Belinda Effah isn’t an actress you want to question her passion for the Movie industry popularly known as Nollywood. The multiple award winner is known by her colleagues as a perfectionist. Though, she showed signs of the creative zest for acting and story writing at a tender age, her career simply speaks of perseverance, consistency and tenacity. Caught at a movie location in Lagos, the University of Calabar graduate of Genetics and Biotechnology told Newton-Ray Ukwuoma how she struggled to carve a niche for herself in the Nigerian movie industry.

A scene normally takes about ten shots to perfect. Watching you and others go through this ordeal is boring and tedious to me. Doesn’t this offend you sometimes?

This is what I have been called in my life to do. I love every bit of it – no complaints at all. I’d do it over and over again. In my next life, I will do it one more time. I love it. But if it’s not your calling, you’d find it challenging.

For one scene?

No. I am talking about a long short or the master Shot. A scene is made up of several angle shots and one angle shot can take over ten shots to get right. Just for the master shot, we might end up taking over ten shots. You have to do the same thing over and over again until the director is okay with it. So, if you do not understand all of that you will get frustrated. I have been on a location where people get frustrated, but I am like, “These ones don’t understand”. It is normal to me. And because I am a perfectionist, I don’t mind doing it over and over again. For instance, imagine an emotional scene where you are supposed to cry and after doing your best and the director asks you to do it again. Even in real life, it gets to a point tears will cease from your eyes after crying for too long, but in acting, you have to force those tears back to your eyes for as long as the director wants it. It is tedious, but I love it.

Does it mean you don’t get tired or bored having to say the same thing several times?

As a human being, I get tired physically and emotional drained on set, but I channel my inner energy. I have gotten to the stage where I know how to interpret each scene and I give each of them the energy that they deserve; maybe when the camera is not on me and I don’t invest my energy much.

When did you tell yourself that this is the kind of life you want?

I was a child when I made that decision. I was very young. I used to write poetry, I used to write short stories, I used to mimic people a lot and I used to love to be part of the drama department. I love this. This is my life.

When did you get your first drama opportunity?

I did some drama in church. But the first professional work for me is ‘The Room’. I played a significant role in the movie and it was shown on DSTV for a long time. It is actually a language movie.

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Did someone introduce you to the industry?

Once I knew that this was what I was born to do, I put my ears to the ground to know where and when something was happening. Back in the days, nobody will give you an opportunity as a green horn. If you are not a known face nobody will gamble their lead role on you. I attended auditions. However, for ‘The Room’, I got it through referral. It had already been shot but Mnet didn’t like the production. So, they got another director who had worked with me to re-produce the movie. That was how I got the role. I also had a bit of an edge because I could speak the language, Efik. So, they called me and auditioned me and I got the role.

And was that how other roles started coming in?

No. other roles didn’t start coming after that. I was in the industry for a long time, just attending auditions and auditions and it was not really happening. At the time I was in school at the University of Calabar, I will come to Lagos to try my hands in this and that, attending auditions. It wasn’t just working. I did Next Movie Star Reality TV show in 2006. I was one of the last men standing, but I didn’t win. But with that experience I tried to launch myself in the industry, it still didn’t work. You know how Big Brother makes housemates stars overnight, my own didn’t work like that. I had to work and push and push until it started working in 2011. I did this series, Tales of Eves, that was my break. Things turned around after that from 2006 to 2011.

You won the 9th AAMA as the Most Promising Act.

Yes, I won a lot of awards with Kokoma, produced by Uduak Oguamanam, Emem Isong’s sister. I did Kokoma, which was a language movie and it earned me almost all the awards, AAMA, BON, NEA just name it. I won almost all the awards at that time.

Tell us about your other career. You run a food company?

Yes, I run a Food company called Favour Right Foods: there is favour and it is the right food for you.

Are you a freak for healthy food?

I eat healthy. I think I am an advocate for nutritive and healthy food. I love good food. I love balanced diet. Sometimes I am in need of certain condiments and I don’t find them; so I decided to provide these services to other people. If you want all those vegetables, the fishes, the secret recipes and everything regarding food we give it to you: raw food or cooked food. We run catering services also. We are basically your market.

Do you have branches now or is it still in one spot?

We are expanding gradually. We started small, a kiosk by the road side because I wanted to inspire young people who look up to me that you can start small and grow big. If you don’t have the big funds, you can start small. This is the story of KFC and Amazon. So, go through the fire and the water, no immediate success. I have been through the fire in business. At some point, it wasn’t getting the right patronage even though it is food that people need daily, but that experience was moulding me into the kind of business woman I should be; that you don’t give up.

Are you in a relationship right now?

I will be delving into my private life if I answer this question. People know me for my movies, I don’t want to expose my private life to them. You know that once your private life is out there it is exposed to destruction. Let’s face it, a lot of people don’t wish you well. Some people want to feel they have control over your private life. This is the aspect I don’t want. I’d rather not say anything about it. Like my colleagues have just been flashing us with their weddings. (Laughs) Maybe my own will come as a surprise.

You were phenomenal at this last AMVCA. Your outfit caused a stir on the red carpet. How did you create it?

It is just me. I just woke up and felt I needed to express myself. That was just me being Belinda. You can’t predict me. Sometimes, I am your regular girl and at another time I am your eccentric and creative girl.

How did you handle the criticisms that followed?

My outfit reflected the African mind. I presented Africa to the world.But it only amazed me that it was non-Africans that appreciated it more. A lot of people had problems with the hairstyle, but let’s face it, women in the villages at some point do that kind of hairstyle. It is style. Style can be created to portray the mind of a people.

What is the funniest thing you have heard about yourself in the media or from fans?

There is a recent one on my IG page. I recently got a nomination for an award from Ivory Coast, Best Actress. Someone said, “That Belinda, she over acts”. I was just like, “This is the congrats I am supposed to get”. If even she hates me so much I mean this is an achievement and international body recognises me and you come on my page to show your hate. I didn’t make sense. We are just trying in our different ways. Even if you don’t like me, appreciate the fact that I am affecting lives. A lot of people were saying nice things about me, but that was the only one comment that really stood out to me. People just hate people outrightly. And one thing my directors used to say is that “I rather have an actor that overacts than the one that under acts”. I just consoled myself with that.

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