In her first ever in-depth interview since her eight-year-union broke down, Ayo told us the real truth, and nothing but the truth, about life as the wife of Goriola Hassan, why reconciliation is out of the question and the pains of being in a relationship with man who has ‘gone dark’. Spectrum magazine reports.
You Look As Good As Ever, What’s The Secret?
Well, I will say it is God and I thank my genes, they have been helpful.
Could the reason have been because you are now more at peace with yourself?
Yes, you got it. I think it’s because I am at peace with myself, I mean everything is working out and God has given me a second chance at everything; work, life, what have you. So I guess that is why.
What was the first chance you missed?
Well, talking about my career, the first chance was at a point when I was not doing what I was meant to be doing. At a point, I did not feel fulfilled. I realized that I had more talent than what I was doing initially. So, I am saying it is a second chance because I guess I am coming out in a very big way now.
Was it not your decision not to do many movies?
Because I remember reading one of your interviews where you said you don’t want to be everywhere.
I don’t think I said that. But sincerely speaking, there is no way you can be everywhere. It is better to be in quality stuff than being everywhere.
I don’t think I said that. But sincerely speaking, there is no way you can be everywhere. It is better to be in quality stuff than being everywhere.
Then it is your making?
I don’t think so. Well, I really don’t want to start pointing accusing fingers, but not entirely my doing to an extent.
Was it your marriage?
Maybe
Tell me about your new movie.
Well, it is a school setting and it is about a young woman that did not graduate on time and she was causing a lot of havoc. The story goes like that. I really do not want to let the cat out of the bag.
What is the title?
Well, the working title of the story is Ariwo Ola, but I still hope it will get a better title.
Who are the cast?
Myself, Bimbo Oshin, Ricardo Agbor, Bisola Kosoko (Uncle Jide’s daughter), Dayo Amusa, Sola Asedeko, Elizabeth De Silva, quite a number of girls and guys.
Who directed the movie?
Taiwo Bello.
Do you think it is still going to be as qualitative as some movies that you have done in the past?
Don’t try and put me in a spot. Well, I haven’t done anything like this job in a long time really because it is quite challenging for me. Even though it is my story, it was quite challenging for me when we actually started acting it out. I will say, it is more challenging than what I have been doing initially. I am actually trying to come out. I am trying to turn a new leaf, so I am coming out with something more colourful than what I had done in the past.
How does it feel to be 40?
(Laughs) I really don’t feel different. Sincerely speaking, maybe when I wake up on that day, I am going to experience a change or something magically is going to happen. There is nothing different really, except that you become more matured because whenever I try to look back at the forty years that I have lived, I try to see what and what I have passed through. Sincerely speaking, today I give thanks to God because I have been through a lot. But I thank God. Even though I have been through a lot, I have been through a lot of happy times, sad times, good times, I wouldn’t say bad times but not too bad times. I give God all the glory so far. So, to be forty is fun.
What is the biggest lesson you have learnt in the past forty years?
I have never thought about that. But now that I am thinking, I think the biggest lesson that I have learnt is to be more careful in whatever you do. The biggest lesson I believe is, to be careful in making decisions.
Which decision has been your best so far?
I guess making up my mind to become an actress, let me say that.
What about your worst decision?
That is personal.
How was it like growing up?
Well, growing up was fun. I grew up with my mum because I lost my dad when I was 19. I was then a fresher at the University of Ibadan. I grew up with my mum and my three brothers. And ever since, we’ve lived together. We were together till I went for my youth service in Imo State. I went back to Ibadan before moving to Lagos in the 80s.
How did you feel losing your dad at 19?
I was pained. It was as if my life had come to an end because I was really close to him. Most of the things I know, I learnt from him while he was alive. I was really sad. It was like there was nothing left for me when my father died.
Who paid your school fees after he died?
I started working when I was 16. I remember I was working in one hospital then. I was more like the receptionist and I was being paid and my mum kept all my money for me till I gained admission.
What prompted you to start working early?
I was born with a silver spoon actually because my father had a factory where they manufactured nylon. When he became sick and he lost everything, then I had to start doing something. I started working before I took JAMB because I knew I was going to the university some day and I had to make some money available for myself.
Why did you have to pay for your education?
Because my father died.
But you were already in Part One when he died?
Before he died, he was sick and he lost most of his property and wealth. It was then I realized that paying for my education could pose a problem, so I started working.
What was the nature of the sickness?
He was just sick. I think he was just stressed out.
So, how was life when you realized that you had to for your education?
Life became difficult, but I had to adjust. I didn’t see that time as a difficult time, rather I saw it as a trying period whereby I had to learn a lot of things because you know it is not all about the good times. The bad times will surely come and you have to be prepared for it. If you have a child and you don’t prepare that child for such a period, he might have a problem because the child might not be able to cope. I went through a period whereby I learnt a lot, which has really prepared me for so many things in life. That life is not all about the good times but all the times. That period really made me strong.
How was life before you started working?
Life was fun. My father really spoilt me. I was like the only child for about seven years before my brothers started coming. So he really spoilt me. I always got whatever I wanted. And when my brother came along, my parents took good care of us.
So, what were those fun memories you had?
Then, there was Kingsway Stores. We were living in Ibadan and my dad would take me to Kingsway, Obisesan Cinema etc. We used to travel out of the country. I used to go with my father then. I really had fun with him. He was such a nice man.
How was life at the university? And what did you study?
I did Communication and Language Art. I finished from Ibadan in 1992. It was fun all the way. I had quite a number of friends. I remember Tunji Sotimirin was in my school. In fact, we sat for some Communication courses together in our part one. He used to look funny in class, even without saying anything, he looked funny. I remember we used to go to the Theatre Arts Department to watch them. They used to call it Laufomania. Even when some of them graduated, they would come back to school to do the Laufomania. It was an annual show. School was so much fun; we used to have a lot of activities.
I am sure you had boy friend(s) in school?
Nope.
Why?
That is because I was a saint. Maybe yes maybe no.
Did your mum remarry?
No.
Did she have another baby for your dad before he died?
No, I have some stepsisters.
Are you from a polygamous home?
It is just that they had children outside wedlock.
How did your mum cope when your father died?
It was a very disturbing process because up till now she never re-married. But it was a very disturbing thing for her. I think it is just the grace of God because she is a better Christian than any of us; it wasn’t any easy thing to do, but she did it.
What do you miss most in your dad?
Sometimes when I just think about what life would have been like if my father was still alive and doing the kind of work he used to do. Yeah, I used to look back at some moments in life especially while I was in school, even now, I used to wonder what his reaction would have been if he was still alive when I started acting.
So, you paid from year one to four?
Yeah, somehow.
How about your mum?
She paid too.
I worked before I started the university and I had already saved some money and then my mum just continued paying alongside what I had on ground.
I’m sure you were not able to buy some things that you were supposed to afford then.
It was not as if it was all that bad. Basically, I guess what my mum was trying to do was to prepare me for some things because she was actually the one that encouraged me to take the job. So, she was just trying to encourage me and make me understand some basic things about life.
How and when did you start acting?
I started acting in 1996. I went to AIT for a job interview because then I had just lost my job for going to work late. I was working with Pothin Nigeria Limited along Agege Road. I was one of their marketing officers.
What made you go late to work?
I was staying with my aunt at Lekki. It wasn’t really easy for me to go all the way from Lekki to that place, so I was always late. They didn’t really sack me actually, they just suspended me, but then I told myself that I couldn’t just stay in the house. So, there was a day I went to AIT for an interview. I had started processing it from the scratch and I got to that point where I was to be interviewed. At AIT, I met somebody his name is Ifeanyi who read news for NTA. We were just talking about movies because they were just coming up and I said I wouldn’t mind to be part of this movie stuff and he said okay. As at that time, Zeb Ejiro was doing Mortal Inheritance but then, Omotola was in the movie already. So I went for the auditioning. It was my first audition and it was really funny because I knew within me that I must have read in a funny way. But you know, they didn’t discourage me and from there we went to Opa Williams’ office. When we got there, Opa told me he liked the way I spoke and that he liked my spoken English. Finally he said, ‘you know what, we might work someday’. As at that time, he was doing Onome. So he gave me a tiny part in Onome.
The part is where I was trying to describe a location to someone. That was my first movie and it was in 1996. From there, I was just doing one thing or the other until Opa did Dry Leaves where I played a lead role. That was the first lead I had and then Out of Bounds came, followed by Most Wanted. And the movies started coming in one after the other after that.
So which would you call the biggest you have done?
I have done quite some of them but the ones that brought me to limelight were Out of Bounds and Most Wanted. When I did Out of Bounds, I wasn’t the one that was supposed to play that role. It just happened and the person that was supposed to play that role didn’t come on time.
Who was that?
I can’t remember actually. But I think it was one big actress like that and I had not done something of that nature because it was quite challenging. So, Tade Ogidan said, ok Ayo come now because I was all dressed up for my role even though my role was just two or three scenes but I was all dressed up and maybe I was looking so cute and all that and they were like come and try it now let’s see. I did the first scene the second scene and nobody was telling me anything and I thought oh God ‘am I doing the right thing?’ not knowing that they were really impressed. I didn’t know. I did the third scene and I said please am I doing well, but they said “ well we don’t know” just continue’, till I finished the movie and when I finished Tade ‘said you don’t know what you have done. ‘Out of Bounds’was followed by ‘Most Wanted’. ‘Most Wanted’ was the one with the armed robbers with Regina Askia and at the same time we did we did ‘Palace’, a soap opera. Everything came out simultaneously and it was like a bomb shell or something. Everywhere I went people were like ‘is that not the armed robber, is that not the girl in ‘Out of Bounds’ and I was enjoying it and I was getting great positive feedbacks.
That was why you left AIT?
Sincerely speaking, I just left and since then I have never looked back. Since then I have been acting.
Has acting been worthwhile?
I will say yes, really. Well, it has its advantages if you ask me but it comes with a lot of advantages. If well managed fame, fame is one of them. Acting has brought me fame and if well managed it will bring you things you don’t even expect
Is your stardom well managed?
Well, have had some unfortunate things in my life really, so I don’t think I have gotten to where I want to be. If you ask me, there is still a place I am going to which I know God is taking me. I don’t know where it is. I have a feel of where it is, you understand you know I can’t say my fame has come, you understand I really can’t say that my fame has come you understand I really can’t say that.
So which was your first Yoruba movie and how did you cross into the Yoruba genre?
Mr. Kola Olotu, he produced ‘Iru Oka’, my first Yoruba movie. He came looking for me and I asked why he was looking for me. He said he wanted to do a Yoruba movie and he wanted English artistes to be there. Then I was doing basically English movies. So he was like he wanted us to be part of it and Ramsey Nouah said ‘hey, maybe you should just give it a shot, I said ‘it’s true o’. He called you? I asked Ramsey. He said yes, I said fine ok let’s see what comes out of it. Sincerely speaking Antar Laniyan was directing and we went to Osogbo. When they gave us the script and I read it, I didn’t understand it. I felt maybe as time went I would. Antar would just tell us, just say something, you know we were doing it little by little, I was like God I hope this thing sounds well. Shola Shobowale was there, everybody was there and they were encouraging. Uncle Jide Kosoko too was there and he said don’t worry, you would do it, it’s a normal thing. We can hear you people, it’s flowing and we did it and when it came out everybody liked it. It was a success, it was a success story but I just thank God really .
Was the script in Yoruba?
No, the dialogue was in Yoruba but the directing was in English
But ‘Iru Oka’ was not your own movie?
No, but it was the first Yoruba movie that I acted in.
What year was that?
Ooh God, I can’t remember.
A lot of people feel that your delving into the Yoruba movie made you lose out in the English genre.
That was not the reason why I lost out in the English genre. I guess it had to do with my marriage too. Because when I was with my ex, the marriage actually slowed me down. I wasn’t giving it my all, because in acting you have to give it your all, to make something out of it you have to give it your all. You can’t just be in the marriage thing and at the same time full-time acting. It’s going to slow a lot of things down for you really. It’s either your spouse understands and releases you to do certain things or he is always blocking you, saying can’t do this or you can’t do that.
Why do you think your spouse blocked your career moves?
Not that why do I think. I have been there. I don’t know why he did it.
But Omotola has been married for ages..
I know you were going to say that.
…And there is Doris Simon who might not be one of the A list but she’s one of the people we reckon with in the Yoruba genre, she’s been acting and she’s married.
Excuse me, when I was married I was acting too. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to point accusing
fingers, the marriage thing slowed me down at a point my partner did not understand certain things. The person I was married to is different from the person Miss B is married to. It depends on Mr. B’s acceptance and mindset concerning a particular thing and it depends on Mr. A’s mindset and acceptance.
I did not bring my husband into the industry immediately. It was after a while that I actually brought him into the industry and I tried to explain. I made him see so many things that was when he now understood. As at that time, new people had come in, nobody was going to wait for you forever, for your marriage or for somebody in your marriage to understand. And for me I was trying to salvage the marriage really. I was trying to make it work. I just don’t like scandals. I don’t want a situation whereby you cannot make it work, just because of your work. So, I had to comply by some things. I had to do some things to please my spouse. He didn’t understand what exactly was going on in your industry.
Were you the one turning down scripts or was it your spouse blocking you or your manager?
(Laughs)May be my manager, but the manager was directed by someone. It wasn’t as if the manager took matters into his hands. He was taking instructions from someone, and nobody is going to wait for you forever, if you are not forth coming. They are going to build somebody else that will take over. At a point, when my husband understood , he said okay, let’s do some movies together and we started working together. And when we started working together it was more of our own productions. I was working mainly on our own production. So, I guess that slowed me down for some time. It actually slowed me down.
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