed in me and the priceless look on people’s faces when they recognise me from seeing me on the TV.

It makes people see me in a different light. I just like the feeling it gives me and also the fact that I’m able to put smiles on people’s faces, teach a lesson or moral with my artistic work, all these I consider an achievement.

Why did you decide to leave after such a brief start?
I was in my final year then and wasn’t able to cope with school and acting commitment while writing my project by the side. I had to leave to concentrate on my studies. I am back fully and I have no distractions now.

What is your mission in the movie industry?
I am in this industry to teach people things and to make people happy through my acting. What people don’t know is that most scripts are real life situation stories and we have to be available to bring to life the stories in the scripts.

Tell us about the project you are working on?
My current project is huge. It is actually the biggest job I have done in this industry.
I would not like to reveal much about it now. All I can say is that it has a good story line with an excellent cast. Just keep your ears to the ground you will hear about it.

How true is it that to break into the industry you need to have slept with someone?
I haven’t had a situation where I was sexually harassed or told to exchange sex for roles.
Probably that is why it is taking long for me to break through. People will always make advances. I think it is normal because having been in the corporate world, I am in a position to know that the same thing exists there. It is left for the individual to say yes or no.

Given that scenario, what would be your reaction?
I would never sleep with anyone for a role. Never!

Is there a man in your life?
Yes, I have.

What qualities would you love to see in him?
My man has to be understanding, trust me, above all things, have a listening ear, encouraging, supporting and believes in me all the time. He also has to be caring and loving.

What is your perception of romantic roles in movies, like tongue to tongue kissing? Do you do it?
As an actress, my major responsibility is to make-believe and bring to life whatever script I’m offered if I accept to do the job. So if there is kissing in it, I would of course do it, though not tongue-to-tongue as real lovers do, but there is a way we do it that makes it look real. However as to if I like kissing in movies, I would say no. If I have my way, I would not kiss but if the scripts says so, I’ll do it as a professional not because I like it.

Many celebrity marriages are known to have failed. How do you hope to blend the fame and family life together?
I would find a balance and make sure one does not suffer because of the other. I would try to reach a compromise with my partner and make sure we talk about everything. Family always comes first.

Would you tolerate a polygamous husband?
No I wouldn’t. I can’t imagine sharing my husband with someone else. That would never happen. My hubby should not even think of it because I can’t even think of sharing my man with anyone. He should be for me and me alone. Christianity says one man, one woman, so why should he be a polygamist?

Can you describe your growing up years to us?
Growing up was fun. I wasn’t deprived of anything. We weren’t extremely rich but we were comfortable and I was always contented with what I had but I guess losing my father was the worst thing that has ever happened to me and made me grow fast and stop being a daddy’s girl.

I wisened up fast, oh it was a terrible experience but I thank God today. I will say my dad’s death even helped make me strong, independent and very responsible because before, I used to be a daddy’s baby.

So far, in your brief sojourn, has the entertainment industry changed anything in you?
Being in the industry has made me really bold and confident. Today, I am proud to say that I can stand in front of anyone no matter who you are and I can boldly hold a conversation. I can walk up to anyone and say what I feel like saying and it is all because of the training I have received from being an actress.

What determines your sense of style?
I love being comfortable and looking beautiful effortlessly. I would say my style is simple and classy.

What percentage of your income do you spend on your looks?
Luckily for me, I have a good skin, so I don’t spend much. I love to look natural.

What did you study in school?
I hold a BA in French and a Masters Degree in Public and International Affairs both from the University of Lagos. I intend going for Doctorate too. I attended Navy Town, Ojoo, Primary and Secondary Schools.

Do you see yourself becoming a diplomat in the future?
Yes I do. I have always seen myself ending up as an ambassador or a diplomat. It was with that dream in mind that I went for courses that are tailored towards that path and I pray it comes to pass.

Is life in the barracks tough as they say?
The Army barrack and Naval barrack aren’t the same. Naval barrack is more of mind your business, neat and organised scenario. It is no different from living in an estate.

Aside acting and modeling, what else are you into?
I love photography and I am presently working on a course in photography and production. I have also published a blog site. I am still working on it though but it’s called Judith Audu’s Blog. I also published a website on Lagos nightlife though it still under construction. I am also a model.

Tell us about your period as a model.
I used to do runaways and all that but now I am mainly into photography modelling. I have done a couple of big jobs and I have my eyes glued on some that I am presently chasing.

Of all these fields, which is more important to you?
Acting is where my heart truly is. It gives me joy. I have got real passion for acting.

What is the blog all about?
The blog is designed to go with my mood basically. I used to write about stuffs I see around me like fashion, entertainment, lifestyle and general gossip. That is what it was meant to be, but as time went on I realised I couldn’t really write anything because it gradually became boring.

So, I decided to dig deep as to what I would really feel happy writing about. That was how I started writing about food recipes I play with. Everyday I play with different food recipes from all over the world, so I decided to share them with people who love to cook and those that want to learn.

These recipes, do you practice them or you just write them out?
It has to be something I have prepared myself, that’s why I say I play with the recipes. I need to have played with them before sharing.

Are you looking at making it a formal venture someday, like opening a restaurant like some of your colleagues?
One can never tell, you know. Let’s just see how it goes. Running a restaurant isn’t something new to me. My mum had a res-taurant, so we ne-ver can tell.

-Tribunewp_posts

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Posted by admin on Sep 28 2012. Filed under Headlines, Nollywood (Film Industry). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry